When I started cycling as an "adult" in the early 1970s, the emphasis was more on touring/recreational riding - NOT constantly "training". Lots of cyclists (including me) went on such "pointless" smell-the-flowers" rides. That was the great thing about cycling: it allowed you to re-connect with your environment. A fast moving automobile insulated you from nature while a bicycle enabled you to experience the sights, sounds and smells. Club rides back then were slower-paced without pace lines or purpose. Not sure where we all went wrong . . . unless it was the lure of being able to consume mass quantities of Mexican food and beer after a "training race".