This question is one that cannot simply be answered with a yes or no, but more likely with maybe or it depends. What does it depend on?

It depends on quite a lot of things, such as whether you prefer going alone or in a group or what you have set as your goal. Each of the three has their pros and cons and are good in their own respective ways but have their own downsides.

Take a look at the benefits of going alone, in a pair or in a group.

Solo Cycling

When going out to cycle alone, you are the only person that needs taking care of. Anytime you feel like slowing down or speeding up, you can do it. There is nobody to chase or anybody to wait on. You can always plan a difficult route, or a very simple one and change it at any time you feel like it. Quitting is always an option when you ride alone and so is sprinting. Simply put, you can do whatever you want and have all the time of the world to clear your mind.

A Pair is Better than One

Oftentimes, riding in a pair is quite fun. If you ride with only another person, chances are that’s a friend of yours or a very good cyclist who you’ve paired up with to train hard. Chasing that person, then taking the lead to provide them with cover is an amazing experience for working out and motivation.

Your partner can have some necessary stuff you lack and you can share the weight and you can organize a longer route. Then there’s the chatting and sharing of fatigue. Everything is easier with a friend, right?

The More the Merrier

Riding in a group is similar to a race if you’re going at it hard. There are many cycling clubs anywhere you turn and people are more than happy to ride with you on longer and shorter routes. With a group, you can have the same experience you would in a race, as well as have the benefits of chatting to a lot of people and sharing in their experience. If you find similar cyclists to yourself, then you should be in a very good place.

There are, of course, downsides to every type of riding and they range from riding alone being as dangerous as climbing a mountain alone to having to adjust your own ride to match one or ten more people.

There is no easy answer to the question of whether you should ride alone, in a pair or in groups. The answer always lies in how you feel at the moment and what your route is going to be like.