RiPHRaPH

just for a moment, say your endurance, speed or recovery goals never advanced past where they are right now. would you be satisfied? would you still enjoy your riding and training?

Jessica

My transportation is my bike. Yes, if i never get faster, 7 to 10 mph gets me there...

Grasschopper

Yes I think I would be fine. For me it isn't REALLY about going faster or even longer but I do have goals in both areas. I just want to ride and use riding to loose weight and spend time with my wife and son. The reality is that I am overweight enough that as I loose weight there is almost no way I am not going to improve my avg. speed especially with our topography.

bac

Age is beginning to run me up, and over that improvement-curve right now. I will, however, not go out without a serious fight! Regardless, when my performance does start to decline more rapidly with age, I will still have my own personal goals, and challenges to keep me motivated, and keep the experience enjoyable.

KrisPistofferson

I use my bike primarily for transportation, so I don't think of riding in the same performance oriented terms as running or weight-lifting. I'm pretty satisfied with my abilities to ride long distances to see friends who marvel at the fact I got there on a bicycle. I could lose a few pounds, but I'm one of those people who could ALWAYS lose a few pounds! So I guess I'd be satisfied, I just love to ride and love bicycles, and the design and concept of bicycles. Truly the most efficient, practical and fun inventions humans have ever come up with!

my58vw

I will be the decenting opinion here... no I would not be satisfied if I could no longer improve. I am a strong rider now and I could stay where I am but I have so much potentional right now.

It all depends on what you do on your bike. When you want to race the minute you stop improving you are stuck in you catagory or you lose...

KrisPistofferson

Exactly. That's one of the wonderful things about bicycles, how many different types of people get their needs met by basically the same machine!

AndrewP

My goal is to continue doing it.

Maelstrom 

Progression is what drives me. I would likely switch to another discipline. For me I switch between 3 parts of mountain biking, so there is always something improving.

BlazingPedals

Disappointed? You bet. Six years ago I was a 17 mph rider, on a good day. But I've been working on that - a faster bike here, more quality miles there. Each year seems to be a little faster for me. A few years back, I managed to do a half century in 2:16, but I was toast afterward. The thought of a five-hour century was still too much to consider. Well, this year was my first attempt at a sub-5 century. I did 104 miles in 4:31, which is a 4:20 century! Woo hoo! I hope to do even better next year, at 49 I still have a few years left in the ol' legs!

The other part of the question: would I still enjoy cycling if I didn't improve? Absolutely! I'm in this because I enjoy cycling, not because I have to beat the clock.

jedi_rider

Today, my answer is no...I would not be satisfied.

Ask me this question again in about 2-3 years time. I've just been riding for a little over a year and I'm still progressing. There are lots of aspects I want to explore both on the road and trails...

roadfix

I never looked at cycling from that angle so I was never concerned, although I noticed a general curve in my cycling performance over the years. I figured since I don't race, tracking performance was never an issue for me. My fun and health factors are the priorities here.

55/Rad

At any given age, we all have a certain amount of potential. As long as I haven't maximized this potential (who has?) I will continue to seek improvement.

55/Rad

forum*rider

I wouldn't be satisfied, still feel like theirs some major improving I could do.

Of course if my improvement just STOPPED, I would keep cycling. It's just so dang fun!

lsits

I'm at an age (49 next month) where I know that I will be peaking soon (if I haven't already) in terms of speed and distance. I've done two centuries and about 12 metric centuries. I think my best average for those distances was about 15 mph. I don't forsee any big jumps in either of those categories. That's ok, as long as there are new places to go and new people to meet, I'm cool with that.

bnet1

Getting from point "A" to point "B" in one piece and having fun while doing it. As long as I can maintian that I'm happy. Of course new personal bests are fun too but not all that important.

'bent Brian

serious

After a lifetime of training and competing in a few sports, my strength, endurance and recovery are starting to go downhill. My goal is to maintain my peak performance levels (and stay away from injuries).

So therefore, yes I would be satisfied if my performance remained the same as it is now. That would still let me work on skills and bike handling in technical terrain.

Maelstrom 

I guess for me (and other mountain bikers) it is different. Speed and distance don't mean as much to us and conquering certain sections or doing something new. I don't expect to progress forever in the speed and distance arena. But I can always learn something new or nail a section faster, or climb a technical section I couldn't do previously because my line choice improved. If I stopped being able to get better overall as a rider, I would like become bored (as with all things I have done)

Chris L

Ditto. I also ride because it's the superior transport option in my situation, and merely stopping improvement would not change that situation. Of course, there are plenty of parts of the world I've yet to discover by bike, and the ability to simply go fast wouldn't really concern me when I'm touring.

zonatandem

At age 72 I can no longer do sub-5 hour centuries back-to-back like I did in my forties.
However, I still time trial and I am my own worst enemy. Racing the clock lets me improve, however, sometimes I loose!
Pedal on!

hi565

I dont think i would be happy , it hink it would work, i think if i worked my muscels toa more fit shape and lost some weight then i would have no problem stopping

lrzipris

I'm with The Fixer and Isits and some others: for me, cycling was never about competing, even with or within myself. It's about my mental and physical health, moments of serenity in a pressured life, enjoying the beauty of the countryside around me on rides, the companionship of others on group rides, the rhythm of my heartbeat and breathing on solo rides. These are lessons I learned after realizing how unhealthy my hyper-competitiveness was for me, but I can understand others having other points of view and priorities.

Diggy18

I never had any performance goals.

When I get out there, depending on the day I will do some sprints, or try and spin like crazy going up hill in low gear or maybe creep up a hill in high gear.

But mostly I just like being outside, and get caught up looking at the scenery and what not.

PWRDbyTRD

What about weight? If I couldn't lose weight and get some for of exercise I'd stuff my bike in a closet and sit on the computer Part of my motivation to bike is my health

pacesetter

Do you race ?