Originally Posted by
GeorgeBMac
"In the beginner's mind there are many possiblities, but in the expert's there are few."
Shunryu Suzuki
That is not to proseltyze any religion (actually I have never thought of Buddhism as a religion).
But, as much as I respect (even revere) -- and appreciate -- the opinions of those on this 50+ forum who have vast amounts of knowledge and experience, I wonder if sometimes it is not better to return to the simple days of:
"Let's jump on a bike and see where it takes us?"
Forget the CF's and SPD's... Just ride and enjoy... And whatever contributes to that enjoyment is the right choice...
... Or are those days gone for us?
Just sayin'
... Now I'll go look for my fire extinguisher. I have a feeling I'm gonna need it!
My experience is the opposite - I took it too seriously and did not enjoy bicycling as much in my younger days (note that I didn't say cycling was horrible, I said "didn't enjoy it
as much"). Now that I'm about to turn 60 I'm enjoying cycling much more, and for the very reasons you describe. Every mile is an adventure, and there is so much to see!
I ride slower though. I actually did switch from SPDs to platform pedals about a year ago, but I don't think that makes the ride any less or more enjoyable.