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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Gliderjohn on December 06, 2018, 09:13:59 PM

Title: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Gliderjohn on December 06, 2018, 09:13:59 PM
If you like riding in solitude it is hard to beat Kansas anywhere west of I-!35.

(https://i.ibb.co/Gx2z2DH/DSCN0368.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Gx2z2DH)

GliderJohn
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: oldbike54 on December 06, 2018, 09:16:42 PM
 Yep,for solitude it is hard to beat the high plains , or the road to Hewins .

 Dusty
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: SmithSwede on December 06, 2018, 09:46:19 PM
Solo is my preferred travel mode!

Just a handful of folks I enjoy riding with.   Including you John. 

Fondly remember crossing over into Missouri on that ferry in 117 degree heat, and being pleasantly surprised at the roads which lay on the other side.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: rschrum on December 06, 2018, 10:16:36 PM
When I ride alone, I prefer to be by myself.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Guzzistajohn on December 06, 2018, 10:32:40 PM
 :thumb see below :thumb:
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: JeffOlson on December 06, 2018, 11:24:18 PM
I like riding alone, too.

From a 600-mile ride through central/eastern Washington:


(https://i.ibb.co/JBghDd5/IMG-4023.png) (https://ibb.co/JBghDd5)
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Paul Brooking on December 06, 2018, 11:33:26 PM
Just completed two ten hour days returning home from two separate motorcycle events on the East Coast of Australia.
Nothing better than hitting the "take me home" button on the GPS, putting the Bluetooth Helmet Speakers on and heading west stopping only for coffee and fuel.
That after enjoying a group ride to get to both events in the first place.


I enjoy the solitude as much as I enjoy the company.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Kiwi_Roy on December 07, 2018, 12:54:07 AM
I reckon I felt that riding back from the Arctic Circle


(https://image.ibb.co/i7CnEy/IMG-0440.jpg)
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: twowheeladdict on December 07, 2018, 06:05:13 AM
There are a lot of fun curvy roads in middle TN where you will be in solitude with the exception of going and coming from work times, and then it is the dozen or so people who might live off those roads. 

The beauty of interstates and state highways are that they keep most people off the back roads.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Aaron D. on December 07, 2018, 06:10:56 AM
Sometimes and some places, an interstate is an interesting experience. But it doesn't feel like a real solitude adventure like an empty rural US , state or county road arrowing off through the scenery.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Gliderjohn on December 07, 2018, 06:50:30 AM
From SmithSwede:
Quote
Fondly remember crossing over into Missouri on that ferry in 117 degree heat, and being pleasantly surprised at the roads which lay on the other side.
That was a nice ride, pleasantly surprised! Did enjoy the company that day. :thumb:
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: chuck peterson on December 07, 2018, 06:56:07 AM
300k on motorcycles...

Divided by an average speed of....35mph?

300,000 /35=8571 hours.....

8571 hrs divided by a 40 hr work week=214 work weeks

214 40 hr work weeks equals 4.28 years of riding...at 35mph avg

4.28 yrs of riding in solitude avg 35 mph during a 40 hr work week.....

Introvert much?

 :bike-037:
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Rick in WNY on December 07, 2018, 07:18:14 AM
I'll admit, the solitude is a large part of why I love motorcycles so much. I throw a leg over, start the bike, kickstand up, close my visor and roll out. At that point, I'm in my own little world. Just me, and the machine that needs me. We complete each other, we are the perfect Yin and Yang.

