berts

Weekend cycling always puts me in a state of euphoria. The early morning rise, meeting the group, pace lines, rest stop regrouping chattering and refueling, end of ride sprint, post ride smoothie, warm shower, resting the fatigued muscles and the lingering of cycling thoughts even as I write this post after a 55 miler.

Question is how do you switch this mode off and get back to real life?

turtleguy54

You don't! That is the gift cycling gave you for the day. I love to go do the Saturday run-arounds with my wife afterwards and still feel the high and the mellow after a ride. Most people are still wiping the "sleepy" out of their eyes.
I saw your post and thought, "Who the heck is getting back from a 55 miler at 4:00 in the morning! Then I saw your address. How are winter mornings in Isreal?

berts

We had spring weather this morning with clear skies, light to moderate winds and the temperature going over 70 F toward 10:00.
With any luck we should have more rain before the winter's end, so far this year is pretty dry .

turtleguy54

Forgive me if this sounds ignorant, but this is coming from one who knows of your country from what can be filtered from the media. Do you ever feel vulnerable or at all in danger riding a bike in Isreal? I realize that most of the conflict is not centered there but you are extremely close.

Digital Gee

Real life is what's happening when you're out on a bike. All the rest is layers of illusions, rationalizations, excuses, defenses, busy work, phony attitudes, presumptions, deadlines, and other clutter. I found a quote a while back that I really, really like.

Here it is.

berts

While this is off topic, I shall endulge at the expense of being scorned by other 50+s.
There is a sense of "danger" due to possible terrorist activity particularly when riding alone along border roads, as when I take my local ride in the southern Hebron hills. On the other hand I prefer to ride along these quiet border roads with the associated risks than to take my chances with inconsiderate drivers in more populated areas. Saturdays are great for riding and we don't think twice about any dangers of that nature, this is also the only day I ride with a group. In general news sensationalizes and what you are getting in the US should be tuned down a bit. While peace at this point seems to be just an empty word, I adhere by my grandma's addage "where there's life there's hope"

best to you

stapfam

Monday morning and back to work does it for me.

GrannyGear

What you don't do is come in, turn left, flip on the PC, click the "BF" icon on your toolbar and, virtually, keep riding but in your chair. Instead, you come in, turn right and start throwing laundry (including still damp lycra shorts?) into the Maytag knock-off washer. Then you sit down feet up, grab something by Maynard Hershon--drink an Endurox toast if it was a "push" ride--and float on an endorphin cloud.

Then, properly buzzed, you go flip on "BF". (I think married guys just go take out the garbage or something.)

berts

surprisingly you got the left and right on track.

tivoli1

I understand your question. I am a newbie to these forums, as my interest in biking has just been renewed last week by a spontaneous bike riding event with my husband, after a very long time. As a result, I now plan to work it into my life. But, I have another interest/hobby, which I have enjoyed for years and also communicate with people online as well, in a big way. I think the answer is complex and has to do with wanting to stay in that "place" where the problems are minor, do not often involve other people in an emotional way, obligations are few, and you have total control over how you manage every piece of it. It's a nice place to be in. And, I also find it tough to step away from it.

The first step is awareness of the "draw" of it. Then, you can choose what to do with that awareness...stay there for awhile, for an additional amount of time, or get moving into reality right away. Every day will offer a different answer, most likely. Hope that helps. I HAVE lost far too much productive time to my hobby than to my work (I work from home, have an assistant in my home office too) and fool myself that I'm working since I'm physically in my office, but now I think I'm on to that trick of mine! Um, gotta go!

cyclezen

Its really weird when you walk thru the 'back door' on your own existance, from something you see/read/hear. Like above.
Old Crank's recent note about spending way too much time online and here hit home; and I sometimes spend too much time here on BF. But what the hell... reading you folks - Berts, DG, GrannyGear - is well worth it.

Maynard Hershon - remember when he 1st appeared in the pages of Velonews, quite some decades ago. His prose and insight really hit home on what cycling really was. Haven't read but a few things of his, in quite some years. He also writes for the motorcycle audience...
I need to hunt up his stuff, put on the readin glasses and kick up the heels.
Thanks GrannyGear, for the reminder.

Here's hopin all the astrophysicists are right, and we are in a greatly expanding 50+ BF Universe for the coming year.
I'll toast all you fine folk this evening with a particularly fine glass of 'Chateau Thames Embankment'

webist

Biking is clearly one of the favorite activities in my life. There are others however. They include kids and grand babies, church, shopping with the wife, playing with the dog, reading, television and the internet. When engaged in these pursuits, cycling is not much on my mind, unless I haven't done it yet that day. While even parts of work are enjoyable, as I do like my job. Working is a means to the other activities and the infrastructure in which to enjoy them. Life would be significantly degraded were I not able to cycle. Life however, would indeed go on.