Anyone else just like cycling?

baldwin471

I don't know if i'm the odd one out, but it seems like i'm the only one who loves to cycle, but doesn't really care about cycling; if that makes sense.

I'll elaborate.

I like to ride. Actually, i love to ride.

I hate watching cycling races, i hate reading cycling books and i don't like finding out cycling news. It just bores me. I know a lot of you guys watch every race and know every new piece of news.

It's the same as Football for me really. I love to play (Although i very rarely do these days) but i don't really care if i watch the games or not. I look out for my teams results but that's about it.

Anyone else like that? Or are you all just Cycle nuts?

bompington

So I take it you don't like posting on cycling forums either? ;-)

baldwin471

bompington wrote:

So I take it you don't like posting on cycling forums either? ;-)

Weird innit'?

ilm_zero7

actually I just like cycling, but I enjoy the apres-ride just as much, and the bonding spirit between the small group of fellow cyclists I ride with regularly.

but I also follow the pro-stuff and go and see races when i can for the buzz

Wily-Quixote

I just like cycling, not interested in racing or watching racing, closest I get is trying to beat my own and others' strava times. I don't like riding with others, don't like single track just love punishing rides on fire trails and long road rides.
My mates who also ride think that this a bit weird, but hey I love the purity of me on the road or track out in the country, on my own.

Drumlin

No matter how much we love riding our bikes I'm sure that all of us have 'blind spots' - aspects of the cycling scene that don't interest us at all. For me the list includes mtb, bmx, and various bicycle mounted versions of speedway/polo/gymnastics. And these days I have very little interest in UK domestic racing either.

nevman

Wily-Quixote wrote:

I just like cycling, not interested in racing or watching racing, closest I get is trying to beat my own and others' strava times. I don't like riding with others, don't like single track just love punishing rides on fire trails and long road rides.
My mates who also ride think that this a bit weird, but hey I love the purity of me on the road or track out in the country, on my own.

I feel very much the same.We could form a club.

Hoopdriver

I just like riding my bike - on my own. I do not follow races or racing, let alone do any racing myself. I belong to no clubs, do not muck about with Strava or do any training on my bicycle; if I happen to get fit, it is purely a by-product of my loving to be out riding my bike. I go at whatever pace appeals to me at that moment and without regard to anyone else.

mingmong

Baldwin, Hoop, Nevman: Just keep turning the pedals then people. Good luck to you :-)

Ouija

baldwin471 wrote:

I don't know if i'm the odd one out, but it seems like i'm the only one who loves to cycle, but doesn't really care about cycling; if that makes sense.

I'll elaborate.

I like to ride. Actually, i love to ride.

I hate watching cycling races, i hate reading cycling books and i don't like finding out cycling news. It just bores me. I know a lot of you guys watch every race and know every new piece of news.

It's the same as Football for me really. I love to play (Although i very rarely do these days) but i don't really care if i watch the games or not. I look out for my teams results but that's about it.

Anyone else like that? Or are you all just Cycle nuts?

+1

Know exactly where your coming from....

Hoopdriver wrote:

I just like riding my bike - on my own. I do not follow races or racing, let alone do any racing myself. I belong to no clubs, do not muck about with Strava or do any training on my bicycle; if I happen to get fit, it is purely a by-product of my loving to be out riding my bike. I go at whatever pace appeals to me at that moment and without regard to anyone else.

You too.

Ride between four to six hours a day, clock up over four figures a month in miles, own enough bikes and biking equipment to start my own shop............................ not the teeny weeniest bit interested in cycling.

Don't ride with anyone. Don't want to ride with anyone. Don't watch road racing, mountain biking or any other cycling based sports. Don't buy the magazines or watch the YouTube videos or have any interest in what is currently regarded as fashionable or 'IN' as regards to cycling. Ain't in any clubs or want to sit around talking about cycling with anyone. Being on this forum is about as interested in other people and their bikes as i'm gonna get.

As Freddy Mercury once said .... "All i want to do is... BICYCLE, BICYCLE, BICYCLE".

beams87

ILM Zero7 wrote:

actually I just like cycling, but I enjoy the apres-ride just as much, and the bonding spirit between the small group of fellow cyclists I ride with regularly.

but I also follow the pro-stuff and go and see races when i can for the buzz

^^ This.