This is a large part of why I have no desire to move closer to where I work. That 45 minute ride is my own personal paradise.   :bike-037:
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: larrys on December 07, 2018, 07:42:46 AM
I prefer to ride alone, have had enough of riding in groups. There are still a couple of guys I'll run with. As far as being alone on the road, doesn't happen often in my little state.
Larry
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: jwinwi on December 07, 2018, 08:03:04 AM
I absolutely treasure the solitude of riding and touring alone but there are limits... Rode Hwy 50 through Utah and Nevada going to the MGNOC National in Grass Valley, CA in 2001. 50 to 60 miles between towns gets a little spooky. As the sun started to set it made me think: What would happen if the Quota started acting up?
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Sheepdog on December 07, 2018, 08:24:18 AM
I ride alone for the most part, but the solitude hasn't been the same since I installed a Bluetooth unit in my helmet. I think it will be a positive addition however; weather alerts, routing instructions, calls from mi esposa, and all that. Still, I think I'll keep a couple of extra helmets around for when I want the world to go away...
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Gliderjohn on December 07, 2018, 08:33:31 AM
Flying gliders is a great solitude experience. I generally fly without a radio and generally by myself. I feel like I have escaped earth and nothing can interfere with me until I land, totally in my own little world and totally self reliant.
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: bobbyfromnc on December 07, 2018, 09:31:23 AM
While I do enjoy riding with my group of friends, I also prefer solo rides in the end. especially if I feel the need to think stuff through, to unwind or have a one on one ride with God and enjoy the beauty of the countryside. BK
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: wittangamo on December 07, 2018, 09:37:53 AM
For some, riding is a social event. For others, an escape from having to socialize.

For me, motorcycling is meditation. The engine sings a mantra and the mind empties of thoughts not necessary to steering around the curves or pondering the zen of the scenery.

I’m happily married and have solid friendships, but I’ve never had anyone on the passenger seats of the three Guzzis I’ve owned. I’ve attended a couple of rallies to talk bikes, but rode there and back solo. I have on rare occasions enjoyed a group ride, but adjusting my pace to the lowest common denominator and surrendering the ability to veer off the planned route takes some of the fun out of it.

It’s only partly because I’m an anti-social bastard at heart. My jobs have always required dealing with fellow humans of all stripes. I can pass for good company and love hearing interesting people tell their stories.

But my bike is a rolling Fortress of Solitude. I’m lucky to live on the edge of a bustling city where I can ride 15 minutes in any direction and be on a winding road where only an occasional car needs passing. I can almost always manage to get deliciously lost and see new sights.

This forum allows me to participate vicariously in your rides, get and share information on the care and feeding of these quirky Italian bikes, and rub up against personalities both endearing and prickly without hangovers or fisticuffs.

It’s cheaper than therapy.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Lannis on December 07, 2018, 11:43:20 AM
There is so much noise in the world today its a treat to get away from it any way you can.

:-)

Unless it's Fay's voice in my ear over the Sena as we ride the country together.

If I have a choice between riding alone and riding with my best girl, it's going to be the pillion-in-a-million every time ....

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Honda-PC-Colorado/i-krrJPGh/0/250bd518/X3/100_8548-X3.jpg) (https://lannisselz.smugmug.com/Honda-PC-Colorado/i-krrJPGh/A)

Lannis
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: canuck750 on December 07, 2018, 12:37:00 PM
For some, riding is a social event. For others, an escape from having to socialize.

For me, motorcycling is meditation. The engine sings a mantra and the mind empties of thoughts not necessary to steering around the curves or pondering the zen of the scenery.

I’m happily married and have solid friendships, but I’ve never had anyone on the passenger seats of the three Guzzis I’ve owned. I’ve attended a couple of rallies to talk bikes, but rode there and back solo. I have on rare occasions enjoyed a group ride, but adjusting my pace to the lowest common denominator and surrendering the ability to veer off the planned route takes some of the fun out of it.

It’s only partly because I’m an anti-social bastard at heart. My jobs have always required dealing with fellow humans of all stripes. I can pass for good company and love hearing interesting people tell their stories.

But my bike is a rolling Fortress of Solitude. I’m lucky to live on the edge of a bustling city where I can ride 15 minutes in any direction and be on a winding road where only an occasional car needs passing. I can almost always manage to get deliciously lost and see new sights.

