# touring solo or in company



## jags (18 Oct 2009)

what's the general feeling with you folk's on touring on your own.i know touring with your wife /husband partener is great but when you don't have that chioce,would you prefair solo or company.
obviously i have a reason for asking.


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## Brains (18 Oct 2009)

With company.

I think on your own would be boring, 
I've done the odd weekend on my own, not half as good as with others


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## P.H (18 Oct 2009)

There's pros and cons with both.
On your own you don't have to compromise, go where you want when you want, change plans on a whim, stop when you want... You also tend to meet more people, you get into conversations with strangers that you wouldn't have if you'd been in a group. You do have to be more self reliant, there will be times when you feel it's be nice to have someone to share with. And there's no way of splitting any luggage!
In company it can be far more social with many things the opposite of above. If you're not careful you can end up doing exactly as you would at home, just in a different place.
There is a third way!
I've recently had a 8 day tour of West Scotland with a friend. We have different interests and wanted different things from the tour, all agreed before hand. We stayed at the same places, spent a lot of time riding together but without the obligation to stay together. If he wanted to go and see something I didn't off he went, if I wanted to go earlier in the morning I did. If I wanted to go for a blast up the A road and he wanted to do the scenic route, that's what we did. It worked pretty well but has to be understood in the planning stage.


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## livestrong10_02 (18 Oct 2009)

solo

bit like prefering perms to calender audax


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## ComedyPilot (18 Oct 2009)

Nothing more to add than P.H has put.


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## Soltydog (18 Oct 2009)

I would make sure i'd had a few rides before the tour to see how you get on 
If you ride at similar pace & want similar things from the tour then good company will be appreciated, however if one is constantly having to slow for the other/others & wants to do differnt things on the tour it could spoil your enjoyment.
i did the TPT with a neighbour & his 2 kids, tbh it was a right pain, bikes not ready for a tour (rusty chains etc) everyone with different fitness levels & pace. It was my first tour & enjoyed it despite this though 
I've done the C2C alone & enjoyed this thouroughly, going at my own pace & doing my own thing, but the hills seemed much harder riding solo 
This year I did the coast & castle south route with Velocidad & had a great time. This was probably the most enjoyable tour. Day 2 was hard 100 miles in strong winds & some rain & alone I think i would have struggled. We've ridden out plenty prior to the tour though, so knew each other & get on well  (I think lol)


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## rich p (18 Oct 2009)

I've done both but much prefer company (usually my wife) but also in groups. I'm fairly gregarious and enjoy a post ride drink and chat with whoever I'm with. Meeting strangers is okay but I prefer to travel with people I know, like and trust.
In general I tend to have a better time with other people, whether it's pointing out interesting bits or cracking a joke, which doesn't seem to work alone.
Having said that I found the daytime riding okay solo but the evenings a bit lonely although I realise that others may not.


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## snorri (18 Oct 2009)

I have enjoyed several 6-8 week solo tours out of the UK and never been troubled by loneliness. Strangely, I have yearned for some light reading in the English language, but don't miss hearing English spoken as a first language. Sometimes I have met strangers and cycled with them for a few hours or a few days and this can give a good insight to local customs etc.. I don't fancy the regimentation of group touring and no one has suggested coming touring with me, so I will happily continue to tour solo.


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## mike1026 (18 Oct 2009)

I do all my touring solo I think that you have more opportunity to meet different people I did some of the North Sea route in Holland and Germany in the summer and met dozens of other solo cyclists whereas the groups of cyclists were all engrossed in their own company.


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## skmc1955 (19 Oct 2009)

I,ve just done a 4 day tour around Lincolnshire on my own. I enjoyed the riding but being the only tent on each campsite every night looked and felt a bit billy no mates I think thats when you miss company most. Next time I must pick a more sensible time to go!


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## MarkF (19 Oct 2009)

Solo, it's "my" time, I don't want to compromise at all. I want to do what I want, when I want and to be able to completely change my plans whenever I feel like it.


