Why do you ride?

The Northern Monkey

Just wondering what peoples motivations are for riding..

Mine is sheer enjoyment. Its my hobby, I love to get out there and just like the freedom, scenery and more importantly the trails. I don't care if I'm slowly going up hills on my weighty HT. But I sure as hell go balls out down any decent I possibly can!

I also love to fettle. Tweaking, buying, upgrading and building. Bloody love it. Almost as much as riding if i'm honest.... Think thats why i'll never buy another off the shelf bike!

Personally i'd never race (not for fear of being crap -which is highly likely) but it'd take away the enjoyment factor IMO. I don't really see my riding as a sport.

What turns your MTB'ing mind on?

jay12

i love it due to the adrenaline rush 8)

i like the feeling when you see a jump or a bit of track and say to yourself "there is no way i could do that!!" and then you actually do it and then you say "that wasn't too bad, i'm going to do it again"

i also like tweeking, replacing parts, staring at lovely bikes, cleaning and reapirning my bike.

it's also a way to get away from everyday life like school, work, annoying family etc.

and it's good exercise, i would rather be riding my bike all day than stuffing my face and staring at a computer screen all day

Jedi

i love riding bikes full stop!

makes me smile inside

Father Faff

I love the pain.

Sarnian

Just love It always have done ever since I had the stabilisers taken off my bike at the age of 4, have done must types of riding over the years, the best one's being BMX from about the age of 8 to 18 then MTB they give me the biggest buzz as It freedom getting fit having a adrenaline fix and at times scaring myself

As well as that a big part of riding to me Is the playing with and building bikes.

I just need to be pedaling something

whyamihere

Doctor says I've got to.

mickedwards61

I started out just to give it a go and "see what happens" a few months back, got myself a entry level hard tail, and started going out locally and I have been properly bitten by the bug.

Now my motivation is pure enjoyment, I have lost 2 1/2 stone since taking up MTBing which is unexpected bonus! I try to ride 3 - 4 times a week, puts a bloody big smile on my face at times, I find there is nothing better than a quick blast on the bike if I have had a s**t day at work as well!!

Hercule Q

keeps me sane

Northwind

I likes it.

Alex

I ride because I'm an over-competitive bastard who must win at all costs.

Also because it's more fun than anything else I've tried.

Tom Barton

Freedom, being out in the wilds and getting away from cities/civilisation (so to speak) and plain old adrenaline junkie kicks. I like riding my bike off road!

I've not got any particular interest in racing as its a hobby for me. However I have entered the kona mashup out of curiousity to see where I 'stack up' speed wise with other regular riders - but thats about as competitive as I want to get - having said this now, I may get bitten by the racing bug and annoy my long suffering wife with further talk! :?

piker

To get away from wife and kids,now my daughters started coming out with me and thats good but the wife is on about getting a bike and thats not :roll:

TheNorthernTrain

its nice just to get out of the house. even if its a 20 min spin round the block.

Dirtydog11

Its a better alternative to Lithium.

tlw1

Because.........

I can go with my mates
Go on my own
Go with the family
Meet people whilst out
Ignore people whilst out
Combine it with a familty weekend in a cottage
Combine it with a lads weekend in a coma
I enjoy the pain of the uphills
I endure the pain of the downhills when it goes wrong

bomberesque

it's the only sport I do. I couldn't do a sport purely to keep fit (jogging makes me gag just to think of it ... as for Gyms....)

I enjoy being on a bike and being able to cover practical distances.

it's so flexible

I commute by bike
I tour on a bike
I mountainbike
I ride to the pub

sometimes I even mix and match and commute ... to the pub!

The only races I've taken part in are 24hr races, which I really enjoy for the team spirit and wholesale madness of the concept.

Holyjo

I ride because of the freedom it brings from lifes stress and strains,
I ride because at first light when the rest of the world are in bed, I can see kingfishers, squirrels, stoats, foxes, woodpeckers, and manner of things from the natural world.
I ride because it helps me keep very fit
I ride because of the feeling of satisfaction when reaching the top of a large hill........
I ride because of the adrenalin and sense of fulfilment brought about by a fast and technical downhill stretch
I ride because of the views of the countryside , some of the best views in the country are only available when walking or cycling
I ride because its something I can do with mates that the missus supports.including weekends away !!
I ride because when I fished all of the time I drank too much and smoked too much...I needed to slow down on one and stop the other
I ride because it washes my brain of my problems

.blitz

bigbenj_08 wrote:

Why do you ride?

Mostly because I can go where I want to, when I want to at a speed that suits me.

I'm not very good with rules and regulations and I don't like being told what to do or where to go.

Freedom.

Surf-Matt

Quicker than walking.
Good for fitness
Gets you out and about
Low impact on joints
Fun

Kiblams

I ride because I can't walk/run without serious leg chaffing (genetically big thighs)
I ride because I love the feeling of throwing myself and my bike around trees
I ride because it gets me and the missus out of the house to get dirty in the woods
I ride because it is the only thing that has given proper purpose (for me) to going away on holiday
I ride because it gets me to work quicky and for free
I ride because of the sense of achievement
I ride because for the freedom and views from the top of the trail
I ride because I can't stop fixing/upgrading the bikes, is half of the fun IMO
I ride because my bike is simple and riding it is pure concentrated fun syrup!

kangaroo

l ride because id look really stupid running around the woods Just holding a pair of handle bars and making mtb noises

Thewaylander

I ride, because its scary.. and because compared to alot of my mates im good at it.. so i can beat them down

fikasfook

Because I can! Nuff said :P

salsarider79

I was asking myself this very same question this Sunday morning.



While going up a steep hill, into a gale force headwind, rain pouring down, soaking wet, feet frozen, no energy, no food, only my pride stopping me from going the hell home....







I think it's best I don't ask myself stupid questions like this again

Raymondavalon

MTB'ing: Exposure = Addiction

clodhoppa74

because it's addictive.
because i'm a tight tyke who's spent money on it and need to get my money's worth.
to help me get and keep fit.
to get me outdoors (i can't walk due ot fimur injury) so it's the ONLY non car way of getting to the top of a hill.
because it's bloody wonderful, and the feeling you get when you get home, that slight warm burning feeling in your face, the blissful soak in the bath afterwards - and the fact it's BETTER if you get muddy and weatherworn.

Kiblams

If the government want people out riding, they need only point people to read this thread. I am really mising my bike right now after reading all that! Oh well the weekend isn't too far away

Stevo_666

Fun
Freedom
Fitness

And a dose of adrenaline missing since I stopped doing track days in a car :twisted:

antfly

Purely for pleasure and the buzz of going fast down hills. It also gets me out has the positive side-effect of making me fitter and more attractive to women.

CycloRos

1. Adrenaline - enough said
2. Focus - I love the mental state it puts me in. Riding removes everything else from my brain (if only temporarily), nothing makes me focus more than blatting along a half-foot wide trail faster than is sane to do so.
3. Places - a big part of it is exploring new places many of which I'd never have thought to go if it wasn't for mountain biking
4. Fitness - gets the old heart pumping and keeps excess lbs off

and you get all of the above at the same time! bloody marvelous!

fletch8928

I ride because I enjoy it. Just cleaned myself and the bike of gloop.
38 years old and doesnt need any excusses to get muddy with mates or on my own.
I dont give two hoots about being the quickest because I ride for fun, sometimes it hurts sometimes its a breeze.
Looking forward to riding with my son in the future (he better join me).
I always feel better after a ride out and it fills my days off nicely.
I do enjoy a good tinker to keep the bike running how I like it.