This forum allows me to participate vicariously in your rides, get and share information on the care and feeding of these quirky Italian bikes, and rub up against personalities both endearing and prickly without hangovers or fisticuffs.

It’s cheaper than therapy.

What he said  :thumb:
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Paul Brooking on December 07, 2018, 03:55:55 PM
For some, riding is a social event. For others, an escape from having to socialize.

For me, motorcycling is meditation. The engine sings a mantra and the mind empties of thoughts not necessary to steering around the curves or pondering the zen of the scenery.

I’m happily married and have solid friendships, but I’ve never had anyone on the passenger seats of the three Guzzis I’ve owned. I’ve attended a couple of rallies to talk bikes, but rode there and back solo. I have on rare occasions enjoyed a group ride, but adjusting my pace to the lowest common denominator and surrendering the ability to veer off the planned route takes some of the fun out of it.

It’s only partly because I’m an anti-social bastard at heart. My jobs have always required dealing with fellow humans of all stripes. I can pass for good company and love hearing interesting people tell their stories.

But my bike is a rolling Fortress of Solitude. I’m lucky to live on the edge of a bustling city where I can ride 15 minutes in any direction and be on a winding road where only an occasional car needs passing. I can almost always manage to get deliciously lost and see new sights.

This forum allows me to participate vicariously in your rides, get and share information on the care and feeding of these quirky Italian bikes, and rub up against personalities both endearing and prickly without hangovers or fisticuffs.

It’s cheaper than therapy.


Post of the year.  I tips me hat to you :bow:
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Ncdan on December 07, 2018, 05:17:49 PM
Flying gliders is a great solitude experience. I generally fly without a radio and generally by myself. I feel like I have escaped earth and nothing can interfere with me until I land, totally in my own little world and totally self reliant.
GliderJohn
John, there is a glider club that I go by everyday when I'm working. It's in Davie county, NC, on NC 801. Just wondering if you may know those guys.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Perazzimx14 on December 07, 2018, 06:59:58 PM
I don't do "group" rides where you just show up to an unknow group of folks. I don't do rally's as that's not my thing. I do have a select very small group of friends I ride/travel with and its great. We all get along and can ebb and flow as needed. I also like to ride solo its a different experience.

Traveling alone is exceptionally fun for 2 or 3 days then it get a bit lonely.
 

Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Gliderjohn on December 07, 2018, 07:50:24 PM
From Ncdan:
Quote
John, there is a glider club that I go by everyday when I'm working. It's in Davie county, NC, on NC 801. Just wondering if you may know those guys.
Thats about 800+ miles east of me. I don't fly out of my region nor contest fly so I really only know local pilots. It is a small community socially.
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: wavedog on December 07, 2018, 07:51:39 PM
Riding alone in solitude is magical. If I wasn't married to the Fabulous Mrs Wavedog I would be a solo motorcycle vagabond following the seasons around the country. Or I would have sailed solo over the horizon and disappeared. Fortunately for me, the Fabulous Mrs Wavedog has held an incredible fascination for me and has kept my head in reality for 38 years and my life is better for it.
 Now days I ride with one or two friends for health reasons.

 Once I did get to spend 28 days on the road riding and camping by myself.  I discovered that I am ok with what goes on inside my helmet.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Gliderjohn on December 07, 2018, 08:00:38 PM
From Perazzimx14:
Quote
Traveling alone is exceptionally fun for 2 or 3 days then it get a bit lonely.
I hear you but...I don't think I could describe myself as either an extrovert or an introvert, just right on that fence line.
When I am extended traveling alone and just for the sake of riding I find myself becoming more extroverted because I am more open to company and interaction. So at fuel stops, food stops and motels I meet new people and have some great interactions that I would have not have had otherwise. I also try to frequent the walk directly into your room motels (becoming less common) for one reason being that people tend to hang out outside creating more interaction opportunities. YMMV.
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: BRG-BIRD on December 07, 2018, 08:56:57 PM
Being on the fence of extrovert and introvert is described as ambivert as I typically am. With that said I do prefer solo riding unless with a couple of my closest friends.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Tom H on December 08, 2018, 12:53:49 AM
I kinda like riding by myself. I can go as fast or slow as I want and stop anywhere anytime for whatever reason. There are times though that it would be nice to have just a few riders along.