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## BigonaBianchi (19 Oct 2009)

Having done both I would say that I found the freedom of solo touring better.


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## Andy in Sig (19 Oct 2009)

I like touring on my own because I enjoy concentrating on the ride itself. However, I have also discovered that somebody with a slightly less bike orientated approach can be good company because they tend to make you stop and look at things more on the way and you still get the miles in in the end.


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## griff (19 Oct 2009)

I tour both solo and in others company, so it makes no difference to me. But you on the other hand are obviously different if your postings on travelling light and bike forums are anything to judge you by where you post as antokelly

http://z10.invisionfree.com/Travelling_Light/index.php?showtopic=424

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=580248

I think a trip to the doctor would be more benificial to you than your repeated postings on the same subjects on different forums where your wasting other peoples time. Dont wish to sound harsh towards you but your getting very repetitive in your postings


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## Pottsy (19 Oct 2009)

Pleasant first post here Griff.

I don't look at those other forums and I thought it was an interesting subject.


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## rich p (19 Oct 2009)

griff said:


> I tour both solo and in others company, so it makes no difference to me. But you on the other hand are obviously different if your postings on travelling light and bike forums are anything to judge you by where you post as antokelly
> 
> http://z10.invisionfree.com/Travelling_Light/index.php?showtopic=424
> 
> ...





WTF? One of those posts was from 2.5 years ago and the other from 1 year ago and whe did you win the vote as Cyclechat monitor?


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## BigonaBianchi (19 Oct 2009)

you tell him Rich


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## jags (19 Oct 2009)

thanks rich p ,i don't know why guy's like this griff a not struck down with a bolt of lightning,could you imaging going on a tour with this guy wow what fun we would have.get yourself a life buddy stop annoying people on all the forums you haunt.


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## Arch (19 Oct 2009)

I've toured alone and in company, and they've been different kinds of trip - the rides in company have been with a group in France and oraganised by one of the others, so all I've had to go is do the distance, keep up with everyone and get to the hotel each night. In this country, I've toured alone, always using hostels or B and Bs, with the route planned beforehand, so again, it's been a case of making the destination each night.

I'd like to tour more informally sometime, in Europe, camping perhaps, more ad hoc. It would be nice to have a companion, but if I don't have one, I'll go alone.

I guess I'm happy with my own company, so being in the saddle alone all day or sitting in the evening reading is fine. Where I think I like the idea of a companion most is for coping with finding accommodation and so on - I'm still a bit tied to the idea of having everything planned, and a bit shy of asking stuff, and company might make me a bit bolder...


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## Kirstie (19 Oct 2009)

Griff - how rude!

Solo or not? I like both, but the people I tour with are good friends whom I trust implicitly, or my husband. That is the key I think. The only one bad experience I have had touring has been with someone I didn't know that well - never again!!


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## Darryl (19 Oct 2009)

Solo

One of the reasons for my trips is to get some alone time, but then I'm only away for 3 or 4 days. If the trips were longer I might change my mind


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## HelenD123 (19 Oct 2009)

Darryl said:


> Solo
> 
> One of the reasons for my trips is to get some alone time, but then I'm only away for 3 or 4 days. If the trips were longer I might change my mind



I was ready for some company after 3 days. It would also be nice to have someone to share the burden of finding accommodation, thinking where to get supplies etc. But I'd much rather be on my own than with the wrong person. It's a delicate balance.


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## vernon (20 Oct 2009)

I normally tour alone beit for 2-3 days or longer rides such as LEJOG and Channel to the Med.

This summer however I spent a week cycling with two total strangers through Brittany and along the Loire Valley. They were two Manchester lads, twenty years my junior but we hit it off on the ferry to St Malo and stuck together for the first week until we reached Orleans. We had very different agendas - they were riding to Poland and wanted to do a 100km per day every day. I just wanted to be at Beaune in time to be picked up by the European Bike Express. The parting of our ways at Orleans was enforced by the frame on my Dawes Galaxy snapping and after spending a day as a tourist before buying a replacement bike, I finished my ride alone.

