Solo rider and rest breaks
 

Hi this feels like a really stupid question but it has been bothering me for a while now and I could use some advice. I ride solo most of the time. It isn't really my choice to ride solo but I don't have many friends who ride also. The ones that do, don't ride as much as me. I think I should take more rest breaks while daytripping but sometimes I skip on them because I can't find a place to stop that I really like. What I like are more quiet places, preferably where I can park the motorcycle in sight. A place with a lot of bikers intimidates sometimes... How do you guys deal with that? What are your criteria on unfamiliar roads to pick a bar, restaurant, ... Do you decide before the trip where you'll stop? I think I'm being a bit too stressed out about it but I have very little experience travelling solo (on or off bike)... And I'm just the kind of person that ponders a lot.:confused1: Thanks for the suggestions! Karolien

Hi Karolien,
I rarely know where I am going to stop, it usually depends on how long I have been riding and if I need petrol or the toilet. Do not be intimidated by groups of people be they bikers or anybody else, you are highly unlikely to meet anybody who means you harm and nothing bad is going to happen with an audience.
I also try and park the bike where it can be seen if I am leaving luggage or a tankbag on it but as long as you put the steering lock or alarm on it is unlikely to be taken from outside of a service station or café.
It sounds like you need to build your confidence up with other people, perhaps you could persuade a friend to go off on some day trips with you until you do.

Hi Karolien,
It's a really good question you pose and also and important one.

You say 'I skip on them because I can't find a place to stop that I really like'.
I have noticed myself doing much the same a lot of the time, though when I have made more a conscious decision to stop for a break, I either stop in a small village or at an interesting but quiet location along the road. When I have thoughts that this area doesn't seem interesting, maybe I'll find something better up the road is when I tend to prolong any short rest I need, and that is when fatigue can set it. If you push yourself beyond that point, you run the very real possibility of reduced mental alertness and lack of the focus you need to ride your motorbike. This is no fun and becomes tiring in itself. By remembering this, that I do want to have good attention and focus and I do want to enjoy the ride, the fun of it, I allow myself to stop more often and maybe I will find something in a place that otherwise I may think of as uninteresting.

When you say 'A place with a lot of bikers intimidates sometimes', I'm guessing you want to know that you are safe and to have that feeling of safety. This is a hard one, as it is not something anyone can give you, we must all find it ourselves. By following your values you will give yourself the best chance to attain this, giving yourself a sense of increased confidence in these situations.

I think I can speak for many when I say, we will have all felt at some time either vulnerable, even scared in situations we have found ourselves in. Again, it takes time, try not to push too far beyond what you are comfortable with.

You ask 'What are your criteria on unfamiliar roads to pick a bar, restaurant, ... Do you decide before the trip where you'll stop?' For me, it is not something I pick or decide before a trip or a days ride. I need to allow a certain amount of willingness, to allow myself to to go places I wish. If it is that I'm nearing the end of a day's ride and I have time on my side, then I like to do a little loop around an area or a village to take in what I see, how people are, to gleen something of their potential attitude. I also look for a place to park the bike, often I find it best to park near other bikes as you tend to then blend in and not stand out as solo. But at the same time, I would shy away from large gatherings of bikes where I may be intruding. Yes, I like to have the bike in view if possible, though there are many times this is not always possible and I have worried and have always felt relieved to see that nothing has happened in my absence. I don't become complacent about it, and so will mostly try to park it in view.

Other times it may not necessarily be a bar or a restaurant that I need or want, but often the centre of an old village or a small rest area on a winding road hopefully with a wonderful view. Somewhere to stop and eat a little food and rest your mind, allowing yourself to take in the environment around you.

Then, when ready, you go again.

Met vriendelijke groet,
_____
Paul

If you're day tripping, take a picnic with you. Not that difficult to stuff a bit of bread, cheese and wine/water into a bag and lash it somewhere.

John

Hey Karolien!

Reading your story, I feel I can relate to this. But maybe in another way. I ride a bike for about 2 years now and also have little (or no) friends that ride. I like riding alone, but get nervous when I stop somewhere, especially when there are bikers (or common people :laugh:) sitting outside of a pub, I just 'know' they are 'judging' me (which is all in my head off course, they are just minding their own business most of the time) and then suddenly I 'lose' my skills. Is this what you mean with 'intimidating'?

Just recently I did an all-road training and the same insecurity came up, which isn't really helping. I am so used to riding alone, that it is more difficult for me to ride with others, I get to close or to far off and then I go to fast at a spot where I would have slowed down if I was alone.... pfff...

