On Company:
Riding with others has many benefits
Solitude is magical if we want to re-set our brain.
But riding in company has many benefits we might not expect.
Riding can be most rewarding when it is shared with others and approached with joy.
If we are serious about riding our bikes, it is going to take time and I highly recommend finding friends who ride too. Better still, combine cycling with a social life.
I was a member of several different clubs over the years and regularly attended club rides. It felt good to ride steadily in a pack of riders with similar ability and when it came to the inevitable last few kilometres and a sprint to the finish, I could usually hold my own.
The groups are energised, and a fast pace seems more sustainable for a while, when riding as a group. Distance passes quickly and time flies by. Setting off, before the speed builds there is lots of banter. As the pace quickens the talking stops, though there were always a few who seem to have the breath to chat deep into a ride. Eventually, all chatter subsides as the serious business starts and we would cover the ground quickly, until the last few kilometres where the group finally fractured.
Many admit that riding with others helps them show up consistently and that frisson of competition even between club mates and friends makes sure we turn out even when our motivation to do so is low. But, riding in places we love with people we like, enjoying our surroundings and training partners, strengthens our commitment and brings out the best in us.
But I think the wisest words are contained in a Kenyan ‘proverb which simply says: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Research suggests that people who make social connections and who share common interests with others, are generally happier, more fulfilled, enjoy better mental health and suffer from less depression.
Regular riders maintain that a good laugh and a long ride are the best two cures for anything. In a world where most of our social life lives are on the internet, meeting people to ride, delivers a double whammy of good things. As the screenwriter Aaron Sorkin says, “Socialising on the Internet is to socialising what reality TV is to reality”.
There are few things more real and elemental than riding with a group. There are far more benefits to be had from talking to friends than can be got from a whole lifetime of WhatsApp messages.
In physiological terms, face to face social interaction lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Our fight or flight sympathetic stress response is likely to be activated less and conversely, the parasympathetic rest and digest system activates with greater regularity. The outcomes for the exercise we do are very similar, so perhaps exercising with friends is doubly beneficial?
One of the magic chemicals that our body produces for us when we exercise and socialise is Oxytocin. This not only helps us forge bonds with people, but reduces activity in our brains ‘anxiety central’ the Amygdala. As if this is not enough, Oxytocin is also linked to healing, reduced inflammation, and pain reduction.
The dual benefit of exercise and being social can also be seen in improved neuro-plasticity or the ability of our brains to create new brain cells but also to create new connections between the ones we have already, in effect, remodelling the brains structure over time. Not only does this promote better focus, it can improve memory and protect us from cognitive decline and even dementia.
Meeting people, and engaging while doing an activity together has been shown to lower stress levels and blood pressure and even help us sleep better. Amazingly, research also shows that this provides a boost to our immune system too.
Being part of a club provides all the benefits of being part of a modern day ‘Tribe’, a close knit group of people who share regular meaningful interactions, a sense of belonging and often shared purpose.
Identifying with your tribe serves many of the social aspects that humans have evolved to rely on. It captures why so many people stay involved in group riding long after the novelty of races and personal records fades.
What do you prefer? Solitude or company?
Best wishes
Mike
My new book - The Longer Road - The Rise of Long Distance Cycling is now available to buy in both digital and paperback formats. (4.7/5 Stars on Amazon). Here is a link:
In addition it is now possible to buy the e-book version at several other places including Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Fable and Bookshop.org. More coming soon.
Here is a link to the book at all the retailers who are currently stocking:
