Why I Ride Bikes

Have you ever thought about why you ride a bike? I haven’t thought about it much until now. But I just go do it every chance I get, which is far less than I’d like to. My problem is, I have a lot of hobbies and things I like to do. So I have to balance my love for cycling with everything else I am in to. But, when I do get on my bike, I like to go fast. I try to go faster than I did the previous time every time I go out. I think it is my way of fighting off getting older. I’m proving that I still got it.

I prefer mountain biking over road cycling, but enjoy both. Whether I am on my road bike or mountain bike, I get to clear my head. I can be in the moment. I don’t care how fast anybody else is and can just ride my ride. I get to shut the rest of the world off and focus on the present.

When I am going fast enough on a mountain bike that I have to hit a corner just perfect to make it through without sliding out of it, dropping down hill through the trees on a narrow section of trail or having to get your body in the perfect position to hammer the pedals to make it up the next hill… You don’t have a lot of time to think about other things. You have to emerse yourself in the moment and are one with your bike and nature. You are free from anything else and getting through the trail as fast as you can is all you have to think about.

When I am pushing my heart rate and putting all of my energy and concentration into an efficient pedal stroke on my road bike… All my concentration goes to the pedal motion, muscles and body posture to lay down another personal record. Again, I am one with my bike and the road and nothing else matters at this time other than kicking my own ass.