Neil_B

For a transportational cyclist, every day is a bike ride.

I've done the "fun rides." And they are fun because I can ride with friends. But to ride a loop just to ride a loop - what's the purpose? Besides, some of the most dangerous cycling I've seen has been on such "fun rides", most notably the MS City to Shore.

DataJunkie

Socializing, training, pushing each other to perform better, climbs, downhills, long distances, etc

Oh and food.

I'm actually the inverse and find that transportational cycling tends to be mind numbingly boring a good portion of the time.
Though it is good for the antisocial members of society.

Lamplight

I rarely ride unless I'm going somewhere specific or running an errand. But riding is almost always fun to me, so I guess I do a fun ride every day.

Neil_B

No reason you can't find those things on a ride with friends. Even on a commute. One of the posters to this thread makes his daily commutes in Kansas City sound like a social ride. Or at least he does on his blog. (Three cheers for Noah!)

Since I'm not an everyday transportational cyclist, I haven't found it boring. I'm sorry to read some folks find it to be so.

Pardon me for introducing a tangent, but a roadie once argued with me that because I tracked data such as speed, time of the ride, etc, on a log, it meant I wasn't a transportational cyclist. Obviously roadies only care about such things.

rhm

If a 'fun ride' is one that starts and ends at home, with no 'destination' related to an 'errand' or something, then... I haven't done one in 3 or more years.

So all my riding is now devoted to getting somewhere, getting something, or doing something.

Even so, I often take the bike because I prefer that option over the alternatives. Yesterday I had a meeting at Brooklyn College, which is an easy subway ride from Penn Station NYC, but I took the folding bike instead. I wanted to, that's all. I can't say it was a fun ride; dang cold, not very good roads, not very considerate drivers... but more fun than the subway, I figured. Does that count?

mjw16

While it's nice to ride with a purpose (commuting), it's the mountain biking, touring, and centuries that I like most. While I love everything associated with commuting, the fact that it satisfies much of my training needs for other types of riding is among the most important aspects of it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, riding is riding and I love riding. Better?

DataJunkie

Perhaps I should qualify my statement with this,
It is boring for me in relations to fun rides. I still have fun commuting and more so since I do not ride it very often. It's just nothing compared to the fun rides.

PaulH

I'm the same way -- I don't ride unless the ride serves a purpose, like commuting or going to the store. However, all rides are fun rides.

Paul

noisebeam

I do fun rides most weekends (40-90mi), one evening a week (55mi) and here and there (1-10mi) other days.

I got into the longer (vs. here and there) fun rides only after cycle commuting for a year. I'm glad I did. If I hadn't started cycle commuting I am sure I would have never gotten into long fun/recreational rides.

Al

acroy

I need an objective when I ride. An errand, or work, or the top of a mountain all works.
But a ride just for the sake of riding... not so much.
Cheers

bigbenaugust 

My mountain bike got last used for actual mountain biking in March, and I went tooling around the Bay trail with my wife in July.

The commuter... I built it in April and it's only been to one non-work, non-errand destination in almost 8 months. But the destination or purpose does not render those rides non-fun by any means.

Wino Ryder

Hell, every time I get on my bike its never boring. I never look at it as a tool either, like something you have to do regularly to get from one point to another. I ride all the time, and also commute to work 50-75 miles every week, all by choice because I love riding. Last year I commuted 2500 miles, and have been doing so for about five years, with a total miles figure of 12,300 miles. All of it completely solo.

Here lately my bike riding has turned more utilitarian with the bike trailer I designed and built. Although I have commuted to work with it several times in the dark, with blinkie lights all over it, I mainly use it for yard saleing, grocery getting, and pulling my grandson all over town and to the park. I get a good workout pulling the trailer, and my grandson loves it.

In effect, I'm using the bike like I've always wanted to, having a blast and making myself more physically fit than I've ever been. To me, its never a tool. Its just pure passion.