I know it is stupid (my behaviour, I am not referring to your question!). You must know I drove a 18m long bus for years, full of people, and they could watch me all the time, but it didn't bother me, because i didn't think they knew how to drive a bus, I guess. Or I just didn't care that much haha!

I think I am going to look for good companions to ride with every once in a while, to get used to it. And because it is fun!
And solo, I just have to get an attitude. lol :cool4::mchappy::mchappy:

For picking restaurants, I found this easier when I was on a longer trip (in France, Italy etc). But also on daytrips it should be fun to stop at places you don't know, you might end up meeting some very nice people.
Maybe it helps to plan a stop (restaurant or nice cafe) before your trip, there is so much to find on the internet. When you know where you are going, you might have more confidence. And if you have done this a few times, you can start stopping at random places.

Enjoy your (solo) ride!
Heidi

Hello Karolien.

I reckon you are just being like any normal person. Lots of us feel a little uncomfortable outside of our familiar places and settings and motorcyclists in general almost always feel a need to be within sight of our bikes.I would imagine that before long you will work out what you really like to do during the ride, and develop that sort of " feel " you get for stopping at a good place.

I travel mostly solo, be that on long trips or just out for the day. I do not bother trying to plan ahead too much in relation of where to stop or where to eat, but normally go with what ever appeals to me at the time. If I am out and I see a nice little cafe that serves " cream teas " ( Tea, scone, double cream and jam ) and I like the look of it, that will probally be my stop.

Mixing with other bikers ?....do not worry about that. When I park my bike up, I am usually nearby and people who are into our kind of thing ....touring, overlanding etc...will always come over and have a chat, And if they are prepared to talk to a rather scary looking stranger like me, you should be fine.

P.S. Most bikers are boring sods anyway :)

Hi Karolien
You say you're a bit of an inexperienced traveller (on and off the bike) but even after several trips on my own (on and off the bike), I still have the same nervous worries before a trip or when stopping whilst travelling solo. But what I've learned, which helps me overcome these concerns, is that most people feel the same way too! And strangers that watch your approach are mostly inquisitive rather than being judgmental.
I usually have a book or map to read so I'm not totally bored when dining on my own & a map in fact, is a great conversation tool!
If you're just out for the day/weekend, google your route and plan a few stops. But during that trip look out for other "new" opportunities. That way, if you don't see anything that appeals you know you have a back-up stop to ride to.
I have found that a large group of male bikers aren't particularly approachable but a few guys on their own are usually friendly and helpful. Naturally, most other women are intrigued by another woman biker.
Try not to let your thoughts exaggerate the situation & enjoy your journey :)

I do quite similar to this, add some tomato to the cheese, a thermos of coffee, water but not wine.

Stop at a picnic table, with some shade should you be lucky and have that yellow thing in the sky up and about.

Park bike next to table, watch the world go by, take a few happy snappies of it all, job done.

Yep.

Side track.
As you ride along .. look for the little side roads - they may be dead ends. I like to pick ones that go upwards - upwards can lead to a good view. Ok? There may be no pub, eatery etc .. but if you bring a snack and a drink then you are set.

Small places.
Little towns are good. They are usually on the smaller roads.. and may not have much in the way of things to eat. Two small roads that cross one another can have a small store ...

Large places - but less people.
Stay away on weekends, public holidays and the crowds will be less, particularly during working hours and 'peak hour'. Or pick a place away from some other event elsewhere - hopefully the crowd will be there and not where you are.

Do go with your feelings - if you don't feel safe leave, you won't enjoy it if you stay.

Thank you!
 

Hi all! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It helps a lot to know I'm not alone with these feelings. And the tips are great too. Will try them all on next trips. One by one that is or I'll get fat in no time :chef:!

Do you have a GPS?
 

I often do the same, forego breaks etc. but now I use the GPS to look for a park on the map and add it as a Via Point (so I don't lose the original destination). First choice are water feature parks such as seawalls and lakefronts, next downtown parks or squares. I also use the POI details for Libraries (for free wifi access) or restaurants such at Subway (free water and healthy food choices or a cup of soup to warm up.

I avoid the multi moto stops as I really don't know much about the finer details of the moto workings and I hate feeling like an idiot when they ask me about bleeding the ABS brakes or some such thing. I just want to ride it and NOT take it apart.

Just a few thoughts.

s.

