In the few years I’ve owned my bike, I’ve never ridden it solo. If none of my cycling friends were available for an outing, I didn’t ride. Why?
Fear.
- What if I have a flat tire? I don’t yet have the knack of changing them.
- What if I throw a chain?
- What if a dog attacks? It was fighting off an attempted dog attack in 2008 that caused me to tear my ACL and meniscus. Never mind that I was doing yard work, not cycling. PTSD is PTSD.
- What if I crash?
Sunday morning I was in the mood for a pre-church ride. I hadn’t made plans with anyone. For a fleeting moment I entertained the thought of taking an 8 a.m. spin class, but being inside just wouldn’t cut it. I decided to throw my “what ifs” aside and get out there.
One of those what ifs was realized. I threw a chain. It took three attempts, but I fixed it.
This is where I started. The walkway took me through a tunnel, over a little bridge to…
Here. A quiet little park with a cycling/walking path…
…and a dog park.
From there I cruised through a nearby senior living community. So peaceful.
Beautiful green space within the community.
Another green space shot.
482gr8 
Solo rides can be very refreshing. No time pressure, set your own pace, or change your course on a wim. I find it allows me to clear my head and relax a little more.
Now that I’m over that first hump, I will no longer let lack of riding buddies keep me off the roads. I do want to take a tire changing course, though.