Pair Up!

The best thing you can do on a long ride is find a buddy who can ride along with you. There are times when you need conversation and company. But the greatest thing it does is that it makes the journey more swift. Here are a few tips I can give you:

1) Choose your riding partner well. Nothing can be more crucial than this
2) My riding speeds often drop when I am doing long distances alone, but with Rahul its better than ever. One of you should always lead and change leads every half hour or so the other guy can relax a bit.
3) The trick is trust. The guy riding up ahead will give you a clear idea of the road condition. Potholes, slime, turns, oncoming traffic in a blind turn etc become much easier to navigate.
4) Keep a distance of 50 feet between the both of you. That way emergency braking can work easily. And just keep a look out for his brake light. (Brake light not working? What the hell are you doing on the road anyway?)
5) Keep a lookout for your mate behind after every turn and once in a while on straights as you go. Nod your head when you see something you like, it enhances the spirit of the guy riding a lot.
6) Never ever think that you are racing.

The road is an amazing place to build such a relationship, and with time and knowledge about each other, you can munch huge distances with a lot of ease!

- Nitin