It is one of the reasons I enjoy cycling so much. The mind is free to wander, and for me, it is one of the best methods for problem solving. I get better ideas when my mind is blank. Comes like a flash. You think to yourself, that is so obvious, why didn't I think of it earlier.
Never think much about music, if ever. I used to downhill ski quite a bit. It was inevitable that Tea for Two would pop into my head when skiing the mogul field.
This is also true, I tend to have recurring thoughts and although I do have songs that come to mind (usually have a playlist too), it all takes my mind off work and that is my release. Brain candy :-).
Originally Posted by
Prowler
I'm spoiled by the variety of bike trails around here so I choose not to deal with the car traffic youse all have discussed. I'm sure ours is just the same. So, since I don't have to deal with em I ride with my ear buds and my MP3 player stocked with acoustic music. Set the volume just above wind noise and roll thru the forest, often following a stream or river. I find that just about the time I'm no longer chilly - up to riding temperature - I've also dropped all thoughts of daily life, the future and the past. I can spend time just living in the moment. Maybe the Engineer in me makes that pretty rare but 'living in the moment' is pretty rare when not riding. Its a compelling experience: thinking of nothing, solving no problems, pondering no imponderables, fixing nothing that needs fixing, not planning to resolve recent mistakes, not evaluating candidates, not selecting routes or schedules or nuttin. Just riding, waltzing the pedals (3 downstrokes/second), watching the trees and the rippling water, tracking the clouds and sun. Nice
This does sound pleasant, I have some nice paths I ride but honestly also enjoy some of the traffic to keep my on point and make me forget about everything. It's a double edged sword I deal with being a person that constantly goes. I sometimes prefer peace and slow going, but then love the rush of feeling alive in traffic and flowing with it or getting ahead in at times. It probably a sickness :-) but I can't help it.