i feel very much the opposite of THAT, to be honest. i always felt that the basest element of good riding is discipline-- maybe it's growing up a classical musician, or maybe just coming from the racing side of cycling-- but you develop GOOD habits and routines to circumvent destructive problems later down the road-- i.e. you run a check on your bike routinely before riding, you think about having food on hand, water, tools for every ride- think out weather patterns and terrain.. while riding, i naturalize not clenching my toes, remember to stretch a bit when downhilling, keep your upper body loose and relaxed while climbing, keep my cadence up and BREATHE.. all that stuff is 'routine'.. but not like riding the same route every day.

routines are BAD if you adhere to them just because they're habit-- but they're lifesavers if they're 'a culture of consideration' to prevent disasters later. i like the bent of this thread and i'm curious to see where people take it!