Why do you ride?

Haughjd

Hi for the past four years I've been getting more and more into the sport.

I've just upgraded my bike to a giant defy 0. And it's taken my cycling to a new level.

I have my own answers to why I make the effort to get out on my bike, even for just an hour. But I'm Interested in what others think. Is it physical, psychological or a mix or the two. Tell me about your feelings when your riding. I believe the list of positives is a long one.

Why do you ride I'd love to know.

Thanks

Jon

blackpoolkev

Before I go exploring my local countryside on my bike,I feel kinda normal.
When I get back I feel great.

Mikey41

I started for the physical benefits, but it just makes me happy. Once out there it's just me, I can let all other thoughts go, just keep turning the pedals and following the road, finding new places, feeling at one with the world. You see things that you'd miss in a car, like the 2 Stoats playing in the grass verge, the Owl watching you from that hedge, the Fox peeking round a gatepost.

TakeTurns

At first it was for a bit of escapism from the city/home.
Turned into a fun, adventurous thing to do.
Didn't like struggling on hills and long rides, so rode more frequently.
Got into the social side of things - joined a club and made new friends
Started training weaknesses and became more focused.
What I initially perceived as a hill, was now merely a little bump
Thought I was the sh1t, so went to race thinking I'd decimate the field
...Didn't.
Now I ride/train to win races. I get a thrill out of competing and the satisfaction of seeing myself get stronger after hard work.

elderone

I started as a form of exercise,but its got under my skin and just love it.Cant explain why,it just has.

finlayson99

The best physical and mental therapy possible.
Total addict.
Simples.

marylogic

Cycling is the answer to everything
Global warming
Obesity
Credit Crunch

On a personal level it makes me feel much more peaceful and it's not just me - when I take my daughter out on the child seat she sings the whole time and my son chats away on the tandem. I fell agitated if don't go out cycling now.

There is something uniquely satisfying about going for miles and miles under your own steam.

Sprool

I spent my childhood summers on bikes, we went everywhere, rode to friends houses, hung out round the park, played bike football, did x-country courses. I had a bike at university to get in and out of campus, then I got a job, a car, a family and it all got abandoned. Until I got in a rut, took redundancy and decided to put some effort back into rekindling my love of bikes and exploring the countryside. While I had free time I got a road bike and started with 5-6 mile loops, gradually extending to about 35 miles and discovering some great countryside around here, discovering strava times for the big hill climbs, meeting up with other cycle fans, getting fit again and losing weight. It has been such a positive transformation; I'm now back in work and really determined to keep regular cycling on the weekly itinerary.

VTech

For me it's simple.

At first I only wanted to lose weight.

Now it's to lose weight, get fit and continue to love it.
I find cyclin very pleasurable, even when falling into rivers.

Haughjd

Life is so full of many distractions, work, family, tv, media and the Internet. I agree that family time, and work are important, but the rest is the noise of life. When you ride, you get away from all the noise. Your head is clear to think and breath.

Seeing the local countryside change as the seasons too is nice, as someone else said its not something that's so obvious from a car.

Also I love the feeling of getting my head down and building up some speed. When I started getting back into cycling a few years ago, I was doing just a few miles now I'm building that up more and more. Feeling, fitter and stronger than before. My young children are getting interested too, I guess because they see dad going out. And that's got to be a good thing too.

I'm impressed to read all the wonderful things posted so far about the benefits of cycling - and what makes us go out riding, and how good it makes us all feel

Love life love cycling, with a health heart and mind.

cattytown

even when falling into rivers

Nice and refreshing!

I am another recent returnee. It gets me away from a computer for a while, helps me los weight and be fitter, but most of all, a nice day, quiet road and countryside and it just feels great to be out.

If you see a fat bloke riding round south lancs on a defy 2 with a silly grin, say hello - it's probably me :-)

Paul.

The_Yeti_

Initially i got myself a road bike to offer an alternative form of exercise rather than going to the gym all the time but I have found it has become more than just exercise.

It gives me time to clear my head and think about things, and I find it quite therapeutic!

