Many people are surprised when they hear that I travel alone on a motorbike, for kilometres on end. A motorcycle is dangerous, they say. Aren’t you scared? You’re a woman. Where’s your husband/boyfriend? Why do you travel alone?
So here are six reasons to go riding alone. Or do any kind of traveling, for that matter. Some of them are practical, and some are more psychological. Before we start, let me lay down a disclaimer: if you're a minor, wait until you're 18 before you venture on your own. Ok let's begin.
1. Planning is a breeze.
Scheduling is easy when you’re in the same workplace or when you’re still in school, but not everyone in your immediate circle share the same interest, or even want to go to the same destination. More often than not, you will find other riders in different fields of work whose schedules will rarely match yours. But when you travel alone, all you have to do is look at your calendar, set the date and off you go. Compared to going on a big group ride, there’s no conflict of schedules with anyone else. This for me is the biggest reason to ride alone.
2. Set your own pace.
You can go as slow as 30km/hour to enjoy the scenery or sprint at a fun 80 km/hour or more on an empty stretch of highway and it’s all good. You’re not being a diva for making anyone else wait for you and you’re not sorely inconvenienced by waiting for anyone else.
3. Stop whenever and wherever.
Many times when I’m on a group ride, I wanted to stop to take a picture, or buy some seasonal fruits on sale by the road side but I held off because I’d be left behind, and the entire group would worry and go through the hassle of stopping to try and contact me when all they wanted to do was run the entire stretch in one go. Riding alone solves this problem. And in a downpour, you can either don a raincoat and kiss the rain, or shelter in a shed, whatever you want; you set the rules, which leads me to the next reason:
4. You only have your own thoughts to consider.
Where to eat, what to eat, how long to stay in one stopover, these are just a few of the things you have to consider when going with a group. You might not have the same budget as anyone else if they want to eat at someplace fancy, or you may want to eat at a buffet but some members in your group packed their own meals. In some cases you may find their tastes inedible or unhealthy for you and you find yourself with nothing to eat at the diner of the majority’s choosing. Sometimes you might want to just sit and space out for a while and not talk, savor the break from the sound of the engine ringing in your ears, but then you worry you might appear aloof or even rude. All these considerations go out the window if you’re riding alone.
5. It’s a learning experience.
Riding is an adventure. You may read about place and decide to go, but you won’t really know what you’ll experience when you get there, even the kind of people you will meet, unless you actually go. And if you’re the kind of person who often puts someone else’s needs over your own, going alone is when you will learn more about yourself, your own preferences, your own strengths and limits. Even if you decide never to go alone again, I highly recommend doing it just once for this reason.
And finally,
6. It’s empowering.
Just knowing that you’re able to travel so far, alone, and safely make it back is Just. Freaking. Awesome. Like climbing a mountain, it’s a drug-free high. It is liberating to know you have overcome the inherent fear of being separated from the pack; that you have successfully planned, prepared contingency measures, and executed the trip all on your own. I guarantee it will give you a confidence boost for the next time you have to do something else by yourself.
Of course riding alone is not without its cons and list of things to consider. But that is for another article. Until then, thank you for reading, and see you on my next ride.
girl power!
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