I was surprised at how enjoyable riding with company could be but I don't think that I'd have enjoyed a full fortnight of it - I like being in control too much.


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## Lone Rider (20 Oct 2009)

Solo for a few days or a week is great, however, a longer tour would be more fun with somebody. I envy the couples I see touring together. Going alone is better than cycling with somebody you end up clashing with. As several people have said, it's easier to meet people when you are alone, but I also agree that touring with the right person is the best option.


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## jay clock (20 Oct 2009)

Both. I have done half a dozen hotel tours with a mate and we have a ball. I have toured alone and enjoyed it too, although wild camping on your own takes some mental attitude that I am not certain I have got yet. My tour last week was goos in that I bumped into another cyclist and spent a couple of days with him

I would say that if doing a really long tour (eg round the world, or through Africa) then the help of a partner in looking after bikes while in a shop etc, would be a massive advantage


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## Dayvo (20 Oct 2009)

griff said:


> I tour both solo and in others company, so it makes no difference to me. But you on the other hand are obviously different if your postings on travelling light and bike forums are anything to judge you by where you post as antokelly
> 
> I think a trip to the doctor would be more benificial to you than your repeated postings on the same subjects on different forums where your wasting other peoples time. Dont wish to sound harsh towards you but your getting very repetitive in your postings



Ooh, what glee! Our latest troll! 

Welcome! 

Hope the view from under the bridge is pleasing, as I expect you spend all your time there and not in the saddle!


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## Andy in Sig (20 Oct 2009)

HelenD123 said:


> I was ready for some company after 3 days. It would also be nice to have someone to share the burden of finding accommodation, thinking where to get supplies etc. But I'd much rather be on my own than with the wrong person. It's a delicate balance.



That's a good point. I wonder if 3-4 days is what is needed to clear the head of the stresses of everyday life and then you are in just the right frame of mind to enjoy some company.


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## bigjim (20 Oct 2009)

> the frame on my Dawes Galaxy snapping and after spending a day as a tourist before buying a replacement bike,


I'm more interested in the story behind a galaxy frame snapping. I thought they were the bees? Was it repaired, dumped?


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## Anthony (20 Oct 2009)

jay clock said:


> I would say that if doing a really long tour (eg round the world, or through Africa) then the help of a partner in looking after bikes while in a shop etc, would be a massive advantage



I have only done tours in a group so far, but in a couple of years I aim to do a big round the world trip on my own. This question has always puzzled me. How do you look after your bike outside the shop if you are on your own? Of course you can secure the bike, but what about all the panniers, tents, etc? 

Can someone with soloing experience answer this please.


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## Pottsy (20 Oct 2009)

Anthony said:


> I have only done tours in a group so far, but in a couple of years I aim to do a big round the world trip on my own. This question has always puzzled me. How do you look after your bike outside the shop if you are on your own? Of course you can secure the bike, but what about all the panniers, tents, etc?
> 
> Can someone with soloing experience answer this please.



Either leave the bike somewhere you can see it, or put a lock around it. 

For brief shop visits for example, I take the handlebar bag with me (passport, camera, money etc. in here) and just leave the panniers on the bike. I suspect this is what most people do.


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## HelenD123 (20 Oct 2009)

Pottsy said:


> Either leave the bike somewhere you can see it, or put a lock around it.
> 
> For brief shop visits for example, I take the handlebar bag with me (passport, camera, money etc. in here) and just leave the panniers on the bike. I suspect this is what most people do.



Yes, exactly what I did. And I chose cafes where I could either sit outside or see my bike.