I try not to be dependant on the services of restaurants, pubs, etc. Instead I bring my own food and drink with me on the bike and make many short frequent stops rather than a few longer ones. There are several reasons for why I do his, and none of them have to do with finances. In general though, what I do is that I start looking for a place near my road to do a quick stop every 60 minutes - a park, a rest stop, down a side road, etc. I seldom ride more than 90 minutes before I find a place to pull over, and I hardly ever go looking for services, unless; I need fuel, I have heard of some special place, or if I really want a pub/resto for a change. If I pass some really inviting place, I will usually allow myself to stop, especially if it alligns well with my rest time.


I try not to be dependant on cafes, pubs or restaurants, for several reasons:

1. Eating or drinking in solitude in a public place is often a lonely experience. I'm not a loner, and therefore I prefer any solitude I have to be completely free of people near by
2. The company and attention of stranger can at times be nice, but can also be both dreadfull and also drag on forever
3. Few establishments can beat taking a breather in nature
4. First seeking out, and then waiting for service, eats up a lot of riding time. In turn this means that I will either cover less distance that day, or finish later. Finishing later means that I am more fatigued and that I have less time to rest properly, explore and do other things besides riding
5. Efforts involved in leaving the bike unattended eats up time and energy
6. Energy management is disrupted when services dictate when and for how long I am to stop. I like to dish out my energy in a manner that will get me where I want to go as quick and effortlessly as possible - leaving me fit to enjoy whatever the destination offers, day after day (I'm in it for the riding... mostly). To do this I need to get out of the saddle every 60-90 minutes to prevent fatigue setting in. I only stop long enough to take off the helmet, have a piss, have a swig of water, a few mouthfulls of some snack, and maybe the occasional cigarette. When I need to refuel I also make this my rest time for that hour. For lunch I allow myself 15-20 minutes, and for dinner 20-30 minutes. With this approach I can force myself to ride 15 hour/1000 km days several days in a row if I have to (but 5 hour/350 km days is sustainable indefinantly). With this approach it is the clock that dictates when I stop, not some establishment.

i always try to do as much iron butting as possible , just can get fed of riding and thats it, only a must stop is what i make, that means as soon as i cannot hold anymore to leak my pants and then continue

I try to always carry dried fruit and almonds or peanuts in the summer. When its colder I always care chocolate. Some good hard salami is great also.. and hard cheese like parmesan you don't need to refrigerate.

Right now I'm in central asia. I stop when I see a good Shashlik (bbq) stand where I can park the bike and sit in the shade. Sometimes its a quick stop to get an icecream to try to cool you down.

I usually avoid the crowded centers and anywhere I see graffiti on buildings.

Hi Karolien:

I only ride solo - I don't carry a passenger, and I don't like riding in groups. I've ridden about 150,000 km this way in the past 10 years - most recently, spending last week touring through your country, primarily in the West Flanders region (really nice, but not exactly hilly and twisty).

Honestly, I don't even think twice about where I want to stop. I just poke along, and usually take a break for a coffee and mineral water about once every 90 minutes. Normally I look for a small restaurant or cafe that has some outdoor seating - this because I like to sit outside, not so much because I want to keep an eye on the motorcycle. If I see a place that looks suitable, I stop there - it is always a 'spur of the moment' decision.

9 times out of 10, I will be the only person at the restaurant or cafe that has arrived on a motorcycle. If I am riding somewhere where there are lots of other motorcyclists (e.g. in the Swiss mountain passes), there might be lots of other motorcycles at the place I stop at, but my experience is that all the other riders pretty much ignore me completely, because they are either with their friends or with their passenger. Occasionally someone might comment on my Canadian licence plate, and occasionally someone who is riding the exact same type of motorcycle that I have (a Honda ST 1100) might come over and say hello, mostly just to yak about common technical issues on the motorcycle.

But, 95% of the time, other motorcyclists never initiate conversation, which is fine with me.

If I arrive on my moto and I am the only person at a restaurant or cafe, and non-motorcyclists see me arrive, sometimes they will strike up a conversation and make pleasant small talk. In some cases, that lasts about 60 seconds. In other cases, I wind up talking to that person (or persons) for quite a while, and it is a pleasant event.

My guess is that other motorcyclists take far, far less notice of you than you think they do... so, my suggestion would be "don't be concerned at all".

So far as frequency of breaks is concerned, I don't like to ride for more than 90 minutes without taking a 15 minute break. I think my concentration and attention to detail starts to diminish if I am on the bike for more than 90 minutes at a time. But, having said that, I have no problem riding 1,000 km in a day - it just means that I take about 7 coffee or meal breaks along the way.

Michael

And I thought I was the only one being picky on stopping places.

But I am slowly discovering that what PanEuropean mentioned does work.

Stop at least ever 90 minutes for a short break, even if it seems often.
At the end of the day you will feel much better.

