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Bicycle is free psychotherapy.

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Bicycle is free psychotherapy.

Old 05-28-14, 01:35 PM
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Bicycle is free psychotherapy.

Well, not exactly free, but after the initial outlay for equipment...

....getting divorced at age 57, leaving my 13-year-old son behind, going from a big, comfortable two-story house to sharing a small condo with a neurotic roommate I found on Craigslist. At work, being micromanaged to death by managers who were in kindergarten when I started in the industry.

Bicycle doesn't care about any of that. Bicycle is always ready. I get on and ride, ride ride. As the miles pass by, all the toxins from my body and mind are swept away. I come home feeling renewed and refreshed.

That's why I ride, that's how I roll....
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Old 05-28-14, 01:37 PM
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Good for you for remaining centered during a tough time. Cycling is great for cleaning out the mind.
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Old 05-28-14, 01:55 PM
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Finding a pressure relief valve that is also healthy is wonderful.

Cycling can be the doorway to sanity as can walking, jogging or running. Adding one or more of the latter during inclement days is easier on equipment.

Best of luck.
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Old 05-28-14, 02:52 PM
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+2. Good for you on turning to something healthy rather than a vice.
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Old 05-28-14, 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by bikemig
Good for you for remaining centered during a tough time. Cycling is great for cleaning out the mind.
And luckily not as efficient as lawyers in clearing out the bank account...
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Old 05-28-14, 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted by RIRview
Bicycle doesn't care about any of that. Bicycle is always ready. I get on and ride, ride ride. As the miles pass by, all the toxins from my body and mind are swept away. I come home feeling renewed and refreshed.

That's why I ride, that's how I roll....
Hell yes!
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Old 05-28-14, 03:42 PM
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For. Real.

What am I taking about, haven't ridden in almost a week.
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Old 05-28-14, 03:49 PM
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I feel you man. Waiting for this lovely state to finalize my divorce. Riding is usually a good way to blow off steam and pent up emotions and tune it all out. Luckily I get my kids 50% of the time.

I am heading out in a couple hours for a 22 mile group ride in fact.
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Old 05-28-14, 04:01 PM
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That is exactly the right attitude. I also find that I sleep better, eat less, and have a better mood most of the time, although I was already a cool cucumber!
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Old 05-28-14, 04:01 PM
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Glad you have a healthy outlet and coping strategy in cycling. Please don't be fooled that it will solve all your issues if you have things to work through. It can give you the space and peace of mind to help you work through your troubles though. Best wishes and keep the rubber side down!
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Old 05-28-14, 04:42 PM
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Sorry about your tough stretch, @RIRview.

Cycling and music are two things that keep me sane, relatively speaking.
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Old 05-28-14, 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Velo Vol
Sorry about your tough stretch, @RIRview.

Cycling and music are two things that keep me sane, relatively speaking.

I play guitar, which is also a great stress reliever. Once you concentrate on the music, everything else becomes secondary.
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Old 05-28-14, 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by RIRview
I play guitar, which is also a great stress reliever. Once you concentrate on the music, everything else becomes secondary.
We need to introduce you to pcad. He rides bikes and plays guitar too. He is legendary.

Agree that riding is good therapy and better than drugs etc.
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Old 05-28-14, 07:03 PM
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Sorry to hear about your troubles and glad you found a coping and re-centering strategy with cycling. I often call cycling my meditation and relaxation; not relaxation for my body but for my mind. Hope everything sorts itself out for you.
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Old 05-28-14, 07:16 PM
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I hear you. My stresses are different than yours, but I also feel that cycling is much better than alcohol or therapy for dealing with anxiety and/or depression. Weight loss just accelerates those psychological benefits.
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Old 05-28-14, 07:25 PM
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Originally Posted by jschlarb
I hear you. My stresses are different than yours, but I also feel that cycling is much better than alcohol or therapy for dealing with anxiety and/or depression. Weight loss just accelerates those psychological benefits.
Its an escape, but i often wonder if it not just another symptom cleaning solution. I often find that some of who cycle alot are running away from problems. It just becomes a healthy addiction.
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Old 05-28-14, 07:43 PM
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Bicycling can be a great, healthy way to create endorphins.... but it's more than that. I find real joy in cycling. The sweat, feelings of accomplishment, exhaustion, and endorphins.... are just an extra.

