Are you an early riser?

[billinom8s]

So it would seem that a subject has reared it's head in the form of rideout start times - and there seems to be two distinct camps.....

Early birds and daytime cruisers.


Personally if i'm going out spirtied i prefer an early start. For me the clear roads, crisp air, no traffic, no day pass requirement from the missus, avoiding the heat(when we get some) all adds up to a pleasureable run.
Daytime riding, i don't mind, i'm not a fan of the constant overtaking due to the heavy traffic we experience down here in the SW, hence why the only daytime rides i do are friendlies and MMTs. Even then, i have to be mindful of how big the group is, overtaking capabilities etc.

Other people are the other way, don't like earlies, love the overtaking or even(God forbid) sitting in traffic flows. That's their choice and we encourage everyone to bring their own approach to the forum.

As has always been said, if there isn't a rideout being planned that suits you, be it time, distance, location, pace, style - you are more than welcome to set up your own run and post it up. Hell, give me a call and i'll even help you plan it.

Like it has been said in another thread, not everyone wants/can get up at 5am and do 150 miles, same as not everyone wants/can start a run at 10am and do 30 miles.

Sometime a short run can be as much fun as a few hours out, all depends on what your goal is.

What's your view???

[Ming]

Since you've raised a valid point, here's my own personal take.

Weekend rides - I'm up for an early start and normally anything up to 300 miles.
Weekdays - as I work, albeit part time, I'm stuffed for a start any earlier than 11am ish. Even if I had a day off in a normal working week, I wouldn't start until after the rush hour /school run is over. It's probably fine if you live and ride in very remote places but even travelling to a start location in a town pisses me off, fighting with the traffic.
What I will do, is post up a ride starting in the late afternoon and coming home about 9ish. I've done a few of these fish n chip runs and you pretty much have the roads to yourself, as the commuters are home in front of the TV and the tourists are all on the razz, plus most of the farm traffic is under lock and key.

[MellowYellow]

Early rides for me are those starting 09.30 ( IN SUMMER ).

Majority leave 10.00 or 10.30. Maybe 11.00 in winter.

My rides are between 130 and 170 miles. Coffee / cake / ice-cream after 1 hour or so. Lunch c. 1½ hrs later. Non-stop back. Finish often different location from start.

[Jug]

I think I'm an early riser...
8:00 am is early enough in my book.

Like it has been said in another thread, not everyone wants/can get up at 5am and do 150 miles, same as not everyone wants/can start a run at 10am and do 30 miles.

I often leave at 10:30-11:00, do 150 to 200 miles and then I'm home in time for dinner, though I like the idea of making it later and having a chip shop ending.

Later starts don't have to mean just short runs, but does mean taking the whole afternoon out. So what's the difference (in terms of permission slips) whether it's the whole morning or the whole afternoon?

Traffic wise - A lot depends on where you go and which roads you choose. For example I've never really encounter much in the way of traffic cutting across Exmoor, that is unless you only use the A369 or A39, and even then it's only in peak summer that you'll hit traffic, and mostly just at weekends. There's also some good back roads between Exeter and Bude that never seem to suffer much, thanks to them not being trunk routes anymore.
But if heading into Dorset, the coast roads can get bad in peak holiday season, so yes I will concede riding there & then is probably not ideal.

[Tvrv37]

I don't object to an early set off but they all start an hour away from home and often that's using the motorway and the finish is often another hour home. Run your own Rideout you say? Tried that and it's near impossible to get the Devon boys up into Somerset or even Wiltshire, I've tried. So if anyone fancies a trip around the Mendip TT I'm all for early. Tiverton 8am, Exeter needs to be 8.30am, or we risk Southwest Bikers becoming just Devon Bikers.

We should also resurrect the great idea of 'meet you there' when restrictions allow. A great idea that got knackered by the first lockdown. Leave when you want, ride your own route of any length, with a bit of a meet up.

[billinom8s]

I don't object to an early set off but they all start an hour away from home and often that's using the motorway and the finish is often another hour home. Run your own Rideout you say? Tried that and it's near impossible to get the Devon boys up into Somerset or even Wiltshire, I've tried. So if anyone fancies a trip around the Mendip TT I'm all for early. Tiverton 8am, Exeter needs to be 8.30am, or we risk Southwest Bikers becoming just Devon Bikers.

We should also resurrect the great idea of 'meet you there' when restrictions allow. A great idea that got knackered by the first lockdown. Leave when you want, ride your own route of any length, with a bit of a meet up.

Plan away Phil.
The more you post the rides up, the more people will turn up. Nobody came on earlies or friendlies to start with, kept on plugging away though.

[Jug]

Tiverton 8am, Exeter needs to be 8.30am, or we risk Southwest Bikers becoming just Devon Bikers.

But they are still too early to be classed as "not an early start".

We should also resurrect the great idea of 'meet you there' when restrictions allow. Leave when you want, ride your own route of any length, with a bit of a meet up.

That would be a good idea.
So smaller groups can come together around midday but also the main group of the day could use that as the end point for their run, and then maybe a second later group ride could spring off from there. I think that was done a little in previous years.

I'd love to meet up and ride with other members but I know 8:00/8:30 starts are just not going to happen for me, and I'm happy to ride solo anyway and just meet up later if we can.

[Ming]

I'll be posting up an afternoon /evening ride once the temps are a bit more reliable and I've found a suitable eatery that serves passing bikers.
Probably be about 4pm start, fish and chips at about 6pm, then a blast back for a 9pm finish.

I don't have to sit down to dinner every night so have found this gives me a chance to ride empty ish roads and have a chippy treat

[menzies3032]

Just adding to the conversation as suggested by Simon I am personally a great believer in doing what I want to do and seeing who wants to join me. Personally “Time” is the important thing for me as I work long hours all week, weekends are quality time with the family and so I like to get out early for no other reason then getting back by around lunch time.... but that’s just me. So if I see rides that start local to me that are doing that I will join those. If not will do my own.

As suggested by Simon fully welcome more people posting up rides with different starting points and start times. I might not be able to make them myself but I will help promote it on Facebook and Whatsappp broadcast for you to see if other want to join you.

Enjoy people we have got a potentially great biking year ahead of us let’s make the most of it.

[Ruffian]

Dunno but I like being able to spell "early"

Usually awake at 4am so would deem that as sorta early

[jer r1]

Have a pee at 3.30 on the dot every morning, trouble is I don't wake until 6.

[Streetmann]

Start time isn't my biggest issue,I dont like to be gone all day leaving the wife with the kids after she has solo raised them all week.

[Mervin]

And I thought time was only invented bythe Swiss and Germans to sell watches and cuckoo clocks

[menzies3032]

Start time isn't my biggest issue,I dont like to be gone all day leaving the wife with the kids after she has solo raised them all week.

Yup im with ya

[ptolemyx]

Another question is when do people go to bed. I fail to see the appeal of sitting up in to the wee hours. For me, as soon as it's light in the morning (or earlier!) I'm active and I can't be bothered to waste being conscious not doing anything purposeful much after 10 in the evening.