With that said. I was headed from Los Angeles to Yuma. Was riding alone except for the 60 bazillion cars on the freeway to San Diego. I stopped in El Centro for gas. Got back on the freeway and shortly 2 bikes came up to me. We were going about the same speed and headed the same place so I sped up a bit and rode behind them. Did I mention they were cruising at 80mph. We were all rolling along happily until two others came upon us. One of the two was easy to ride with, he knew how to ride in a group. The other guy scared the "S" out of me. I never knew where he was going to be, kept speeding and slowing. I think his buddy tamed him down. Then it was a pleasant hour ride with people that I did not know. Had a few cold ones at the Yuma Run with the guys I rode with. Nice bunch of guys. But when I headed home, it was just me and about 3 hours of desert until I hit SD, then the 60 bazillion cars again. Rats!!

Tom
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Huzo on December 08, 2018, 04:08:36 AM

(https://i.ibb.co/WDJVn5v/IMG-0249.jpg) (https://ibb.co/WDJVn5v)

(https://i.ibb.co/CV4pZRK/IMG-0270.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CV4pZRK)

(https://i.ibb.co/K6w52mH/IMG-0282.jpg) (https://ibb.co/K6w52mH)

(https://i.ibb.co/mvKdTvT/IMG-0906.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mvKdTvT)

(https://i.ibb.co/jRC7ZKj/IMG-0908.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jRC7ZKj)
I reckon I felt that riding back from the Arctic Circle


(https://image.ibb.co/i7CnEy/IMG-0440.jpg)
Yes.
It's a bit like that North of the Arctic Circle..
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Muzz on December 08, 2018, 05:13:51 AM
I ride often with one guy on a similarly powered bike.  Ok with that, and we understand each other.

Ride with my son and his mate, all good.

Ride by myself, I love it.  Ridden by myself most of my life.  My wife used to ride on the back but now considers herself "too old".  Sad, but her problem, not mine.  I am more than happy to ride by myself and will continue to do so.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: ejs on December 08, 2018, 08:11:44 PM
I mostly ride alone, if in a group, then it is with some fellow mil.vets😁
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: keener on December 08, 2018, 10:36:46 PM
i prefer to ride alone especially when touring , like others have said the freedom of going where you want at any speed you desire, and to be totally in charge of your life and what can come to me is the essence of freedom .
I have done rides alone where i follow the sun, if the weather turns bad enough i find another way i have found some pretty lonely roads doing this and some great adventures like we say its the journey and not the destination .
Occasionally i will travel with an old riding buddy or with my girlfriend as a passenger  , it can be great as long as you both can accept compromise .
I avoid larger groups or rallies unless its for a short period of time , not my thing and i rather be just riding




Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: rider33 on December 09, 2018, 08:27:22 AM
For some, riding is a social event. For others, an escape from having to socialize.

For me, motorcycling is meditation. The engine sings a mantra and the mind empties of thoughts not necessary to steering around the curves or pondering the zen of the scenery..... I have on rare occasions enjoyed a group ride, but adjusting my pace to the lowest common denominator and surrendering the ability to veer off the planned route takes some of the fun out of it.


