I don't know what I want to do???

[Jiveman]

Haven't been here for many many years. Audaxed for one year 2013? and did my SR.

Nine years later and I'm retired and haven't ridden 'properly' since 2016.

Now I have the urge to ride again, but can't decide how to approach it. But for some reason this rose tinted vision of steel bikes and canvas bags is  looming large.
I do know that there is no longer a place for me in clubs, I raced for 41 years and I can't face even talking about competition and the latest in cycling.
Anyone else get this desire to be Billy no mates, with the exception of a chat with an old guy on the road for a few minutes before going separate ways?

What a rubbish post to come back with

[rafletcher]

Welcome. And yes, I do 99.99% of my riding on my own, and enjoy it that way.

[Wowbagger]

I generally prefer to ride in company, but I haven't had any lately. I did a 38 mile solo rode yesterday, the longest for quite a long while, and was properly knackered at the end of it. I averaged 8.9mph, which is fast for me.

[T42]

Welcome back.  I used to enjoy riding in company too, but I was doing rides organized by various clubs in the region and they're 90% too far away for driving economically now, and the pandemic put the tin hat on most of them.  Nowadays most of my rides are solo, with leisurely coffee/cake/cludge stops at strategically-selected locations, the exceptions being strategically-selected pizzerias with safe bike-parking.

[Neil C]

"... Billy no mates, with the exception of a chat with an old guy on the road for a few minutes before going separate ways."

Sounds like an audax rider to me. 

[Lightning Phil]

My first approach would be to just go for ride. Maybe to a pub for lunch. Then go from there. Don’t ponder too long what you want to do, just start pedalling and see where it takes you. The answer will come during those early forays back out.

[Jiveman]

I like to build bikes. So I've been pondering over building a doer upper and exploring the Downs Link here in Sussex.
I've got two full on race bikes which are still set up for crit racing, and they give me back ache looking at them.

That ride after a build was always a pleasure.

[markcjagar]

"... Billy no mates, with the exception of a chat with an old guy on the road for a few minutes before going separate ways."

Sounds like an audax rider to me. 

That's the best thing about riding Audax, solo riding is great but I do like to chat with like minded strangers in brief intervals on the road

[cycleman]

I'm a  slow pottering cyclist averaging at best 7.5 to 8 mph. I can ride 100 miles in a day as long as I start at 1/2.30 am. I probably won't do more than 50 miles if stopping to visit places for any length of time. My slow average speed means that I do a lot of my riding on my own but I really enjoy riding with others. I am fortunate to have a couple of friends who are happy to ride with me at my slow pace every now and then. I greatly look forward to the forum camping weekends which give me somewhere to aim for and the social company. Of course because of covid these haven't happened for a long time. I am planning to take my son apollo to the camping and carvaning site at Polstead for the last week in April and  :)when the funding is confirmed I will start a thread on here so anyone who would like to join us for the weekend or even the week will be welcome. Other plans include riding up to the York cycle rally in June which should take around 4/5 days each way plus the rally weekend. There Always ways to combine both the the social and fitness sides of cycling even if it's just riding down the pub on your own to meet friends. Happy pottering

[The Family Cyclist]

Jiveman welcome back.

Yesterday I was in the shed and saw my unused fishing gear. I remembered back to when I was late teens and really into fishing and decided having read my fishing magazine to become a specialist. Carp being the easy option with local lakes. I went withas much gear as I could fit on my bike (was late learning to drive) and after about a year probably didn't touch the rods again for 20 years and that was a one off. It had stopped being something I enjoyed as was too focused and serious

It almost sounds like you with racing ended I'm a similar vein, I'd say just ride and see what happens. You'll probably meet people of a similar vein and hopefully go from there

If not then just enjoy the ride however short/long/fast/slow. Generally these days the rides I remember are with my kids seeing the ease and joy they get from cycling despite these rides being for me slow and short

[tatanab]

I packed in racing in 1981.  It seemed that every conversation was about "what year was it that Pete won the wobbly 25 with a 52?" etc, and I also seemed to have  a regular round of events on the same old courses, including track and circuit races. I was useless anyway.  Through all this I was a regular rider with CTC club runs and touring, so I had things to fall back on.

In the last 20 years I have found I prefer to ride alone, but I ride out to meet others in cafes etc, such as local CTC group, and I go to help out with local club's events such as time trials and reliability rides.  All of these give me a reason to go out, and a destination to aim for, plus of course the social contact.  My steeds all have steel frames and almost always a Carradice saddlebag - as they always have been.

Most years I go off for a tour of upto a month.  Cyclists ask me why the limit, and I reply "I get bored of myself".  To non cyclists I say "I can only carry that many sandwiches", and watch them think about that.