Wife's and houses come and go and.... return again. Careers get set back and side tracked regularly. Just keep spinning... things always get better.
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Old 05-28-14, 07:46 PM
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Couldn't agree more. I've been lazy this year but to get off the couch, I've been commuting on my road bike. What a great relief it is to get back on the bike.
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Old 05-28-14, 07:53 PM
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agree with everyone in here. i have anxiety attacks that come on... and i've learned that immediately riding helps quite a bit.
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Old 05-28-14, 07:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Urymoto
Its an escape, but i often wonder if it not just another symptom cleaning solution. I often find that some of who cycle alot are running away from problems. It just becomes a healthy addiction.
Cycling gives me time alone to think through my problems, and there's an undeniable link between exercise and relaxation. When I ride with 2-3 friends, our resting time often turns into a sort of group therapy. On a Monday recovery ride, my buddy and I usually talk through the whole ride. Sure, it's best to deal with real problems head-on if you can. But some problems can only be coped with, never "fixed". The IBS I've been dealing with for the past year has gotten much, much better since riding seriously these last few months.
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Old 05-28-14, 09:04 PM
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If I had been riding when I got divorced,
might have avoided the sciatica that left a bit of long term effect.
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Old 05-29-14, 12:05 AM
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It's amazing what scenery is so close to home, just the other day i find this nice hilly suburban area with excellent views of the San Gabriel Valley, even passed by some place that was supposedly a "castle" and it turned out some famous person used to live there (until they murdered someone) It really is like a whole 'nother world
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Old 05-29-14, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by RIRview
Well, not exactly free, but after the initial outlay for equipment...

....getting divorced at age 57, leaving my 13-year-old son behind, going from a big, comfortable two-story house to sharing a small condo with a neurotic roommate I found on Craigslist. At work, being micromanaged to death by managers who were in kindergarten when I started in the industry.

Bicycle doesn't care about any of that. Bicycle is always ready. I get on and ride, ride ride. As the miles pass by, all the toxins from my body and mind are swept away. I come home feeling renewed and refreshed.

That's why I ride, that's how I roll....
I'd wouldn't exactly call it free as I always seem to find new ways to spend money on bike stuff (tires, tubes, wheels, clothes, etc) but it is great that you found an outlet to help get you through the tough times.

Here's to many more happy miles of riding
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Old 05-29-14, 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by datlas
We need to introduce you to pcad. He rides bikes and plays guitar too. He is legendary in his own mind.
fify



I agree on the psychological benefits from cycling... it keeps me off the roof.

Conversely, it can be it's own pathology and develop into obsessions with things like weight, shaving, colour coordination issues, chamois butter, and cat 6 racing.
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Old 05-29-14, 09:04 AM
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Originally Posted by RIRview
Well, not exactly free, but after the initial outlay for equipment...

....getting divorced at age 57, leaving my 13-year-old son behind, going from a big, comfortable two-story house to sharing a small condo with a neurotic roommate I found on Craigslist. At work, being micromanaged to death by managers who were in kindergarten when I started in the industry.

Bicycle doesn't care about any of that. Bicycle is always ready. I get on and ride, ride ride. As the miles pass by, all the toxins from my body and mind are swept away. I come home feeling renewed and refreshed.

That's why I ride, that's how I roll....

that depends on what type of bike you have and how many Strava KOMs you have


Like you brother, when I am out riding all of my troubles seem to go away. The other day I was riding by some marsh lands at sunrise and I noticed a flock of ducks on the water. I actually thought about calling in sick and just watching those ducks all day. The serenity was just so unbelievable.
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