The Solo Ride

Most of your riding will be done alone. Most of your rides will be in places you already know and have ridden to before.
Its nice to find new spots, but the old dependable places to ride are for the most part chosen for the knowledge of the road surface, traffic and the time it will take to do the journey. Safe spots are learned over time and the dangerous ones avoided unless absolutely necessary.
I love to go out and find new roads on my own. Getting other people lost when there time is limited is not fun. The predictable areas are best for group rides evan though new spots are fun to find as a group. Your lucky if you can find a friend that's willing to take chances and go the places you choose to go. Trust is a big part of riding partners and when the weather gets bad, it sometimes best to just ride by yourself. Non fendered bikes can cover a riding buddy with street dirt. Nicer weather for group rides always seems to work out best.
Learning new roads, doing your "Homework" by yourself and sharing them with others at the proper moment can make the old standby ride, a new adventure.