General Cycling Discussion - What do you do to relax (besides ride)?

How do you wind down?

To me, riding is not a relaxation, rather it is a hard work, especially if there is not much time, it is hot outside (LA 79 F today) and lot's of traffic which makes a ride pretty stressful.

Sitting at the computer or reading a nice book is a good relaxation to me :)

i Used to watch comedy..lol but i have been so wound up between riding and running lately.. if i sit down for too long.. i fall asleep
yeah i know, exciting personality :)

Originally posted by Inoplanetyanin
Sitting at the computer or reading a nice book is a good relaxation to me :)

Indeed. My brother, who lives in Duncanville Tx (of The Rocky Horror Picture Show fame, by the way) and I often test each others' mettle with a few games of Quake III: Arena via internet.

And nothing beats a good book.

But a leisurely peddle through the neighborhoods is a great way to relax. No timetable, just easy rolling.

-Rob

practice the drums, play video games, go to the shooting range, walk around the neighborhood w\my wife, surf the net, listen to music, take a drive, meditate, bowl...

it is hot outside (LA 79 F today)

OMG!! South Texas here, I just pray for a sub 95F day! (Praying may help until mid-june, then it doesnt help at all, heh)

For relaxation besides riding, online games, trips with the wife, archery.

Allan

Weightlift, powerwalk, watch a little of the tube. Read a news magazine, sing in choir at the church. Work. Sleep!!

You are looking at it.
I am also building a Tubo minivan and two stroke cafe bike with a Yamaha RD 400

Hmmmm... Getting a full body massage once a week usually does the job.

Yamaha RD 400? Weren't those at one time referred to as widowmakers because of the torque or something?

BF

Checkin' out the Forums, natch!...then reading, yard work, leisurly riding with my SO. Actually even my other rides are relaxing for me, it's my time to myself.

I also do this kind of stuff, Steel wire brazed together. This was for an auction. Took about ten hours.

MKRG, they might have beencalled widowmakers because twostrokes tend to make power rather suddenly. My last RD(Stolen) was highly modified and would pick the front wheel off the ground in the first four gears any time it hit about six thousand RPMs. Kinda spooky in a turn.

Bikeforums is one. Playing piano, music listening, and home improvement are others. Reading is great, but my required technical reading cuts severely into my recreational reading time.

Two S words- sleep and spa....

There are some cheap spa places in town that I can haunt on the days when I need a severe chill. I love the sleep rooms in one spa- so quiet.... I get there in the morning and don't leave until late afternoon.

I swim during warm weather. Nothing quite like a skinny dip in the cool pool at midnite during the hottest part of the summer!

Do some resistence training, cook (I am such a good cook I have to ride bike or I would wiegh 300lbs :) ) a good soak in the hot tub, a really good IPA or glass of red wine and when I really need to wind down I stay way from the political discusions forum on this site ;) for a couple of days hmm got to go one of my IPA's is calling me later

Visit internet bike sites and lust over new bikes, TV, tell my kids "No you can't have any more money."

food and BF and girls ;)....I also like to cook some days, and I would weigh a huge amount if i didnt do between 300 and 400kms a week.

Brendon
:beer:

bike forum, playing with my daughter.

browse this forum

i like running.... it's a great escape.

I collect Motorsport Collectibles.... (Andretti, Carroll Shelby's Cobras, Formula 1, Sports Car, Indy Car, Books...)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d926b3127cce9eee2983aecd0000003610
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d932b3127cce9eb6364e05720000003610
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3db00b3127cce8830880a12c20000001610


I also follow Formula 1, Champ Car, IRL (now that Andretti Green Racing is a part of it), Sports Car, & World Rally.

My wife and I love good music, and movies, as well.

Now; that I have my Hardrock Comp, I am really looking forward to riding, and hitting some trails.

I also; really enjoy my MAZDASPEED. It's a great car for the driving enthusiast, with incredible handling, and really good power; that fits my needs perfectly!

Oh! And yes; I am a connoisseur of fine beers.

Greg :beer:

Inhaling Solder fumes while listening to music.

Forums, and reading are right up there too.

79 degrees farenheit? geez thats a cold spell.


Marty

I like to spend time with my 3 yr old daughter & wife. I also relax by doing my yardwork,cleaning the house & garage & detailing my truck& wifes cherokee. Lets say I am a neat/clean freak.

I find having a nice cool beer or glass of wine after a long ride is very nice/relaxing. Also, sitting in the swimming pool is great after a bike ride in the heat.

