Is there a "meet friends along the way and ride together" culture in biking?
Context: I live along the eastern Sierra. Around here, hiking the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) is a popular thing. Not that I'm a hiker myself, but I talk to a number of them as they pass through. A common theme seems to be people who started hiking the PCT, met others on the trail, then formed an impromptu group of friends who hiked together as long as they were all still going the same way. It seems like a fun time for all. They make new friends. They get companionship on the trail. They have a safety net in each other in case of lost equipment, injury, etc. It just seems like a great deal for all involved.
OK, set that piece of knowledge aside.
I've been riding motorcycles for about 30 years. I'm not an accomplished rider by any stretch of the imagination, however. 99% of my riding is just the daily commute to work (yes, even in the winter). That means small doses of boring stuff. But retirement is close enough that I'm starting to make vague plans. One of those plans is a long road trip on my bike (I'd likely buy a new bike for the trip, but that's an aside). I don't have a set route or anything at this point. The four corners? Maybe all of Route 66? I dunno. I still have plenty of time for such thoughts.
But I was wondering.... For those who tour on bikes, is there a culture similar to the PCT hiker culture? Are there routes were people just tend to connect and ride together? Is it reasonable to think thoughts like, "I'll probably hook up with some other random riders and we can ride together (at least until our larger plans necessitate separating)."? Does any of this make sense or do I need to lay off the sauce late at night?
Posted Jun 8, 2026, 4:59 AM UTC