I would recommend it to anyone!

team47b

So I can eat more and inject less drugs

Bozman

It'd be rude not to when you live in Derbyshire.

MaxwellBygraves

I started riding just as a cheap way of getting around.

Then realised that it was more than just cheap transport, that it was quite a lot of fun and I was reasonably good at it!

Never looked back.

Snailpace-Bob

When I was a kid I raced bmx' (did ok). I went everywhere on my bike, it was part of me. I was always looking for faster, further, different trick & better technique. Then as I grew up real life kicks in and work / family takes over. I bought a mountain bike about 10 years ago to try to keep fit and cycle to work with an occasional jaunt off road. To be honest I never really found the love I had as a kid. So last year I was out one morning on my mountain bike, on the road as usual listening to the tyres drag along the tarmac and feeling like it was all a bit of a chore when I had an epiphany. A week later i'd purchased my first road bike. It was like finding a mistress. The exercise i'd been pushing myself to do became a joy. The soul searching and reasoning I did to force myself out onto the bike has turned on its head and I now have to continually find time to do the real life stuff in between my rides. So in short WHY? Im not sure to be honest but I do know that when Im out I have this feeling of complete satisfaction. OOH theres a hill, OOh Ive got a new fastest average speed, OOh that loop took me 30 seconds longer last month. And if your the tiny cyclist way off in the distance, you can bet your life Im going to bust a lung to try and catch up.

NeXXus

So I have an excuse to shave my guns

fatsmoker

Freedom. Just me, time to mull over stuff, relax, push hard, whatever. On the bike, life is a joy. I actually look forward to going to work. And look forward to leaving of course.

giant_man

yeah the freedom, it basically lets me LIVE, and feel good doing it ....

mattitheowl

I like swimming but I get pi55ed off with a crowded pool.
I like running but my knees and ankles don't.
I love football but see above.

Cycling is my new found love. I get out and about and just let my mind wander. I don't fly along at a 20mph average and rarely tackle huge alpine climbs but I just love spinning along country roads taking in the scenery and getting some fresh air. Some days I don't want to get on the bike but I remind myself how great it is and after I've turned the first pedal stroke I've forgotten why I didn't want to ride. Even if it is just a quick 10 miles it gets all my worries out of my head and lets my lungs fill with fresh air after being stuck in an office all day.

Superbalicious

A: It allows me to completely unwind after work and clear my head which is usually still spinning for an hour after I leave the office.
B: It gives me a break from keeping the family in check.
C: It helps me get fitter and manage my weight (3st 8lb lost since July 2012 and now at my 12st target ).
It's my hobby which means I can spend stupid amounts of money on it (well I don't smoke, drink, etc).
E: It's an excuse the eat cake and drink coffee.

What's not to like!!

Pituophis

I've always been an out doors type, but by 45 my knees had really had enough of snowboarding and mountain biking (probably more the boarding than biking :roll: )
Took a couple of years off, and the cake and biscuits had just begun to take their toll!
Now the weight has gone again and I can begin the adventure at my front door instead of driving miles before I get going.
I just really enjoy it, now pass the cake

mouth

Mostly out of necessity. It was either that or ride to work or walk. We aren't fortunate enough to have two cars in our household any more and since I often drive the first bus in the morning it's not like I can catch it to work is it.

When I realised that a 3 tonne BSO wasn't going to cut the mustard I invested in Carrera TDF and quite like it actually. Often I take the long way home from work in the morning as well as using it for popping around on. It's quicker to get to my Mum's on two wheels than it is to take the bus, so if the weather's nice I go on the bike.

I yearn for a Boardman or Planet X but it's gonna have to wait for a while yet.

lotus49

My wife has been on a fitness kick for the last two years and it has done wonders for her. She is happier, healthier and can wear clothes she hasn't worn since she was 16 (not bad going after 30 years and three children). Seeing how fit she had become made me realise how unfit I had become. That's why I started.

Why do I carry on?

