Tips sought for riding solo

[PBM457]

I would make a ride plan, letting someone know where you're going, and how long you'll be gone. I would also invest in some type of EPERB type device.

 

[Xcuvator]

Life is risky. If you follow this advise you would hardly ever get to ride. To each his own

I have ridden solo into many remote places a lot and the fact that I'm on my own adds to the thrill. The colors, smells, challenges etc are much more distinct. If we have every eventuality in adventure riding covered, is it really an adventure?

 

[reveille]

I have ridden solo into many remote places a lot and the fact that I'm on my own adds to the thrill. The colors, smells, challenges etc are much more distinct. If we have every eventuality in adventure riding covered, is it really an adventure?

AMEN

 

[ray_ray]

I have ridden solo into many remote places a lot and the fact that I'm on my own adds to the thrill. The colors, smells, challenges etc are much more distinct. If we have every eventuality in adventure riding covered, is it really an adventure?

It's a dirt bike ride for me ...The 250cc Husky is the story ...

--

I ride alone lots here in this place, but guess what? I can't go 20 minutes without seeing someone on Cebu walking or riding past... So I'll just add, ride where someone will be passing by before too long and give you a helping hand ...

 

[Daveb511]

I ride alone sometimes. I do not like to but like others said it is better than not riding at all. The main thing I do is just take it easy and enjoy. Many times I have reminded myself to slow down, go easy. This works for me and let's me enjoy the ride. I save the aggressive riding for when I have friends along.

 

[Huskynoobee]

If the rider is bi-polar, is it still considered riding alone?

 

[glangston]

If the rider is bi-polar, is it still considered riding alone?

Even more so, ...maybe schizophrenic or bisexual.

 

[Sceep]

I carry first aid, tools, food, water, parts, tubes on EVERY RIDE. The only thing that changes for me when solo is the pace, and route choices. Slow down, take the easier lines. stop to take some pictures. Riding solo is more time for personal reflection, than when riding with the group.

 

[BarberPole]

Anybody bringing a spare fuel pump on their solo rides, they do fail?
I'm 70, shit happens. 90% of my rides alone, wrenches, spot, cell.

I don't take the spare pump with me but I did install the $6 Radio Shack capacitor as explained in the 610 forum (maybe ADV) so that the bike will run with a bad, or apparently, no battery.
Doing the bump start solo is the chore..........at 71. Ha.

 

[Cosmokenney]

Well, the inreach is a two way satelite communicator which allows you to talk to search and rescue. The spot just flashes and its unnerving not knowing if your signal is getting out or not.

That, and the InReach uses a different (newer, with worldwide coverage) satellite system. I'm definitely going to get an InReach when I'm done spending $s on farkles. Strangely they stopped selling the GPS Mapping Units with the SPOT/InReach built in. Would be nice to cover two purchases in one. I've also done some research on PLBs. They are supposedly more reliable in canyons and what not, but like the SPOT, are one-way. So there is no "Hey buddy, how about bringing a gallon of gas to bum-fuk-nowhere so I can get home?" type of messages. Here's a funnyish story about how not to use PLBs: http://www.wildsnow.com/2323/plb-rescue-beacon-acr/

 

[Cosmokenney]

http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=122

Satellite Phone $499
Service $300 year or $25 mo. equiv.

Only the rich get to make it out alive.

 

[glangston]

Only the rich get to make it out alive.

Your wife or GF is supposed to buy it for you so they can help if you get in trouble....

 

[Cosmokenney]

Couldn't find anyone to ride with today so I took skunk dawg and stinky man...
Here's my riding buddies, exhausted, after a three hour trail ride:


And the reason I can't stop riding alone:

What a great day on some beautiful trails!

 

[Xcuvator]

I carry first aid, tools, food, water, parts, tubes on EVERY RIDE. The only thing that changes for me when solo is the pace, and route choices. Slow down, take the easier lines. stop to take some pictures. Riding solo is more time for personal reflection, than when riding with the group.

That is a very good way to explain it.
I tend to leave when there is a break in work and weather and it is almost impossible to find a buddy. There is something about riding solo that gives me quite a thrill, especially when I get back into the Rocky Mountains..

 

[firecrotch]

I bought a street bike to get my riding fix in on weekends I cant find anyone to ride off-road with. I used to ride alone on a regular basis. too many close calls and it literally turned me into a very slow rider because I was paranoid all the time

 

[ray_ray]

I bought a street bike to get my riding fix in on weekends I cant find anyone to ride off-road with. I used to ride alone on a regular basis. too many close calls and it literally turned me into a very slow rider because I was paranoid all the time

I hear ya on slowing down on your rides ... One issue with going slow is that too slow can cause crashes also. At least for me, going too slow can cause fall-overs at the wrong time.

You gotta trust yourself and your bike and let it flow but not on the cutting edge of your speed and riding ability. But before I quit working and had only 1 or 2 days a week to ride ~6 months or so out of the yr, each ride was balls to the wall and on 2-way, ST trails... The head-on collision type trails in GPNF ...

Now I get to ride very day if desired, almost 365 days a yr now so its not such an epic event when I ride. Much easier to chill on each ride if I want to go slow and pick the places I let it hang out... I know the trails here usually and that helps the safety aspect of each ride greatly.

--
Street riding is ok and will not beat you up as bad but its not a dirt bike ride. Riding my TCs on the street here keeps the speed down and is much safer I think. My bikes are not used as a time machine to move me instantly to my next location.

 

[glangston]

Couldn't find anyone to ride with today so I took skunk dawg and stinky man...
Here's my riding buddies, exhausted, after a three hour trail ride:View attachment 35205


And the reason I can't stop riding alone:View attachment 35206



What a great day on some beautiful trails!

Looks like a Vizla, can't those dogs run all day? It would be a good model name for an Enduro.

 

[Micfasto]

I do ride solo a lot. Best advise I can give is; If you ride with others because you want them to be there to bail you out when you mess up you should not ride by yourself.

 

[Cosmokenney]

Looks like a Vizla, can't those dogs run all day? It would be a good model name for an Enduro.

Yea, he's a Vizsla. Best dog ever. Seriously funny little guy. He can run for hours. But my the other dog, a German Shorthaired Pointer (female) can go pretty much all day. She's pushing 8, so after a few hours of chasing the motorcycle, she's not as energetic when we get back to the truck as she used to be. But, she still runs around "hunting" while I load up. Both of them have been running with me from day one on the mountain bike. So trail riding is just another run them. The GSP was nicknamed "skunk dawg" by my MTB buddies, because she's been sprayed by skunks on about 5 - 8 group night rides!

 

[MorrisBetter]

Only the rich get to make it out alive.

Ahhhh, that's a screamin' deal. $499 less then an iPhone unless you go with one of the older models (4 or 4S) from Virgin ($30/Mo. and up) or one of the other discount carriers.