I do it for the buzz, the camaraderie, the sense of achievement. It is a rare thing to expend effort effectively going round in circles… with all the suffering that comes with it. And then to actually enjoy doing it. We are a mad bunch.

thegreatdivide

ILM Zero7 wrote:

actually I just like cycling, but I enjoy the apres-ride just as much, and the bonding spirit between the small group of fellow cyclists I ride with regularly.

but I also follow the pro-stuff and go and see races when i can for the buzz

This

Going on epic rides or just short blasts with mates, the Sunday club ride and cake stop and the whole social aspect of it is all part of cycling for me. I still go on rides by myself and I like these moments, it lets me clear my head, but I’m far from a loner. I find a few of the comments on here a bit...sad :-(

As for the whole Pro aspect, I’ve never had much of an interest in other sports but I love my racing. I also like the history behind it too.

Me? I love cycling! :-)

nevman

MingMong wrote:

Baldwin, Hoop, Nevman: Just keep turning the pedals then people. Good luck to you :-)

Milkmaid

I love it all. The whole shebang. Can't get enough. And I love giving advice to others - I may be telling 'em utter nonsense but they seem to lap it up and I enjoy helping people to enjoy their cycling more. More, more, more....

Frank the tank

I enjoy riding my bike. I don't race, so, when out I'm not "training" I'm just riding for my own enjoyment and to burn a few calories to keep the weight off my middle-aged frame.

I vary my rides both in terrain, intensity and distance. I mostly ride alone but I have a mate that I ride with regularly who kicks my @rse,but, we have a few laughs and share a few beers.

Life's good.

I do enjoy watching the grand tours and reading cycling (mostly autobiographies) books though.

finchy

I like watching pro-cycling as well as football and, whenever possible rugby league, but with a new baby and plans for a second one in a few years, Open University studies and a love of doing exercise myself, something's gotta give, and that something is watching other people doing sport.

I think I will find time for the TdF highlights programmes on for the mountain stages though, and the last 10 minutes of the sprint stages.

byke68

Sometimes it's nice just to go out and ride without thinking about your speed or time. I even go out NOT covered head to toe in Lycra or without a helmet. Too old to race and clubless but I don't care as long as I'm comfortable and happy.

verylonglegs

thegreatdivide wrote:

ILM Zero7 wrote:

actually I just like cycling, but I enjoy the apres-ride just as much, and the bonding spirit between the small group of fellow cyclists I ride with regularly.

but I also follow the pro-stuff and go and see races when i can for the buzz

This

Going on epic rides or just short blasts with mates, the Sunday club ride and cake stop and the whole social aspect of it is all part of cycling for me. I still go on rides by myself and I like these moments, it lets me clear my head, but I’m far from a loner. I find a few of the comments on here a bit...sad :-(

As for the whole Pro aspect, I’ve never had much of an interest in other sports but I love my racing. I also like the history behind it too.

Me? I love cycling! :-)

Why should it make you sad? I'm an introvert and it's not always been easy living in a society that is geared to the opposite, if you prefer being on your own for large periods of time you are often judged to be a bit wierd...it's a narrow minded view. Whilst I follow pro-cycling as a sport my own bike rides are best enjoyed solo.

Ouija

verylonglegs wrote:

Why should it make you sad? I'm an introvert and it's not always been easy living in a society that is geared to the opposite, if you prefer being on your own for large periods of time you are often judged to be a bit wierd...it's a narrow minded view. Whilst I follow pro-cycling as a sport my own bike rides are best enjoyed solo.

I think he covered it when he said he enjoyed the social aspect of cycling. So, for him, it fulfils two needs (one social, one physical). A way of keeping fit and meeting his social requirements. I suspect for people like us it's more purely about riding the bike and nothing else. Certainly, i wouldn't want anyone riding with me as it would be just too annoying (either slowing me down or trying to keep up with them, constantly interrupting your train of thought with their constant wittering). But then again i'm the sort of bloke who'd sit in a pub on his own and give anyone the evil eye if they tried to get between me and the enjoyment of my pint by engaging me in conversation. For them, they'd find it hard to believe that some people see a pub as a place to drink beer, not as a place to socialize (that also happens to serve beer).
So, for some people, cycling is a social activity. For others, it isn't.

For me, the 'social' cyclists just seem weird. After all, you don't see motorists jumping out of their cars at traffic lights to talk to the guy pulled up next to them asking about their car, where they like to drive, if they'd like to meet up with you sometime and you could both drive around together (probably freak you out if they did).

Herbsman

Each to his or her own innit

Not exactly hard to understand