Does anyone use their profile?? I think I answered this there ;)

I breed fish, play with my dogs, work on the Eclipse or the VW, MUck, roleplay, strategyplay, read, play with my kid, hug my wife... not necessarily in that order.

Originally posted by stumpjumper
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I breed fish
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When Don Vittorio said Stumpjumper sleeps with the fishes I thought he got whacked... ;)

Walk my dogs, read, cinema etc.

Yoga, stretching, doing a kind of self-massage by rolling around on these cool balls (why is it that almost everything I say almost sounds freaky? Maybe my mind's just in the gutter and no one else even notices?? sheesh lol), surfin on the net rather than watching tv, snugglin with my kitties, going to the gym and not talking to anyone :D

I like to wind down with a good IPA or Pinot Noir. Occasionally a good sativa, too. Taking the dogs to the park is always a highlight of my day.

Going down to Borders Books and reading!

Originally posted by lotek
Inhaling Solder fumes while listening to music.

so what are you building marty? ;)

Originally posted by VegasCyclist
so what are you building marty? ;)
Bottlehead Foreplay, after that maybe
a pair of paramours and a seduction phono stage
(no this isn't porn, Doc Bottlehead has a perverse
sense of humor!).
pic of foreplay below
Marty

A nice cold beer after a ride is great, taking a walk with my wife to Starbucks, repairing and restoring vintage watches, reading, a bit of TV.

Ride my Trek or drive my Civic in the hills ... the fresh air above the city is nice.

Sleeping....:sleep: :D :sleep:

When I get the chance I SCUBA dive...incredibly relaxing.

I watch the slow sports: baseball and golf. Almost everytime I get on the bike it's to get somewhere but at least I get to enjoy the trip.

Oddly enough I find fixing bikes relaxing. What makes the deal even sweeter is I get paid for it too.

DRINK ALKYHOL! (Hey, man, this is Kentucky!) :D

Originally posted by SellingEngland
When I get the chance I SCUBA dive...incredibly relaxing.
I hear that one, only thing is I don't get in the water
enough.
My wife and I are Asst. Instructors so we do get to
spend alot of time in pool or lake but it just ain't the
same. that said, it is incredibly relaxing to hover
1/2 meter above pool bottom upside down watching
the newbies flail away. . .

Marty

Ride my horse and go for a bike ride!
Well sometimes the horse trys to buck me off. Come to think of it the bike trys that everyone once in awhile as well. :D

But the best type of relaxing is laying in the grass and watching the clouds go by. Corny I know, and a little Charlie Brown, but nice!;)

Riding is relaxing. Come home with a cleared mind. Even the ocassional exhausation from a hard ride, causes you to relax when you crash on the floor.
Other relaxing stuff BF and reading.

Work on the house, wash and detail one of my cars, surf the web, work on my webpage, play with the cat, and, OK laugh if you must, build dollhouse furniture (in an attempt to sell but so far not much success on the sales end).

Oh yeah, and spending time with my boyfriend is in there somewhere too. :D

I like to chill outside, listen to music, go see a movie.

I sew, read, and do some writing. My goal is to have something published by December of next year.

Originally posted by lotek
I hear that one, only thing is I don't get in the water
enough.
My wife and I are Asst. Instructors so we do get to
spend alot of time in pool or lake but it just ain't the
same. that said, it is incredibly relaxing to hover
1/2 meter above pool bottom upside down watching
the newbies flail away. . .

Marty

I'm an assistant instructor as well. There's nothing like watching a newbie freak out in 4 feet of water totally forgetting they could just stand up. I'm about 3 hours from the ocean so I do a lot of quarry diving...but any day under water is better than nothing...now if I could just get the bike weighted right I could enjoy my 2 favorite sports at the same time:rolleyes

well obviously cylcing is my first "relaxation" method

also weight lifting

and just being in the mountains - hiking, climbing, biking, etc --- i love mountains and they are so peaceful and beautiful. i cannot be stressed in the mountains (other than survival stuff, but not "life stress")

plus the Bike Forums, reading/discussion politics and "life" stuff with friends...

an occaisonal DVD, movie or TV program for "veging" relaxation -- occaisonally nice after a long hard bike ride or workout...

but again, biking is my biggest relaxation/stress reliever. i used to be a super high-stress "type A" personality --- as a teen my mother worried (among other things) that i was going to be a work-a-holic (at 18 i claimed i would earn my first million by age 30)... some where in the i learned to enjoy life and now relaxation and time for myself are very important and i do sports virtually every day- something which i think is really great for my health and well-being. and i could care less if i ever earn a million --- as long as i enjoy my time and lead a good life - it goes by so quickly, you know... i'm 32 by the way.