There’s something truly edgy and addictive about riding solo.
On the face of it, riding alone is a mug’s game. If you have a mechanical problem or an injury there’s a reasonable chance you’ll be a long way from help.
Even a well-marked dirt road might not see a lot of traffic compared to the bitumen our road-bike colleagues are using.
For those who thrive on the challenges of more remote areas, traffic might be as infrequent as a vehicle every couple of days. That’s a long time to be lying in the dust with a collapsed lung or a dusted engine.