cycletourist said
a recreational cyclist is someone who rides for fun, fitness and adventure.
and I agree. I want to talk about the Adventure part of it. Is all your adventure via serendipity or do you plan some of it?
No matter how much you like to do something, doing the exact same thing every day can get boring. Do you have any tricks to keep the rides varied and interesting?
For instance:
About once a month, I like to have some kind of ‘special’ ride. It might be an organized event or a solo ride in unfamiliar territory using a cue sheet I got out of a book or off a cycle club’s web site. Occasionally I’ll pick a good looking, new area off the state map, drive the car to that area and cycle around there. Any new area that I have to be in for business or other matters is a potential for a cycle adventure. I recently had a great ride in Denver, while on business (thanks to DnvrFox).
Those ideas are pretty typical, but here are some ideas that are a little different:
I like to get ‘lost’ while on my bike. I’ll follow a cue sheet half way out and then follow my nose.
In unfamiliar territory I’ll consult the map and pick out a general area’s boundaries to stay in (no farther north than RT 66, stay east of the river, and west of the mountains, etc). Then I’ll go get ‘Lost’ within the that 400 square miles, knowing that I’m never too far from my car.
Here’s some I want to try:
To get my loops bigger while still sleeping at home, I plan to drive my car out about 50 or 60 miles, park the car and cycle home. I’ll sleep at home and the next day cycle back to the car via a different route.
Cycle far to a friends, or relative’s house and get them to bring me home.
What tricks do you use to create the adventure?