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## Arch (20 Oct 2009)

Pottsy said:


> Either leave the bike somewhere you can see it, or put a lock around it.
> 
> For brief shop visits for example, I take the handlebar bag with me (passport, camera, money etc. in here) and just leave the panniers on the bike. I suspect this is what most people do.



Yes, that would be what I'd do. I tend to zip-tie (with releasable ties), the panniers to the rack, so they can't just be lifted off quickly. And I'd choose my stopping place if I could - anywhere I wasn't happy with, I'd just carry on - I suppose it's more of an issue in remote places were shops are few - but then remote places are less likely to have casual thieves hanging about.


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## albal (20 Oct 2009)

This may sound daft but i saw this the other day. The guy was in the barbers, his bike left outside UPSIDE DOWN Ok it wasnt loaded with 9 panniers & suchlike but How simple!!! 
Secure your panniers as Arch done & bob s your uncle.


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## jags (24 Oct 2009)

thanks everyone for the reply's (except griff b.......),the reason i asked i reckon touring is not really touring when your following wheel's and other people's plans there route there time table .the couple of the toures i done i honestly can say i had better days on the bike .solo i think is the way to go at least for me the problem i would have map reading, im not the best map reader in the world, mind you having said that im not on my own, many a time the map reader on the trip got us hopelessly lost which pleased me no end .there seemed to be lot's of niggley thing's i done that cracked up the leadernothing serious maybe loosing a wheel because i took in the scenery,stopped for a pee ,asked the locals to many questions basically things i would do every time i cycle,obviously diden't fit in with the plan's.ok im new to touring i learned quiet a lot i think enough to go it alone next time round.the one thing i learned touring in company you need to be very strong on the bike not only physically but mentally as well (just in case you meet dick head's like griff),but physically strong to stay with your buddy or wait for them no matter what the terraine,mentally strong to deal with weather/ food (lack off) basically all the bad stuff.any way i'll give it one more year if i can hack it on my own great if not there's a lot of fantastic gear for sale,watch this space.oh for all the troller's out there get a life stop annoying people if you can't be nice be a nice as you can.
anyway sorry for rattling on cyclechat this is a great forum just keep the trolls away.
cheer's
jags


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## earthuman (25 Oct 2009)

well....i'm just starting a solo tour, and part of me wishes I had some company for the rest of the journey...but I'll get back to you as to how I get on solo.
cheers
Vinko
www.thewanderingidiot.co.uk


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## jags (25 Oct 2009)

hope you have a great tour ,just had a quick look at your site that's one hell of a tour your takeing on be careful out there hope everything works out fine for you.
cheers
jags


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## ComedyPilot (25 Oct 2009)

earthuman said:


> well....i'm just starting a solo tour, and part of me wishes I had some company for the rest of the journey...but I'll get back to you as to how I get on solo.
> cheers
> Vinko
> www.thewanderingidiot.co.uk



Lovely site, you are now being stalked followed


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## rich p (25 Oct 2009)

Just read your blog, Earthuman. 
Don't get too lonely; the couchsurfing option sounds good for you.
Good luck.

p.s. I don't want to disappoint you but I don't think you'll be bathing in the Med!


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## Arch (25 Oct 2009)

jags said:


> the reason i asked i reckon touring is not really touring when your following wheel's and other people's plans there route there time table .
> jags



That may be your opinion, but I don't agree. When I tour with friends, it's still a tour. Ok, someone else has planned the route, and done all the tedious booking of accammodation, but being with them and following that route doesn't mean I see any less, or drink any less coffee in bar/tabacs, or meet any fewer French people. I don't do any fewer miles, in fact I'm probably stretched a little beyond my comfort zone. I have the benefit of 6 or 7 clever minds with me, and between us we can identify any bird or plant, decipher ancient ruins, explain engineering and have a jolly good laugh as we ride along.

I could make a clever remark here about English not really being English without punctuation, capital letters and correct spelling, but maybe I better not...