'bingo, and very nicely put.  I will ride with others if I can't get gracefully out of it but for me it sort of defeats the purpose.  Riding gets me away from the noise of everyday living, away from the obligations, the expectations, the ceaseless din.  It untethers me from who I've become and takes me back closer to who I really am.  If you ride and ride well it's total immersion, you are in the moment, completely focused.  Anything that distracts from that diminishes the experience IMHO.  A couple years back I rode with a friend out to Glacier, a trip I have done solo several times.  It was nice to have company once there but the ride out and back was a series of late starts, early stops & focus on what the other was doing vs where the road was leading me.  It might have been fine in a convertible but on a bike you just miss too much, it's still an experience, just not nearly as profound.  The more distractions you have, the less you are able to truly see.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: John A on December 09, 2018, 09:23:26 AM
There is nothing better for my mental health than being 1500 miles from home,  relying on myself ,halfway through a road trip. I need another, please :grin:
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Sheepdog on December 09, 2018, 11:29:37 AM
I did a group ride with a bunch of coworkers some time back. The Cherohala Skyway and the Dragon were among our planned routes. I wound up spending the day wrenching and waiting for ambulances. Never again...

However, I do enjoy riding with by old friend, Briney Jim. We've been buds since 1974 and one of the principle things we do together is tour on motorcycles. We have long understood each other's comfort zones and have worked out our own hand signals and preferred lane positions (though we both have communicators these days). My wife feels a great deal better about my two-three week sojourns knowing that I have someone else along, so her stress level remains low. Plus, Jim rides a Guzzi...
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: azguzzirep on December 09, 2018, 01:51:09 PM
If you love an empty road, stay out of Europe! 😁😁😁
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: KiwiTones on December 09, 2018, 03:37:18 PM
After reading this thread, now I don't feel so different. I've only been riding 8 months and have gone out on group rides a few times with members of a Moto Guzzi group in Madrid. I enjoy the social interaction a lot, but at heart I know I also need time to myself, to do what I want without feeling the need to fit in with the group. Today I just did a four hour ride with my bike and my camera, stopping a few times to take photos, and going where my whim took me (as well as the need to refuel the V9). It was a nice day, but at the same time I wondered if I was anti-social, as some of the Moto Guzzi group where trying to get an outing organized, and I decided to stay silent.

I'll be going on a short tour of Morocco with my brother-in-law on motorbikes in late January. It'll be the first time I ride with him. (He's coming over from NZ.) and am looking forward to it a lot. I'm also looking forward to the 5 hour solo ride down to Málaga from Madrid to meet him. It'll be a time of meditation, as I'll have no bluetooth in my helmet - just my thoughts for company. I'm not that interesting a guy, but I don't need much to entertain me.  :grin:

Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: twowheeladdict on December 10, 2018, 07:13:16 AM
Here is another aspect of riding (and especially touring) alone.

You are much more approachable when stopped for a break or a meal than if you are with a group.  I have regaled a restaurant full of locals with stories of the road because they are amazed that someone would venture so far from home alone and on two wheels.  Many of them have never ventured further than the next county their entire lives.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Zigzagguzzi on December 10, 2018, 07:34:07 AM
Years ago there wer articles about solo riders on long trips suddenly seeing themselves from above, looking down.. Very strange, but long streches of solitude can be hypnotic!  Anyone remember this or experienced the same?.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: oilhed on December 10, 2018, 07:49:35 AM
I prefer to ride alone.  My route, my schedule, my detours.  I have a few friends I will ride with but it requires compromise. 
No passengers, either, not since the 80's!  My wife complains about it til I remind her I crashed once and went to the ER.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: mobiker on December 10, 2018, 09:17:27 AM
I rode out to the sandhills in western Nebraska a couple of years ago. I hadn't been out west for a while and had forgot how few people are there. I like the wide open spaces. The roads aren't that interesting, being mostly straight, but the plains have their own kind of beauty. I enjoyed the solitude.

I'm pretty much a lone wolf when it comes to riding. I really don't care for group rides. I've had some riding buddies over the years and enjoyed riding with one or two other people, but big groups not so much. Riding solo just gives a lot of freedom. Fast, slow, stop, don't stop, sudden course deviations, its all good.