Jinks

This article sums up my feelings about riding on the road: https://www.dirtragmag.com/blogarific...e-road-biking/

I only ride on the road to commute, but I do fun rides all the time on my mountain bike. Like today, I woke up early hit the trails and drove in to work. Mountain biking first, bike commuting second, never ride on the road for fun. Road riding is boring without a destination.

DataJunkie

LOL

My version:

Road bike first, bike commuting second, never mountain bike for fun. Mountain biking is boring no matter what I have tried. Just not my bag of tea...... yet. It could and most likely will change in the future.

Amber_

I pretty much only use my bike for commuting/errands. Some people I know are trying to get me into doing longer distances and touring, etc. but so far it doesn't sound that interesting.

Jessica

commuting for me is fun... or I do not do it. I use the light rail when I am too tired or ill to use the bike. but I do need 1) a destination or goal and 2) available time

But if "fun ride" means riding with someone else.... my take is that keeping up is NOT fun. so I do not ride in groups that are not relatives (grandchildren and spouse being slower than me). :-) Bless all those wonderful people who stop and check if I am okay when I stop on the trail, or if it is dark, but Club rides or "social" events to me are not fun. Not using a car, saving money, getting fit, looking for deer/squirrels/ducks/geese/rabbits, THAT is fun.

idcruiserman

Mountain biking for "fun". Nearly ever other ride is commuting to/from work; however, I enjoy commuting by bike.

rnorris

Interesting thread- I also experienced a big drop in recreational road riding once I began serious bike commuting, but still enjoy mountain biking- guess because it's so different. With cycling mileage taken care of by a long hilly commute, it opens up more time for cross-training like running and upper body workouts.

Prodigy4299

I commute every day but have not lost my love for recreational cycling! Love it, and do it regularly!

Strelnikov

I mainly do utility rides and try to find excuses to go somewhere and get something. But to be honest, I rarely do it (five or six times a month). All around me is hills, and I think that prevents me from going out on fun rides, but I need to get out more because it is just s school and store routine. I see things in increments though, and by ditching the car, I have taken that step months ago. Now that the bike is my primary source of transportation, it will just get better as the increments get more fun. I read more and more about long distance rides, but conditioning is not my thing and I have no friends that enjoy cycling, so I am always alone.

syn0n

I enjoy most of my riding. I've got a BMX which is fun to ride on campus and in the city, and I like to ride my road bike at night to get fresh air and exercise. My commute isn't very long (maybe 8 miles roundtrip?) so I usually try to get in another 15-20 miles nightly. It's good for the body and mind.

wheel

+1

I don't own a motor so getting anywhere requires a fun ride

JoeyBike

I have been car free for 20 years. It is pretty rare that I ride any of my bikes for giggles. I do however ride a whole bunch, and love the experience most every time.

The big exceptions are my long distance bike tours. I have biked to every corner of the USA and some of Canada from New Orleans, LA. But still, the bike is pretty much a tool for cheap travel, and allows me to get cheap camping and stop along the roadside anywhere I want to catch the views. I am also an avid bird watcher so most of my bike tours are actually birding vacations. The right bike is perfect for this - most cars don't like single track too much! I can also hear birds from the saddle much better than motorized travel.

All said, my answer would have to be NO. I do not ride bikes without a destination or a purpose. You ain't alone friend.

ItsJustMe

I haven't done a single mile "just for fun" in probably 20 years. OK, I do ride with my son once in a while, but just around the neighborhood, perhaps 2 miles total, maybe 6 or 8 times a year.

I don't drive my car just for fun either, unless it's to get somewhere that I'm going just for fun.

I've been invited on group rides before, but I can't think of anything I'd less like to do with my bike than ride it with other people. I get on my bike to be alone. If there is anyone else on the road, I either go faster or slower to get away from them ASAP.

matthew_deaner

+1 The main reason I commute is to train so that I can better dish out pain on "fun" rides. I'm competitive by nature. The social side of group riding is also tremendously rewarding for me.