I love the idea that I can travel a fair way under my own steam relatively quickly. I like to be out and to hear the sounds of the countryside and see things that you just never see in a car. My daughter loves cycling so it's a fun daddy/daughter activity and, last but not least, it makes me feel better both in general and just after a ride.

cattytown

I am really enjoying a lot of the commets here. There does seem to be a consensus that it just feels great to be out there on a bike.

Paul.

IanREmery

This thread is great.

I used to cycle a lot, during teenage years and early 20s. Done a few 30 miler off road rides etc, that sort of thing.

Moved to Wales for relationship/job reasons in 2007. Discovered to my cost that MTB'ing in South Wales is vastly different to MTB's along the South Downs (ie, lethal downhills). Nearly broke my arm on one tumble in mid-2008, Bike went in the shed whilst I recovered. We then bought our first house in the October and had our first child in the following February. As you can imagine, the bike was forgotten about.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2010. My best mate Adrian had been nagging me to months to do the BHF London to Brighton. By this point I hadn't sat on a bike in almost 3 years, and hadn't done any serious distance cycling in about 5 years. So naturally I thought "What the heck" and signed up. Have a nice 17 mile commute into my office in Cardiff along the Taff Trail that I could use as training. Got my (by now very rusty) mountain bike serviced and set off on a slightly damp and a bit dark early-March morning.

Nearly 2 hours later, I finally roll into Cardiff. To be blunt, I was hanging out of my @rse! Thank goodness for showers in the office! Ended up buying a Cube Nature hybrid through the C2W scheme and clocking up about 400 miles training, done my first L2B in about 5 hours. Failed miserably on Ditchling though.

FF to last year, completed my 2nd L2B in a smidgen over 4 hours (again, failing on Ditchling) and fancied a bigger challenge. Then after the Olympics the London100 was announced. Seemed to be the perfect opportunity as I love the whole "big event" feel of things like L2B. Got my first roadbike (Carbon framed Cube Agree GTC) at the end of March and haven't looked back since.

Whilst I enjoyed being out on my hybrid, there were a lot of times when it felt like one hell of a struggle and subsequently it felt a bit of a burden clocking up miles on it. Felt none of that on the roadbike. In fact I'm stunned just how easy it is to do 50 miles with very little suffering afterwards (I used to be aching for days after doing a 50 miler on my hybrid). Now I tackle the 17 mile commute into work as though it's a gentle ride, enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful scenery.

Dozed off on the sofa with my son on my lap last night. Dreamt I was out on the bike again. Dreamt that I was travelling at speed and totally went into the back of another cyclist. Woke up with a massive jolt and nearly catapulted my son across the living room.

In summary, I'm bloody addicted!

MrSweary

I have a lycra fetish.

Tomskii

I'm in a war with my body that I intend to win. My plan for victory: become as fit as I can to armour myself against what ails me. My weapons: lifting weights and riding my bikes.

And I seem to have become a total bloody obsessive

DeEmBe

Like a lot of people I used to cycle when I was younger, up to the age of 18 when I got my driving licence in fact, you can guess what happened next. From the age of about 18 to 37 I never even looked at a bike.

I was diagnosed with depression when I was 37 and alongside other things was advised to take more exercise and get more fresh air. I bought a trusty Triban 3 and fell in love with riding a bike again, the physical and mental benefits are there for all to see and I genuinely cannot think of a better way to combat and get on top of my depression.

I recently bought my first carbon bike and am taking part in my first sportive (the Wiggle Yorkshire Weaver) in a couple of weeks time. I love riding my bike.

TommyB61

I started riding initally to lose weight, get fit & to keep my joints supple (I have arthritis in my feet). I found I loved it from the start, & wished I'd started years earlier.

Now, I just love to cycle....I'm lucky enough to live in an area with easy access to country roads & the coast, so there's plenty of variety for routes, & a selection of flat & hilly places to go. I'm not the quickest rider, but then again I'm not the youngest either!

It's a great sport, & it's given me a new lease of life

goonz

Started off as a means to save my train fare but that plan went to pot when I easily spend more than my train fare on my bike pretty much every month.

So now its simply because I love it, and cant bear to get on a tube anymore.