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## lukepinkhandbag (25 Oct 2009)

Short tours, say 2 or 3 days, on my own to allow for a bit of contemplation. But I'm a gregarious soul and like having someone along after a week, particularly a girl...Tents are great places for snuggling!! Used to organise group tours and just got so t'eed off with the unwieldyness of it. 2 is enough.


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## ufkacbln (25 Oct 2009)

HelenD123 said:


> I was ready for some company after 3 days. It would also be nice to have someone to share the burden of finding accommodation, thinking where to get supplies etc. But I'd much rather be on my own than with the wrong person. It's a delicate balance.




When I tour with my wife she likes everything planned whereas I don't. Apart from weekends as weddings etc can fill accommodation in small places i tend to find a "Book Ahead" service at about lunchtime for that evening.

Equally if I get it disatrously wrong then I am the only one it affects and the compromises are mine. I have stayed in some places where my wife would never even entertain the idea!


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## psmiffy (25 Oct 2009)

Ive nearly always toured on my own - it nice to ride in the company of other people for a while but unless they have a very similar agenda to me or they go as slow as I do then I soon tire of it


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## Kirstie (26 Oct 2009)

Arch said:


> ...between us we can identify any bird or plant, decipher ancient ruins, explain engineering and have a jolly good laugh as we ride along...



I thought that was just me and my mates! All we do when riding along is try to work stuff out that is around us: old buildings, underlying geology, bird migrations, plants etc...


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## wullof (26 Oct 2009)

touring by yourself is six of one & half a dozen of the other,wantin company,but then totally free of having to think or worry about anyone else,my experience has been theres always someone your gonna talk to at some point unless going to somewhere totally uninhabited which i dont think exists on this planet anymore


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## Arch (27 Oct 2009)

Kirstie said:


> I thought that was just me and my mates! All we do when riding along is try to work stuff out that is around us: old buildings, underlying geology, bird migrations, plants etc...



Riding with Mike Burrows (bike designer, yes, I'm name dropping, he washed my shorts once...) is great. You just pedal along while he explains the principles of aerodynamics, engineering etc, and everyso often breaks off to say "Oh, a female marsh harrier". It's very educational.

Although one time I was very flattered when he presented me with a slightly wilted plant - he'd spotted a field of them and reckoned I could identify it. (I could, it was flax).

That's the sort of thing I like about being in a group. And you get different sorts of conversation with each person. And it's easier to remember stuff at the end of the day, when you've talked about it. On the other hand, I'm happy to be alone sometimes.


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## Soltydog (27 Oct 2009)

Arch said:


> You just pedal along while he explains the principles of aerodynamics, engineering etc, and everyso often breaks off to say "Oh, a female marsh harrier".



I bet that doesn't happen too often. Aren't Marsh Harriers one of the rarest birds in the country? Although I often see 1 or sometimes 2 near Goole


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## Arch (28 Oct 2009)

Soltydog said:


> I bet that doesn't happen too often. Aren't Marsh Harriers one of the rarest birds in the country? Although I often see 1 or sometimes 2 near Goole



Ah, this was in France...

And it may have been a Hen Harrier, I forget....


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## Rollon (28 Oct 2009)

Ive not done a tour yet but ive walked plenty. I usd towalk with a guy, and enjoyed our day walks. Then did a two week walk with him and after a couple of days he agrivated me to death. Thinking I may have overreacted, I agreed to go with him on another week long walk a couple of years later, same thing happened. Ive not walked with him since. However the four guys that I often go multi day mountaineering with are fine, no problems with them. You certainly can go with the wrong person!
Dave.


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## gwhite (29 Oct 2009)

Cunobelin said:


> When I tour with my wife she likes everything planned whereas I don't. Apart from weekends as weddings etc can fill accommodation in small places i tend to find a "Book Ahead" service at about lunchtime for that evening.
> *
> Equally if I get it disatrously wrong then I am the only one it affects and the compromises are mine. I have stayed in some places where my wife would never even entertain the idea!*



This is the main reason I like to tour alone. It's entirely up to me what happens and I'm happy to bear the consequences of my actions. In extremis I tend not to be too choosy, having spent a pleasant night in a sleazy French bar/brothel when pressed for an alternative. Breakfast was pretty good too.


