Road Cycling - happiest on the bike?

I find Im happiest when Im riding. I like the solitude. I like the peace and quiet. The sound of the gears and tires is music. It seems like the only place on earth, where I can get away from everyone, and be alone with my thoughts. The pain of a climb starts to feel good. I lose track of how long Im on the bike. I tell my wife Im going for a short ride, and find myself coming home two hours later. I hadnt ridden in years. Im glad I rediscovered the sport. :)

All my major decision making, personal & business, are done while riding...

The ride is not always relaxing, but afterwards I feel great. If I go for any length of time without riding 2 days or more my mood starts to swing a little. Since I started riding I have actually been able to leave work at work. Someting I have had trouble doing for 5 yrs. If I do come home in a bad mood my wife tells me to go for a ride. My time at home is more quality then it has been in the past.

... When I ride my bike
Head in the stars and emptiness
The wind is soft, I'm hallucinating
I ride my bike
The night is clear
The road is deserted
I'm invicible
Untouchable and immortal...

That's a loose translation of the chorus of a song from a popular French singer here. It sums up my state of mind when riding.

Riding has saved me a lot of cash for therapy!!! Seriously, I've not found anything else that makes me feel the way I do while on the bike. It's a fix that I'm hooked on, and want desperately to share with the world. The feeling is simply that good. :)

You meet the nicest people on bikes. I've met some ladies who rock my world on two wheels. They are fun to ride with and a challange to keep up to. It makes us all better riders. Most fun I've ever had keeping my shorts on.

Jim:beer:

Riding allows me to forget the stress that I seem to hold onto at work, and yes, I get moody if I don't get to ride for a few days. I start to feel withdrawal if I don't get my riding fix.

I completely agree. I haven't found a better way to unwind, cooldown, do some thinking, or whatever else I might have going on in my head. That's why I just keep riding!

I totally agree with that, cycling is the best thing for me, I guess it's having metal stimulation of the scenery coupled with physical excercise that make the brain work better. But boy do I love a full days ride on saturday. go out at 8am come back at 2pm totally stuff, but while I'm out there it's so relaxing, anything I can't figure out on the 2hr rides weekdays gets figured out during the saturday. infact if I can't get out for a coulple of days my stress level goes through the roof!

Riding is very relaxing and a getaway, if it only could land me a new job..... Then it would really be my ideal getaway


:beer:

riding is comparable only to spending time with my new wife. I was always so busy and stressed last year, I wasn't climbing or biking and I was sick all the time and my mood was foul. i commited this year to riding 5 days a week no matter how hectic things got. i found that I got things done more efficiently, I'm not getting sick anymore and my mood is improved ten fold, now I'm up to 6 or 7 days a week. When you are on the road, much like when you're climbing a route (rock climbing) nothing else exists but the road in front of you. nothing beats coming around a corner for the first time on a new road an seeing something new. Man, I just got in from a ride, and all this talk is making me want to go back out!

Yes!