Back in eighties/early nineties I had a girlfriend who enjoyed riding pillion and I enjoyed that a lot. She was a very good co-rider which makes a big difference.

Back when I rode bicycles, I did a lot of group rides with the local club. For road rides, I actually preferred riding in a small group to riding solo. Three to five bikes. Any more and we became a road obstruction, any less and you were more likely to be hassled by asshats in cars.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: rider33 on December 10, 2018, 11:19:38 PM
Here is another aspect of riding (and especially touring) alone.

You are much more approachable when stopped for a break or a meal than if you are with a group.  I have regaled a restaurant full of locals with stories of the road because they are amazed that someone would venture so far from home alone and on two wheels.  Many of them have never ventured further than the next county their entire lives.

'good point & quite correct.  When you are traveling in a clump you tend to stick to the clump and people tend to avoid you.  When you are solo you are much more approachable and people tend to strike up a conversation much more easily. A solo rider with plates from a few thousand miles away tends to capture people's imagination, at least it has with me. They want to know where you are headed and why.  Flying over a place only gives you a rough idea of what it's about.  Driving gives you a ground level view but unless you get off the interstate and actually talk to folks,
it's only partial. Riding solo on back roads let's you smell, taste, and feel a place & talking to the indigenous population helps you to understand its rhythms.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: KJDub on December 10, 2018, 11:32:15 PM
I love to poke around on remote roads all by myself. Nothing feels more free.  Once I'm on the bike I don't want to stop. My bikes have never let me down. I've been to some amazing spots I couldn't have found if I tried.
KJ

(https://i.ibb.co/GssyKX2/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GssyKX2)

(https://i.ibb.co/y0181Jj/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/y0181Jj)
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: keener on December 11, 2018, 06:44:57 PM
I love to poke around on remote roads all by myself. Nothing feels more free.  Once I'm on the bike I don't want to stop. My bikes have never let me down. I've been to some amazing spots I couldn't have found if I tried.
KJ

(https://i.ibb.co/GssyKX2/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GssyKX2)

(https://i.ibb.co/y0181Jj/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/y0181Jj)




Looks like central Oregon to me .........some of the best riding anywhere 
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: keuka4884 on December 11, 2018, 07:46:28 PM
I also prefer to ride alone. There are many curvy country roads in the Finger Lakes with another nice lake view just down the road. I see lots of single riders in the summer. Watkins Glen and now the wineries bring more visitors every year.

Great topic. 
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Chuck in Indiana on December 12, 2018, 07:32:00 AM
'good point & quite correct.  When you are traveling in a clump you tend to stick to the clump and people tend to avoid you.  When you are solo you are much more approachable and people tend to strike up a conversation much more easily. A solo rider with plates from a few thousand miles away tends to capture people's imagination, at least it has with me. They want to know where you are headed and why.  Flying over a place only gives you a rough idea of what it's about.  Driving gives you a ground level view but unless you get off the interstate and actually talk to folks,
it's only partial. Riding solo on back roads let's you smell, taste, and feel a place & talking to the indigenous population helps you to understand its rhythms.

^^^^^
Yep. I prefer to ride alone, too. My own schedule, my changing destinations.  :smiley: I *do* like riding with The Kid.. we travel well in formation, and have very similar tastes and abilities.. but that is a different experience altogether.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: egschade on December 14, 2018, 07:05:58 AM

(https://i.ibb.co/N7hVB80/Picture1.png) (https://ibb.co/N7hVB80)

Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: John A on December 14, 2018, 08:15:37 AM
Here is another aspect of riding (and especially touring) alone.

You are much more approachable when stopped for a break or a meal than if you are with a group.  I have regaled a restaurant full of locals with stories of the road because they are amazed that someone would venture so far from home alone and on two wheels.  Many of them have never ventured further than the next county their entire lives.


