spinnaker

Well it looks like if I want to tour this year it is going to have to be alone. My one tour partner has other plans for this year and I have not heard from my other tour partner in months.


How many people have done it?

Cons I see are no one to talk to, no one to share the experience with, no one to bounce plans off of or to help make decisions. No one to back you up in case of illness or injury. No one to watch your bicycle and gear while you run into a store or some other off bike errand. No one to share costs.

Pros are. You make your own plans and do the distance you want to do in the pace you want to do it. No need to compromise with someone else. One of my big problems with my one touring partner is he is a heads down just get there kind of guy. I more of the heads up, smell the flowers and enjoy the journey kind of guy. If I only do 30-40 miles in a day that is fine with me.

I have done a few weekend tours on my own but nothing long term. Never really had any major issues. As far as my injury / illness concerns it is not like I will be in the middle of nowhere. But being alone every day sort of sucks.

So who has toured alone longer than say a few days? What did you think? Would you do it again?

FBinNY 

I've toured with groups, a friend or two, and alone.

All are OK, though different. IMO 3 people is ideal, and platooning allows more of a cushion when you run into bad luck, ie. multiple flats. It's also nice to divide the load o stuff that's shareable, ie stove and cookware, along with some of the end of day and break camp chores.

But, I'm comfortable touring alone, though I generally don't camp when alone, except for the odd night in a tube tent or whatever, without stove.

One nice thing about touring alone, is that it's sometimes easier to get into conversations with people along the way. Strangers see two or three people together, they don't like to intrude, but one guy alone they figure they can't be interrupting anything.

Of course enjoying touring solo depends on how self contained you are. If you don't enjoy your own company, and aren't confident in your coping skills, it can feel very lonely and exposed, which will grate on you after a while.

Lastly, depending on where you're touring, there's the chance that you'll run into others, and maybe join them for a while, without the commitment that starting with someone would involve.

Cyclist0108

It looks like I may be facing a similar situation if I go this summer.

I did it in Greece when I was about 21. Now I look back on it and think I was nuts, but absolutely nothing bad happened.

My usual touring partner is an ER doc, which is ideal in many ways (but fortunately I never had to make use of his skills).

I'm more worried about having my bike ripped off if I go into a shop or something like that. My wife, however, is really opposed to me doing this.

FBinNY 

This is probably nothing to worry about and easily managed. You can carry a light lock, or simply remove the front wheel and take it in with you.

I never carried a lock on tours, and would remove the front wheel and drape the fork over it, resting on the crown. Yes, that's only a few seconds of protection, but it's served me well for decades.

spinnaker

And when credit card touring it gives you a chance to share rooms but get a night or two to yourself. Me and my two other touring buddies did this and it worked out really well.



Yeah I will be credit card touring but taking advantage of warmshowers too. So at least I won't be totally alone.


Sort of what I missed on my second and third tour of Italy where my touring partner is very proficient in Italian so I did not need to bother. The first time I went, my touring partner did not speak a word so I was forced to use my awful Italian .


I am pretty much on my own all the time anyway so I should be OK there. Just that half the fun of having someone along that you are able to relive the experience even years later. We still talk about some of our trips. Some things I remember, some my friends remember.

spinnaker

Yeah that is my problem too but I will be touring Vancouver Island this year and maybe a couple of the San Juan Islands so I figure outside of Seattle and Victoria I don't have much to worry about.

And that is one issue. I like less densely populated areas to tour. Just as long as I have a roof over my head and a restaurant nearby I am happy. My one MIA touring partner not so much. He would rather tour in more densely populated areas.

Cyclist0108

If you do the outer (Western) part of the 101 on the Olympic Peninsula, it gets REALLY isolated.

My wife was telling me about this a couple of hours ago (in a continued campaign to talk me out of going solo): https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/art...NEWS/170419872

andrewclaus

I crossed the US on the 4400 mile Northern Tier route "alone" in quotes because I seldom felt that way.

With my gray beard and aging, mellow demeanor, I think I was approachable and I met very nice people all the time, young and old, male and female. I met a young guy whose path crossed mine for over 1000 miles and we shared a deep bond by the time that section was over. I spent unplanned nights in strangers' homes, spur of the moment, shared meals with all sorts of people, like an MD, a trucker, a homeless guy for some examples. Going solo on that trip was an excellent decision for me.

FBinNY 

Mountain and road biking are very different. Unless you riding roads in exceptionally isolated areas, there'a always traffic. So unless you fly off the road and down into a ravine, odds are that any crash will leave you along the road, where passers by will render aid, or at least phone the police.

Mtn biking, like solo hiking has the risk of injury, where nobody may pass for hours, days, or even weeks. I'm very comfortable alone on roads anywhere, but hate to mtn bike solo, even in fairly popular parks.

spinnaker

Won't be doing the Olympic Peninsula on this trip. Not enough time. In fact I might be doing only 4 or 5 days of actual tour. The rest of my vacation will be a trip back home on the train.

mev

Personal preference with no single right answer. I've done some extended tours alone including 365 day long tour in 2001 that took me around Australia (8 months), across USA (2 months), New Zealand (1 month), India (1.5 months).

