On Solitude

Riding alone - a re-set for your mind

We can be solitary creatures, us long distance bike riders.

I expect a lot of solitude on a long ride. On the 2024 Pan Celtic Race, with 2400 kilometres to ride and only 300 people heading in the same direction, the field would be strung out after the first encounters with the Clan in Douglas. I expected to see even fewer people after the Lake District hills.

Sometimes, there were red tail lights away in the distance. But there were long periods of solitude. As expected, there is little we can do to prepare for a long dark night, tracking up the West Coast of the Isle of Skye with no lights on the horizon, no prospect of shelter or food until well after the sun has risen. It is useful to enjoy the solitude, not be intimidated by the isolation and to remember we do this by choice.

I have a friend, a cross channel swimmer, who values the solitary nature of his preparation, calling it his ‘me time’. When I ride my bike, there does not seem to be anyone who is going in my direction for as long as I want to ride and at my speed. It is just easier, less fuss, to go by myself.

Research reveals that on average an adult spends nearly one third of their waking life alone. Stigma can attach to solitude. We look on people who prefer being alone and might imagine them to be lonely, not thinking that for many, it is a choice.

I have met a lot of people on long rides. During long days, bonds are forged. On an Audax, I can happily ride along and chat away for hours, making a connection, sharing the ups and downs, the warm or the wet. Then we arrive at a control or a food shop and set off separately and never see each other again. Companionship forged on long rides can be as transient as a holiday romance.

Netta Weinstein, a professor of clinical psychology has conducted research to show that time alone creates a powerful space which we can use to tap into countless benefits. It provides opportunities to relax, de-stress and recharge, even to solve problems. Weinstein claims solitude can benefit creativity and personal growth as well as our relationships with others.

Some people profess to be able to resolve all their problems when out for a country walk, describing the act of moving as Gods greatest gift. Riding a familiar route, it is easy to achieve that flow state which is often the source of inspiration. On long rides or runs, the mind falls quiet, the optimal state for creative thinking. Spending time on our own, not distracted by small talk, away from the smartphone buzzes and pings that intrude on our lives, can bring peace of mind.

The French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal said that:

All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.

Does the same apply if you are sitting on a bike, quietly accumulating distance? I think it does.

There can be stillness for the mind, and time to settle into that unique rhythm when the metronome movement relaxes us and when we can slow down our lives. We can steady and ground ourselves, attaching ourselves back to the earth and all its elements, all the time building the self-knowledge that ensures we can better hold onto that balance.

There is time for silent exhilaration, moving quietly through a beautiful landscape or the satisfaction of a mileage goal achieved or just the simple feel of the wind against your skin, all of these things are enough to relieve any number of miseries. And there is always time to yell ‘C’mon’ at the very top of your voice.

I deliberately plan long days in my own company. I take the time to connect and push worries out of my mind for a while. I have never felt lonely and I approach a long period of solitary cycling, excited, as an amazing opportunity to re-set. I have the luxury of all day.

On long days and nights, to learn about myself, it is my conviction that I need to be on my own, to face things selfishly, to endure because I have endured, not because I had someone to share the burden with, someone to complain to.

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This piece is taken from 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:

The Longer Road

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:

Where to buy