Do you prefer to tour alone or in a group

I am planning a French trip this year and can`t find any more victims that have free time this year.

Never toured alone , are there any differences except being billy nomates in the bars in the evenings.

Anyone done any touring on their own on long distances?

 

Hmm - well if you are looking for company - you may want to email Barry who is leading a group heading for Europe in June (France/Luxembourg/France/Germany/Switzerland/France) - http://www.ulyssesclubgb.org/rides-2/ . Barry will give you the low down on the Ulysses Club GB's forthcoming Saarland jaunt. I know there are riders coming up from Cornwall and the West-County, so you could simply tag in along the way. I will be riding down from Chatel on the VFR to meet up with the UK group in Germany and after a few days riding in the Saarland, 20+ of the group are also heading down to spend a few days at my place in the Alps, with a stop off in the Vosges Mountains on route.

Ulysses is a club for older riders, who tend to avoid doing crazy fast runs or planning really long riding days, instead they focus on riding 250-300 miles a day at a speed when you can really enjoy the countryside you are passing through. That way you are not needing to worry to much about speed traps, and will find plenty of good food and company in the bar.:hungry::drinker:

I have enjoyed a few solo trips from the Alps to Denmark and Scotland. Riding on your own, means you don't need to keep an eye out for the rest of the group and will make better progress. But when you find an amazing view, or a stunning stretch of road - that's when you wish you had someone around to share it with and not just your iPhone.

Take care.

 

This is sound like my kind of ride :thumbsup:
Wish I can join you Skimad :sad:

 

Alone is OK but it is always better to have a good but small group of friends.

 

Alone sometime is nice as long as you are well prepare for the worse and ride smart no need to wait for anyone.
But nice to share the ride and story with a group of close friends. Have fun and be safe, Europe ride is my next big trip

 

I can't honestly say I have ever had the opportunity to do a lot of "Touring" as per se, but the few times I have done trips longer than one day I have always done them with at least one other person. I have done many all day rides on my own, but always felt that some could have been more enjoyable if there was someone to join in the fun. You could check with one of the other Forums as well and see if there is anyone doing any trips in your area. Perhaps shhhhh, the other site VFRD or maybe http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?action=forum#.Uyhebye9KSM

Either way, I hope you have a great trip and a good time.

 

Alone. Touring alone gives me the flexibility to make my own decisions. I can stop as many times as I want for as long as I want to enjoy and soak up the scenery, take pictures, chat to other people and learn more about the local people , I can change my direction or destination on the fly, I can eat and drink wherever and whenever I want to and lots of other reasons. In other words, I can do whatever the hell I want without having to agree with other than myself. Most of my long trips have been by myself and have logged tens of thousands of miles this way.
I'm not opposed to riding in groups, and have enjoyed riding in groups too, but is just not the same.
Downsides of riding alone are many as you have no help in case of a breakdown or worst.

 

My preference is to Tour with a small group of similar paced friends, besides having company and the usual good natured gas bagging at viewing breaks its better to have the security if you have problems in a remote out of Cell coverage location at least someone can ride to a coverage area or the nearest town ( sometimes an hour or more away ) to call for assistance.

 

I like both.

Been on several 2 and 3 day tours with three friends and regular touring partners and very much enjoyed those. But have also gone on a few rides longer in nature where I rode by myself but met up with friendly faces where I stopped. Most enjoyable tour I had was my retirement tour where I rode around for 5 weeks and 7K miles. No particular destination was planned more than a couple days in adviance. Half the time I had places to stay where the company was supurb and gracious. The other times I camped and wandered around alone.

Each has its merrits and detriments. Mind you if yoyu are on two wheels, the detriments are very few and far between. Just pack your bags and fly away.

 

When actually riding, single is great because you dont need to pay any attention to the others. You can find your own pace instead of trying to keep up drag the others behind you. But spending multiple days without anybody to chat with during the breaks and in the evening drives me crazy. It depends on your personality i guess. I envy people who can do long trips by themselves and not go crazy. I've done 3-day trips and thats ok. I bring a book and enjoy the solitude, knowing that its only for a couple of evenings. But if its for a week ... I actually once left on my own for a 2-week trip through the alps and the provence, and came back early because i wasnt enjoying myself.

Some sheep are just terrified to get separated from their flock i guess

 

So much better in a very small group maybe just me and 1 other . And has to be someone that you know how they ride and you know what they are going to do before they do . I have one friend like that and we always have a blast . I try to ride with him whenever I can . But maybe it's because he was the one who got me into street riding over 17 years ago . so off and on for 17 years of riding together you get to know someone and there riding style lol .

 

Alone...for all the reasons stated above.

 

It depends on your definition of group riding. Riding with a group can be a lot of fun, nothing like an overnight (or two) ride with a bunch of like minded individuals who's eye's don't glaze over when you start to talk bikes.
I've found though that you tend to loose a bit of perspective in a large group, riders have a bit more of a tendency to up the speeds & the risks. Most of the time you get away with it, and occasionally some poor bastard doesn't.
Your always waiting for somebody to catch up, miss meeting places & so on. You have to work all that stuff out before you head off.
Personally I like riding alone & set my own pace.
I've ridden with groups of 200+ bikes & it gets friggin scary at times.

 

Well said Randy, you are wise beyond your young years.
I've been gone for up to two weeks alone on the bike and love it.

 

I prefer riding alone just because in groups I can't control what someone else might do ( Think NY biker attack on range rover )

 

Been there done that for sure. I was one of the fortunate ones who got up and rode away. A learning experience for sure. And they say you can't teach and old dog new tricks!

 

Ive done both with a group and alone. Its nice having others around for meals and such but alone you tend to cover more ground.

Unless you have an arrangement of we are together but you may be left behind. This only works in a very small group.