That's what The Oracle at the Turnip Ranch taught: If you are with a group, you tend to talk with the group. If you are alone there is more opportunities to talk with locals
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: oilhed on December 15, 2018, 07:23:08 AM
The thread is about riding in solitude?

To me that doesn't necessarily mean riding alone, it means riding with only the noise of the road and the motorbike...NO music ,news, or phone, etc.

Just your thoughts.

I'm at a loss to understand why people these days have to have something blaring in their ears.
Where else in you life do you have the opportunity to "turn it off" (even in an auto/truck).

Try it , you may be pleasantly surprised.

My .02c

I rode with no noise, no music, for decades.  I now ride with music, playing, not blaring, and it enhances the ride, for me.

My $0.02
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: rider33 on December 16, 2018, 12:16:27 PM
actually no, it is the best sound you can get on a bike.  I prefer silence most of the time but while on tour, particularly slabbing it out to somewhere interesting, music can help make the miles fly by in the boring bits.
Bike stereo systems & even helmet speakers have to fight wind noise.   A good set of isolating ear buds (NOT the
Best Buy or Drug store variety) can provide isolation similar or better than good ear plugs and into that void inject very high quality sound.  It's a bit like a quality headphone, a $200 set of headphones will generally sound better than a $2,000 set of speaker because they do not need to deal with room issues or the amplification demands those speakers place upon them.  Isolating ear buds bring down the noise threshold by 30db or more and only have to create music in the very small space of your ear canal.  Another perk:  when not in use they take no space at all:

https://www.aerostich.com/mc5-high-definition-earspeakers.html
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Green1000S on December 16, 2018, 12:41:14 PM

Rididng in solitude?
You cannot beat Trans Labrador Highway.

(https://i.postimg.cc/fyMFKYZV/IMG-3696.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HcPBWcrm)
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: willowstreetguzziguy on December 16, 2018, 03:20:28 PM
i prefer to ride alone especially when touring , like others have said the freedom of going where you want at any speed you desire, and to be totally in charge of your life and what can come to me is the essence of freedom .
I have done rides alone where i follow the sun, if the weather turns bad enough i find another way i have found some pretty lonely roads doing this and some great adventures like we say its the journey and not the destination .
Occasionally i will travel with an old riding buddy or with my girlfriend as a passenger  , it can be great as long as you both can accept compromise .
I avoid larger groups or rallies unless its for a short period of time , not my thing and i rather be just riding

Freedom is being able to go where you want, stop where you want, and ride as fast or slow as you want. Can't do that when riding with others. Riding then becomes a socializing event and no longer freedom..
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Muzz on December 16, 2018, 04:06:06 PM

I'll be going on a short tour of Morocco with my brother-in-law on motorbikes in late January. It'll be the first time I ride with him. (He's coming over from NZ.) and am looking forward to it a lot. I'm also looking forward to the 5 hour solo ride down to Málaga from Madrid to meet him. It'll be a time of meditation, as I'll have no bluetooth in my helmet - just my thoughts for company. I'm not that interesting a guy, but I don't need much to entertain me.  :grin:

Good to see another Kiwi here, there are a reasonable number of us here keeping the eagle flying.

Have a great trip with your bro-in-law, Morocco should be entertaining!

Which part of NZ is he from?
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Lannis on December 16, 2018, 06:11:40 PM
All due respect but I can't see how you can get any quality thru ear buds and it HAS (seems to me) be all full volume to even hear anything over road, wind and moto noise.

Guess I'll just NEVER "get it".....I'm OK w/that....

If there's someone singing in my head, that's not solitude, is it?   :grin:

I agree - the sound system on my Triumph (the only bike I have that has one) is wasted .....

Lannis
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: PJPR01 on December 16, 2018, 08:22:10 PM
All due respect but I can't see how you can get any quality thru ear buds and it HAS (seems to me) be all full volume to even hear anything over road, wind and moto noise.

Guess I'll just NEVER "get it".....I'm OK w/that....

