I’ve had lots of time this winter to contemplate the solo tour, of which I have been partaking the last several years. In looking back I found some old blog posts that pretty well summed up the solo ride, at least for my purposes and I believe they speak to many.

Riding Solo: A Woman’s Perspective

Regarding this first post, I have experienced over the past years of riding, that I am more subject to curiosity then any sort of animosity and that I don’t harbor any particular fears, other than having to pickup the bike when alone and I do something silly, like grab some front brake when doing slow speeds on dirt and “clunk” over he goes. I have certainly learned from my mistakes over the past few years but know that I am not beyond making more. ; )
I am still religiously using my GPS locator SPOT when solo riding, I also have my charged cell phone, water, snacks, first aid kit, tire plugger, good gear and a smile. I gotta say that it’s the smile that will pretty much get me through most situations. Not that the smile will pick up the bike or fix a flat, but it keeps me balanced. I love the ride, the quiet, the introspection time and the fact I can stop anywhere any time. And when I feel the need for conversation, well, it usually isn’t difficult to find someone with which to converse!

Confessions of a solo female rider

In this post, I was mostly postulating why I preferred riding alone vs riding with others, and how I was creating my own social prison. Hmmm…well, I suppose one could call it that, however it’s more about being free than being confined. Once again, while riding we are solo anyway, that is unless we are wired to others riding with us by means of communication systems. Even then we are still riding solo only, without the clarity, exposed to the chatter of others. Wow, that sounds sooo antisocial! I suppose some of us are simply meant to ride solo and without offering any excuses, I have to say that I am one of those people.

I am finding that there are more and more women taking to the road, and I am always thrilled when I meet them, whether riding solo or in a group. The solo female rider is still a bit of an anomaly, however, I see their blogs, and would love the chance to meet them on the road. As my riding area expands, I know I will soon have that privilege. Regardless of your riding affinities, I extend a hearty thumbs up to all of you women riding…period!