For me there is a continuum on my tours:

- In English, speaking countries and more in the developed world; I like touring alone and freedom it provides.
- Where English is not the primary language, but still reasonable cycling infrastructure; I like touring with others. For example, in crossing Russia in 2007, I cycled with another person I found on Adventure Cycling web site. I've also done trips in Armenia, Indian Himalayas and Ukraine/Russia with my brother. Recently, also had good experience with another cyclist riding through Central America.
- Where logistics seem difficult or more "exotic", I've also done some supported tours. For example, TDA across Africa and through China. Also taken some Spice Roads trips in southeast Asia (some places in southeast Asia not as exotic as I thought).

As others describe, sometimes even if you go solo, you aren't quite "alone" when you are running into other people - often multiple times. For example, never felt much alone in Outback Australia since I was on the primary sealed road. Similarly, riding the US Pacific Coast, one will often encounter other cyclists.

Cyclist0108

If you are just going to be riding around the San Juans, you should be fine on your own. I've only done it by car, but it is hard for me to imagine it would be anything less than ideal.

jefnvk

I've done it a lot traveling in general, and was planning on doing it on a bike this summer until a buddy jumped at a halfway joking offer that I never figured he'd take. I can say in general, for my personality, I prefer solo travel. But, that is me.

Just use common sense. Are you riding along roads where if you have an issue, there'll be a car by in a few minutes, or in the middle of the wilderness where you may not see another person for days? There is a big difference in how safe an average person would find each for a solo traveler.

Standalone 

Love to tour alone - I've always met great folks!

mulveyr 

I circled the Olympic Peninsula three years ago; honestly, the western portion along 101/etc was by far my favorite part of the trip. Stunning scenery, and I loved the relative isolation.

Cyclist0108

We only did the outer part (1991, the first segment of a Pacific Coast tour), but I am sure you are right. We camped in the Hoh rain forest.

robow

My past solo touring experiences, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

Spin, you'll be fine but truthfully, generally not my cup o' tea if longer than a few days. YMMV
btw, Tell Dom to get his butt out there.

boomhauer

Touring is a quick way to get into shape.
I love the feeling.
Alone is best!

Squeezebox

Might depend on where I was going. But a lot of folks tour to "get away from it all"

DropBarFan

Touring alone (not just on bike) can be a lot more relaxing with not having to deal with lots of passive-aggressive BS. Pretty rare to find touring mates wanting to ride same exact trips/routes/etc: the epic world tourists seem to generally ride alone.

B. Carfree

I love touring with my spouse on a tandem. That said, there are times I just need to go out and ride by myself for a week or two. I really enjoy being able to get up and get going on my own schedule without having to talk to anyone if I happen to wake up on that side of the bag. I see it as a chance to indulge my selfish side for a bit.

chrisx

I always travel alone.
Best way to meet new people.
Why go to a new place and talk to the same old people?
The people on Vancouver Island are friendly, you wont be alone.
A sober person will find new friends in that and most corners of the world.

staehpj1

There are definitely pros and cons either way. I have toured alone and with others. Depending on the group dynamics you may actually meet more people and see the country better if alone.

I definitely didn't find being alone to be a problem. You can get rolling as early or late as you like, ride as long or short miles as you want, stop where you want, and eat what you want. On routes like the Trans America or the Pacific coast you meet enough other riders that it hardly seems like being alone. Even when I don't meet any other riders I typically find plenty of interesting local folks to chat with.

Personally I wouldn't try to seek out someone to tour with and would just tour alone unless there was someone whose company I really enjoyed who was interested in going with me.

indyfabz

All the time. Love it. Two longest solo trips were about seven weeks each, including one in Andalucia, where I had only basic+ language skills. After I crossed the country back in '99 (Seattle to Bar Harbor), which was with a group of 12 other strangers, I spent a couple of weeks riding home to Philly. Have taken four other 7-11 day solo trips and numerous 3-4 day trips. (Just got back from a three-day yesterday.) I will be heading to Montana in June for 14 days on the road solo.

The above are total pros for me, and people invariably strike of conversations, sometimes when I would rather not be engaged. I like my alone time and usually don't even check email, etc., when I am out there.

J.Higgins 

This is one of my concerns for my tour of the Great Divide next June. My wife can't go with me, but she is loathe to let me go alone. I know someone who loves riding and rides daily, is retired, and would go with me at the drop of a hat. The trouble is, I would probably have to kill him before we reached Colorado. I just could not do that because I really like and respect his wife.

I love to convince my son-in-law to go with me (disabled vet). It would do him a world of good although I'd probably have to kill him off before we even got to Idaho.

So I'll go alone unless I find someone in the time frame that I'm going.