I'll gracefully point you to my other thread on Earbuds for riding - in fact, if you like, you can try my headset next year at Cedar Vale.  Music can be good company as can silence and just the sound of the engine and the road.  A nice "background" playlist of mellow or spirited songs enhances my riding and I vary it depending on the type of terrain as well.  It's never set to blaring anyway as that would be painful, and always at a volume that allows me to still hear surrounding activity. 

You might enjoy it actually, unless it's truly distracting or just not as interesting as the sound of the road/engine...no "forcing" you to ride with music.

Riding Solo is great for flexibility, riding with a trusted companion makes for very nice company too, and sometimes it's nice to lead and sometimes it's nice to follow.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: PJPR01 on December 17, 2018, 11:37:50 AM
Thank you Paul for your kind offer...BTDT.

I do some of my best thinking alone in my thoughts and..gulp singing. I rarely even play the radio while driving or..... shaving (another thought provoking activity.

I like concerts for music..live.

Try and get away from the noise of modern life as often as possible, it just a distraction to me...

To each his....

:-)

All good Mike!  Speaking of concerts....The Rolling Stones are coming to the States next year...booked to see them now in Houston in April and in Chicago in June, should be a blast!  Looking forward to seeing to a raucous couple of shows, might even do a 2nd show in Chicago...
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Paul Brooking on December 17, 2018, 09:32:11 PM
All due respect but I can't see how you can get any quality thru ear buds and it HAS (seems to me) be all full volume to even hear anything over road, wind and moto noise.

Guess I'll just NEVER "get it".....I'm OK w/that....


I've recently gone the moulded "Acoustic" ear piece route .. cuts out all high end wind noise in the helmet at high speed yet you can have a conversation with someone at normal voice
I've added a Cardo Bluetooth Hemet speaker system and between the acoustic plugs and the Cardo, I can hear my music with more than acceptable clarity at a low volume setting whilst travelling at 110 Km/h on the black top.

(https://i.ibb.co/Kzmdkcz/IMG-0621.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Kzmdkcz)


(https://i.ibb.co/swFyZK7/IMG-0623.jpg) (https://ibb.co/swFyZK7)
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: twowheeladdict on December 18, 2018, 03:00:28 PM
All good Mike!  Speaking of concerts....The Rolling Stones are coming to the States next year...booked to see them now in Houston in April and in Chicago in June, should be a blast!  Looking forward to seeing to a raucous couple of shows, might even do a 2nd show in Chicago...

Saw them in early 80s in Orlando.  Van Halen opened for them and they restricted how much stage David Lee Roth could use.  I have never actively set out to attend any concert, but somehow have been to many before kids.
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Muzz on December 19, 2018, 01:30:17 PM
The thread is about riding in solitude?

To me that doesn't necessarily mean riding alone, it means riding with only the noise of the road and the motorbike...NO music ,news, or phone, etc.


I find that when I'm in the zone I start to sing. :shocked:  I have a lousy voice but in a full face it sounds ok.  Of course, when I come to a hill I stop singing and just have "Symphony in Second" by that great Italian composer La Franconi running. The basso profundo is superb. :thumb: :grin:
Title: Re: Riding in solitude.
Post by: Paul Brooking on December 19, 2018, 05:17:08 PM
I find that when I'm in the zone I start to sing. :shocked:  I have a lousy voice but in a full face it sounds ok.  Of course, when I come to a hill I stop singing and just have "Symphony in Second" by that great Italian composer La Franconi running. The basso profundo is superb. :thumb: :grin:

I love to sing along as well.
However I recently got a letter from Neil Young's Lawyers, acting on behalf of Neil, Tom Petty, John Mayer, The Hollies etc., informing me that of all the people who have ever sung along to these artists, I am officially the worst and could I kindly desist.
I believe a restraining order is the next step.
 :sad: :sad: :police: :copcar: