My love affair with cycling

broadsword7

Bicycling, especially in rural areas, is like a drug to me. It's addicting. I like doing longer rides on the bike, even if it's not at a faster pace I originally planned, as long as the scenery is "countryfied", and I am not holding anybody up. I find there is a huge tangential health benefit to just spending time in the saddle, moving along under my own power, checking out cornfields, listening to the wind and the purr of the chain, hearing birds, sprinting to avoid the occasional dog, and so forth. Sometimes when I am rolling along, it's almost like time is suspended, and I find myself totally absorbed in the moment, in an almost zen-like state. Looking back on the years I didn't spend on the bike, it makes me wonder what place I was in mentally to not give myself this little gift, and I remain resolute to keep going now until the wheels fall off--literally and figuratively. Just an observation, if anybody else feels this way too I would love to hear from ya.

dls06

Thank's for sharing. It's always nice to have a passion.

kayemme

there is seriously nothing better than getting on a bike and going. i got rid of my car 4 years ago, but this year is the first that i've ridden my bike absolutely every day for at least 10, but usually closer to 20, miles.

i have never felt more liberated and independent in my entire life.

amazing_grace♥

You have such a way with words!! I loved reading your post!! I bought a used bicycle last summer and it hurt my knees so bad to ride it, that I rode it around the block a couple of times and then put it in the garage!! This year, I started out riding 10 - 20 minutes and just kept pushing myself to ride it further and longer, and although my knees still hurt a occasionally (if I "overdo" it), I'm absolutely amazed at how far I can ride now!! (I think losing 30+ pounds has helped with the knees too!!)

Strive2BLean

That's how I feel when playing golf. Walking the course, beautiful scenery, fresh air, thinking of nothing except the game. It's like a mini vacation every week. It's different for everyone but it's a great feeling once you find it. Keep on cycling buddy!

legmotor

Love cycling. I love the scenery you miss in a car and the smells of the lilacs, honeysuckle, fresh mown hay... Life on a bike is good. = ) Keep you knees in the breeze my man!

Wakx

Ya, as a Dutchman I can relate especially because I'm out of my natural territory and I get lots of curious looks when people see me on my bike. Which is not a mountain bike model that everyone rides here but a dutch model: sit upright and see what is around you!

k8edge

I can relate! It is not very rural where I live... But. I commute to school/work a few times a week. I love slowing down and seeing what is going on around me as I pedal by.

tam120

I used to live in a rural area with a lot of vineyards and wineries, in the late summer and early fall my rides smelled like grape kool-aid, it was fantastic. I miss that.

mleipe

Agree 100% - in fact, I attribute much of my weight loss success this spring to the amount of cycling I've been doing.

About a month ago I bought a Garmin bike computer / GPS thing with a heart rate monitor - this has added a lot to the fun and challenge I'm getting out of the cycling and adds to the challenge - can I go farther this time? Faster? Burn more calories? If you don't have one you might want to pick one up, I paid about $250 for the Garmin + HRM.

erxkeel

Thanks for the post very inspiring!

zornig

Amen, brother! I love riding my bike in all kinds of situations, but I get a particular thrill at mooing at cows when I cycle by a dairy farm.

To the woman who experienced knee pain while riding: it sounds as though your bike does not fit you properly. There are adjustments that can be made to the saddle (your seat), stem, handlebars, and even cranks that would put you in a position that doesn't hurt you. If you have a bike shop near you, you might want to take your bike there and ask them to give you a fitting. I recently got re-fit to my bike after 5 years of riding and my average pace improved by over 1 mph!

grover7445

Great post I love riding also.

grover7445

Great suggestion!! Good local bike shops are very helpful. Getting the right fit is so important to get maximum benefit form your bike and your rides.

arsenal45

I can definitely relate. I started running about a year ago, and just change things up, I decided to get out my bike. I bought this bike about 10 years ago and the tires have had, literally about 100 feet of wear on them. It has hung from the ceiling in my basement until recently. I gave it a good once over and got it trail-ready.

http://www.silvercometga.com/

This is a local trail with an access point about 2 miles from my house. I started riding it early Sunday mornings and have become absolutly addicted to it. I love getting up early, getting dressed to ride, food in my stomach, stretching, and loading the bike up in my truck. After the first ride, I learned that I needed to wear biking gloves, bring some water, and buy a small under-seat bag for my phone and truck keys. There's something about picking out a great playlist on my Ipod and strapping my helmet on that's like turning the key on a hotrod.

The trail is quiet, especially the times that I ride. The people that are out, walking, running, other cyclists, are always curteous and friendly. The air whizzing past sounds like the ocean and it is very calming. Every once in a while I'll stand up in the seat so small low-hanging branches will bounce off my helmet. I've even had the occaional rabbit pop out of the grass next to me, race along with me for a stretch and then dart back into the brush.

I always feel great when I finish a ride and it always seems to set the stage for a great day.

girlontheseesaw

My husband rides all the time, and burns so many calories I'm envious of all he can pack away in food when he gets home! Once in a while we go out together on the bikes. Living inner city I prefer not to ride unless we're getting a train out to the countryside to take in some emptier roads. It's a wonderful way to keep fit and I hope to get into more of it.

I ride my bike on a 'turbo trainer', which lifts the back wheel and adds resistance so you can use it like an exercise bike. As a daily exercise fix it's not as great as getting out, but is good value for calories :-)

fh1951

Great post! Got a new bike last year and have been riding a bit on the weekends; great country roads around here... Find myself reflecting on how reliant modern civilization is on our finite supply of fossil fuel.

amazing_grace♥

Amen, brother! I love riding my bike in all kinds of situations, but I get a particular thrill at mooing at cows when I cycle by a dairy farm.

To the woman who experienced knee pain while riding: it sounds as though your bike does not fit you properly. There are adjustments that can be made to the saddle (your seat), stem, handlebars, and even cranks that would put you in a position that doesn't hurt you. If you have a bike shop near you, you might want to take your bike there and ask them to give you a fitting. I recently got re-fit to my bike after 5 years of riding and my average pace improved by over 1 mph!

Thanks - I'll look into that. I think that most of mine is arthritis and of course all this extra weight on my knees. It is actually getting better the more that I ride and the more weight that I lose..... anyway, thanks again!!