Several recent threads (not that there haven't been similar ones in the past) have me thinking about this notion of fun and cycling. There is no question in my mind that flying along on two wheels can be a great thrill and lots of fun. Yet, my last five or six rides have been anything but fun, it was windy, wet, and cold. I felt miserable the entire time on each of these rides. I also went back through my cycling diary and discovered that of the 216 days of cycling I'd done as of 11/24/08, over 1/3 of them had notes indicating that the ride wasn't much fun. IMHO that's a pretty big percentage.

There are those days when the ride, start to finish, has been a joy, but these are in the minority. Don't misunderstand me, I'll still continue to cycle as long as possible. And, I know that I'll push myself on intervals into the red zone, take on climbs that will exhaust me, and ride outside regardless of the weather. For me the benefits of cycling are well worth the investment in pain, discomfort and time. But, fun? Me thinks not. Hence, I'm always a bit at a loss for words when upon returning from a ride my wife asks, "Did you have fun?"

So, simply typing out these comments has helped me remember there is a difference between something that is rewarding and something that is "fun". Where are you with your riding? Is it fun, rewarding, or something else?