Sometimes, mountain biking alone is the only option. While rarely the safest option, there are times — like today, when all of our riding partners are potential Covid-19 carriers — when going for a solo ride is attractive.
If you find yourself going on more solo rides lately, or if you’re considering stepping out alone, here are some tips for doing so safely, or at least as safely as possible. Riding with another person is going to be safer than riding alone, but that’s not always possible or preferred.
Choose your trail wisely
When going out for a solo ride, try to choose a trail where you know others will be riding at the time you’re there. This increases the chances that someone will roll by in case you run into any trouble and need help. That’s not to say you should rely on others to have a spare tube or water for you if you run out (more on that later), but it’s the closest thing to riding with others while riding by yourself.
Mountain bikers stick together, and we’re lucky to be a part of such a great community of riders. I know I always look out for my fellow mountain bikers when I’m on the trail, and I’m confident others will do the same for me if I need help.
Likewise, exploring a new (to you) trail by yourself isn’t wise. Lewis had Clark after all, and you don’t want to find yourself lost and alone.
Be prepared
This is a given for any ride, but it’s even more important when you’re riding by yourself. Consider the amount of gear, snacks, and hydration you bring on a normal ride with friends, and bring a little extra. Remember, if you forget a pump or a tube, you won’t have that buddy with you who is always prepared.
Eight years ago I foolishly went for a solo ride on an extremely hot day, on a (new to me) trail where no one else was riding, and no one knew I was there. I got a flat, and then quickly punctured my spare. If I had an extra, extra tube or another bottle of water, I probably would have been ok getting back to my car. Instead, I had to call for rescue, and things could have ended very badly.
Take it easy
A solo ride is not the time to set a personal record on a ride, nor is it the time to attempt a feature you’ve never cleaned before. Consider planning a shorter ride than usual to make sure you have the fitness to make it home safely.
Getting back to trail choice, if you have a choice between more technical, advanced trails or smoother, easier trails, go for the latter. Rad trails will always be there for another day.
Tell someone where you are going…
… and when you’ll be back. In the olden days this meant writing a note with pen and paper, but today we can use tech to make this even easier and safer.
If you have a smartphone, bring it (and try to ride somewhere you’ll have service for the entire ride). iPhones have a free app called “Find My” that lets you share your current location with trusted friends or family members for a set period of time (or all the time if you really trust the other person). Google Maps has a similar feature, which I’ve found useful for group rides when folks are trying to meet up and stay connected during a ride.
Garmin GPS devices, linked to a cell phone, can also share your location with selected contacts, as can a Spot tracker or the Strava app. There are even helmets with built-in sensors that send a text to someone when you’ve had a crash.
The point is, there are many good options for effortlessly letting another human being know where you are during the ride in case something happens.
Ask yourself: Is it worth riding alone?
I recently needed to test a bike that was in for review, and my local trails just wouldn’t cut it. But driving two hours north of the city by myself, to ride hard up (and down) a mountain in the woods alone, didn’t seem safe either. Keeping in mind the need to social distance, I asked to meet a friend so we could ride together. While large group rides, and carpooling are out for now (for me, anyway) riding with a friend feels like the safest option when I want to go for a long, rowdy, difficult ride.
Many of us rely on mountain biking for physical fitness — and for mental health too. But it’s worth asking if a solo ride is truly necessary, and if so, is it worth the risk. Keeping in mind the tips above, the answer for many of us can be a yes, as long as we plan ahead.
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I’m usually 50-50 riding alone versus in groups or other riders. With Covid, 100% of my rides are solo with the exception that if my wife rides, which she usually only rides partially and I’ll continue on by myself.
Yes, notified someone of your route and ride a little conservatively when alone.
Better option than garmin, strava, etc to tracking your where abouts is Life360 on android. It continually pings your location and can show history of you location. So if you go into a dead zone and back out, it will immediately update your location. It is limited to those you add and is not active when the app is off.
Good article with good points. Sticking to trails that have other riders is my usual routine. Also tone it down a bit. One thing I started doing this year is bring a water filter for the longer rides. You can only carry so much water. JC
Now that my sons are grown and live away I usually mtn bike by myself. Getting older also adds some concerns in that I have found out I can withstand the heat like I used to. So when I ride solo I check the temperature and humidity first. I am doing more road biking than ever before too especially since my wife joins me on those rides.
Ride with friends, you say. Talk to mr twenty years from now when all of your friends have become couch potatoes. Do you put a gun to their head and demand they myn bike or else? No, solo bike rides are mandatory if you want to keep riding after age 50. The key is to stop doing tricks snd jumps and just enjoy the fresh air and scenery
Right, there are some but not a lot of mountain bikers age 50+. But who says you can’t make friends with younger riders? Our local ride sees folks ages 15-60+ mountain biking together.
In my experience group rides work best when everyone is at a similar fitness/ability level, regardless of age.
Agree, wholeheartedly. Over 55 riders are often very fit, especially women. I wish the sport was more welcoming and friendly for mixed-age and gender group riding. It’s too caddy and competitive. I’m not sure what that’s all about. It is extremely fun. It’s solo for now.
Spot opened the market, but is now far behind the Garmin inReach in features, cost, and reliability. Two-way texting is completely different from the “press button and pray it worked” Spot system.
Tubeless is a huge convenience and I consider it mandatory for back-country riding, as your incident suggests.
I always ride alone. I keep my location tracker on my iPhone on and always let someone know when I start/finish via text. I read your article of the disaster in Arkansas. I don’t understand the part of putting your bike around your shoulders and walking. I had a flat the other day and I just walked my bike out. No issues. Of course I don’t own a $5k bike that weighs 16 ounces… but still. Seems a lot easier to just walk the bike.
In my delirium, I got the tire and tube wrapped around the axle and the bike wouldn’t roll anymore.
I’m 70. None of my friends ride anymore and the young folks generally want to go on trials I’m not comfortable with, so I almost always ride alone, usually on old jeep and mining roads in the national forests of Montana. I also hike alone (with my dog) daily in the national forest. The more you are doing this solo the more comfortable it becomes (for me it’s almost daily) . I do carry a satellite location device and the essentials recommended by the Mountaineers as well as bear spray, and I really try to have some situational awareness during the rides and hikes. And I also am very careful to not ride down stuff beyond my comfort zone, which just means dismounting and walking on occasion. Its either that or not doing these activities at all and yes, there’s a little risk but not as much I think as some of the “never do this alone” crowd thinks.
I ride alone on the mountain trails around Calgary. I take bear spray, medium sized knife, bell, lighter, space blanket, spare clothes and jacket. I did a 43.7-km loop yesterday and did not see a sole. Riding a lone you are not dependant on someone else and can go a whim. That said, company would be nice and a lot safer. Most of my contact with bears has been on solo rides. A bell and bear spray are a must.
About 80% (not an option above) of my rides are solo, especially when I want to ride higher level trails (goes against your “don’t try to clear…”) because the people I normally ride with at that level are out of state and 8 hours away. The people I ride with locally tend to not want to do those trails.
My Pixel phone just got an update with a “Personal Safety” app which allows me to have a preset time when my selected contacts are notified with my GPS location. Also has a Crash Detection & Crisis Alerts. (I don’t bother with the Crash Detection, eventually no one would pay attention.)