And some places where you stop might not be so nice. Accept that they can't all be good. Eat/drink/rest a bit and you're ready to go again.



Nico.

Never worry about what might happen; it invariably never will. :thumbup1:

I ride everywhere by myself. It was very daunting at first. I remember the first time I went to France for two weeks (massive for me at the time!), I nearly didn't get on the Ferry, I was worried about all sorts of things.

Some of the best things I've experienced are pulling up for a stop (never planned, just when I need the loo / get hungry / etc) are having an impromptu chat with anyone around (both bikers and non bikers). I've also found elderly gents coming over reminiscing about their biking days! I've always found that pulling up anywhere on a bike is a great starter for a conversation - usually they come to me!

I am a solo rider. I never know or plan on where I am going to go less there is a good reason. Most of the time I change my mind a few times any way.
I know some place along the way there will someplace to get something to eat and gas for the bike. And for 80,000 or so miles I have made on a bike there has been. After all the roads go some place and the cars and trucks need gas and the people need food.
Other bikers at a place is a good sign to stop. Bikers tend to go safe areas as no one likes the bike messed with. We all like good food riding and having a safe area for the bike Sport rider to a dusty 1% MC there all the same. Stop and look at what there looking at. There is something to the "brotherhood" riders have.
I stop any time anything even looks out of place, nice, there is something new or odd or there is something to the colors I see. Stopped in some vary bad places and dropped my bike more than few time doing this. Bit of photo guy so well worth it to me. May have saved a life once.
Having said that I do pack tools for the bike I can fix a flat and there is a little food and water for a few days if I am going more than just down the road.

Get a few unplaned trips under you and you will fine. Trust your self, point the bike down the road and ride.

Interesting. This is quite common in Japan, where I live, but some travelers from other countries complain that Japanese motorcyclists don't strike up a conversation whenever they stop. Maybe this is why I like Japan. People leave you alone most of the time (but certainly will help if you are in a pinch).
I guess it all depends on the individual. Some people ride to make friends, while some people ride just to ride.

Hi Karolien

I read your post with interest, as someone returning to bikes after a number of years, I will be biting the bullit, and heading into Europe at the end of June with Turkey as my turn around point. I am a little anxious about the trip, however, I feel it would be worse for me if I did not go. I enjoy meeting people and travelling alone I hope to meet many, I will of course exercise caution when my instincts indicate I should. I have the view that treat people well and in general they will treat you the same way, there are always exceptions, but that's part of life.

Best wishes for your future travels.

Tom

Generally when I go for a trip I probably have a destination that has a 50% chance of being realised. As many have said here, it is far better to not have any form of tight itinerary, that only makes for stress and clock watching. You should stop often enough for a drink of some sort to ensure you do not start dehydrating. if you feel a bit off, headachy or not at your best this may be the cause. Usually I will stop when I see somewhere nice, but I might combine one stop a day with getting fuel.

Trust your instincts about where to stop, but you do need to get you "eye in" for likely places. really though most of it is just a matter of confidence. I do like to have a midday brew up with my lunch, but then again sometimes if i see something promising I may well buy lunch. Just do what you want at the time.

Some people over analyse and try to work out and be prepared for all possibilities. Often though life unfolds differently to your planning, just go with the flow.

I sometimes carry food/drink with me - partly because a lot of my day to day riding is done in the Highlands of Scotland and there are loads of lovely places to stop and have a bite while taking in the view, and partly because I'm often making the most of limited time and ordering food ion a cafe or pub takes time.

Most people will feel a twinge of terror when pulling up in front of loads of other bikers because there is always a chance that you will do something silly and end up on your ear, but at least there would be plenty of willing hands to pick up the bike and if you don't be a dick and lose your sense of humour it will just be a temporary embarrasment. Make a joke if you drop it!

Otherwise I stop where I damn well like, whether that is a five star lodge in Africa, a Parador in Spain or a greasy spoon off the A1 in England. Quite often you can get into conversations, especially if your machine looks interesting.

Happily long gone are the days of 'No Bikers' signs outside pubs- we're generally welcome wherever we go these days.

I dont know what its like in Belgium but in Australia no matter where you stop, most people don't even notice you if their not into bikes.

I would imagine a woman on a bike might get more interest.

I ride a Triumph Bonneville so get lots of older guys coming up to me reminiscing about their bike from the 60"s.(The Bonneville is old man's porn it seems!) Sports bike riders tend to ignore me. Harley riders absolutely ignore everyone. (am developing a hatred for them. The bloody arrogance:thumbdown:

So yes your probably worrying too much :-) I don't give it a second thought.