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## earthuman (31 Oct 2009)

I'm two weeks into my first big tour and I'm riding alone. I don't mind the long days in the saddle on my own...I've got the freedom to do what I want and plenty of time for my thoughts...but I am a social animal so I really do appreciate company for a beer in the evenings. As such I find couchsurfing and warmshowers.org really useful! Great to meet new people every evening - something to look forward to. And also adds a very new dimension to the tour - stay with locals, eat with locals, drink with locals.
I'm not sure I'd like to spend all day and then the evenings alone...not my cup of tea.


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## wyno70 (31 Oct 2009)

Solo for me!

No one else to rely on, get annoyed with, bugger things up for me etc etc etc. I enjoy the time alone with me and the countryside and wouldn't do it any other way.


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## soltour (4 Nov 2009)

Well, I have toured by myself for years, also camped wild ....if there is much wildness about nowadays, and I can honestly say I much prefer meeting folks along the way for a very short time. and then move on. I have looked at this group thing but I know it wouldnt be for me as I like the freedom. I guess I am fortunate in that I hardly ever feel lonely....Peace and quiet is my bag ...and the times I have been invited into homes and stuff .........things just seem to happen along the way


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## rich p (4 Nov 2009)

soltour said:


> Well, I have toured by myself for years, also camped wild ....if there is much wildness about nowadays, and I can honestly say I much prefer meeting folks along the way for a very short time. and then move on. I have looked at this group thing but I know it wouldnt be for me as I like the freedom. I guess I am fortunate in that I hardly ever feel lonely....Peace and quiet is my bag ...and the times I have been invited into homes and stuff .........things just seem to happen along the way



Should that be Solotour?


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## Kirstie (5 Nov 2009)

User76 said:


> But actually I am a miserable, anti-social git who gets pissed off with people easily



Honestly? Who'd o' thought it?


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## shirokazan (5 Nov 2009)

User76 said:


> ...But actually I am a miserable, anti-social git who gets pissed off with people easily



As I've become older, it has been disappointing to realise that this sentiment is very true of me too. 

Anyhow, no surprise to reveal that I'm a solo tourer. Last year, I went on a group tour from Calais to the Med. Loved the countryside and the cycling but didn't like being with the other members of the group.


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## tapan (8 Nov 2009)

Solo every time. You meet more people, have to speak the language, see more , stop when you like, bash on when you llke -- and in the wet windy weather you can swear at yourself -- but never at your bike!


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## addictfreak (8 Nov 2009)

I would love to tour with Mrs AF. Unfortunately she is not interested in cycling at all. Shopping yes, cycling no!


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## NickC (8 Nov 2009)

You have no choice; you are always on your own, but it's good to share that with others sometimes.


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## rich p (8 Nov 2009)

NickC said:


> You have no choice; you are always on your own, but it's good to share that with others sometimes.



Blimey, that's a bit deep for a shallow person like me!


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## andyfromotley (10 Nov 2009)

well there i was wandering through this lovely spring meadow of a thread when i came across this big cow pat.

How sad



griff said:


> I tour both solo and in others company, so it makes no difference to me. But you on the other hand are obviously different if your postings on travelling light and bike forums are anything to judge you by where you post as antokelly
> 
> http://z10.invisionfree.com/Travelling_Light/index.php?showtopic=424
> 
> ...


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## jags (11 Nov 2009)

nicely put,my old dad used to say ,if you can't be nice,be as nice as you can.
obviously this griff diden't get much advice from his dad .
he need's to get that plank off his angry shoulders ,
oh and i proberly used that line before no doubt griff will find it.


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