stringbreaker

Wow you guys are deep

sknhgy 

While riding some twisty singletrack I was thinking that mountain biking suits me best because I have a very short attention span, and I could only see about 25 feet in front of me at any one time. All I could see is was what I would be riding over in the next few seconds.
I didn't have to think about long climbs or long boring straight-aways or which way the wind was blowing. And I was hoping that none of the undergrowth that was brushing me was poision ivy.

Ranger Dan

When I bike, I bike. When I ski, I ski. When I drive, I drive. I just focus on what I am doing -- no thinking involved, necessary or wanted.

sarals 

I said in an earlier post on this topic that I had been "irritated" by a mountain biker who had been following me and then passed me going up a hill. Well, there is more to it than that. I've never considered myself "competitive", but I have always been curious about, at times fascinated, by racing in various disciplines. I find myself on rides dreaming about going really fast, sustaining it, climbing fast, at the point of a large peloton (and staying there), sprinting hard to a finish, down on the aerobars on my TT bike at a time trial and really flying, and finding power I never knew I had to be able to do all of that. Ha! I know it is dreaming, but in a way it's a goal. Funny, I do want to experience a race of some sort, but I'd just be in the way, and that's just rude! Also, I'd move over, and not want to piss anyone off!! But, the thrill of it...the thrill of it. It keeps me going, and I think of it a lot.

teachme

I was thinking about how lucky i was to be participating in a ride with so many other cyclists. Up until today all of my rides have been solo, and it was exciting to be riding side by side and catching draft with other cyclists. I also said a little prayer before the start for strength when I needed it. The strength came at just the right time. Amazing!

i'm paramount

When is it it going to stop raining?

Kurt Erlenbach

I was scanning the ditches in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge looking for alligators. It's the dry season here and the ditches are pretty dry, so not many gators around. It's frequently a challenge to pick them out with heads on the surface of the water. Then I hit a small hole, which caused me to focus my attention on the road ahead. Sometimes I do mental math, calculating how many times my front wheel will turn from one landmark to another, or how many heartbeats it will take.

P51

When is this going to stop hurting my neck? When is this going to stop hurting my crotch? I'll never be ready for that century in September. If I do 36 the rest of June, then 48 in July, then 60 in August I should be ok. But only if my neck and crotch adapt.

freedomrider1

i was trying to plan another route,in mid ride because my wife was getting tired,really bad head wind and scored big time on a couple nicely planned turns here and there got her breakfast and was a herol

rydabent

Thinking is one of the most valuable reasons to ride. I can roll along on my recumbent and ponder everything. As a retired IBMer where they use to have THINK signs all over I recommend it. In fact I feel thinking is what is lacking in the world today.

miss kenton

Have you invested in a professional fitting for your bikes? If not, I urge you to do so. Some minor adjustments made in the right combination can make a world of difference. Your neck and crotch will thank you. Then you'll be free to think deep thoughts on your ride like Jim from Boston and I do.

steve0257

Why am I doing this today? Did the Tour De Pepin today, and for me it was brutal. All spring it has been in the 50s or low 60s. So guess which day it decided to hit 90? And I don't do well with heat.

billmc40

Thinking I have finally done it! Got off my 300 pound butt and ridinng my bike. Now if I can just get into the habit again.
BillMc

Elmog

Pie works.

CraigB

Early in the ride I was wondering if My Dad's Sweet Corn was going to be available yet at the Carmel Farmers' Market. Later I was wondering if I was using up energy I was going to need for the "Outrun the Sun" 5K I was going to be doing in the evening.

doctor j

On today's ride, I was thinking, "what am I doing at the front of a pace line of a few 30-something hammerheads and a senior olympian and going a lot faster than I normally go?" I was thinking, "I'm riding way over my head today!" I was thinking that riding a total of 126 miles last weekend at home in Louisiana in the heat prepared me for this day. We finally got some civilized cycling weather... heat and no rain I was thinking, "this has turned out to be a great day!"

pmcq

I read these posts the other day, so when I went riding for 4 hours today, I paid attention to what I was thinking about - so beyond my recursive thinking about thinking, I first found myself focusing on the positon of my feet. The idea of scraping off mud, while fairly alien in southern California, brought forth memories of May's "mud season" in New Hampshire which was such an importnat signal of the end of winter for this southern gal.

Thoughts of New Hampshire prompted mental pictures of many of the roads I travelled when I lived there and I wondered what it would be like to ride my bike along those same paths. Thinking of rural roads made me wish for more of those and fewer traffic lights on my rides around here. Finally, as I climbed yet another hill, I fantasized about what it might be like to leave my house for a ride one day and find flat roads in every direction.

But the really great thing was that I didn't think about work for even a minute.

digibud

I rode into town with my son in law. We did about 17mph on the flats and he smoked me on the hills. I rode home alone as he had to throw his bike in the car with the family. As I was rolling along working hard at a steady, hard but stustainable pace I looked down to my heart monitor. It was 150. I laughed. That was a huge deal for me. A year and a half ago when I got back to biking I was winded at 128 and unable to even climb the hills we did today with my mountain bike. Now I can hold 150 for quite some time and I only have to take a "break" because of my back getting sore, no issue with going anaerobic. When I drop down to 140 beat per minute it's easy going now, compared to impossible a year ago. I was mulling over that and smiling as I rode along.

az_cyclist

For the first 49 miles yesterday, it was a combination of : it is a great day! is everyone still with the group? where is the next turn? ( I was ride leader). For the next 28 miles: I feel good! great morning!

For the last 4 miles: I should have eaten my power bar after the club ride.......

byte_speed

I have the most amazing thoughts and cosmic revelations on a bike ride in the throes of oxygen depletion. Or at least I think I do, by the time I get home they are gone.

But I am still smiling and feel great.

Richard Cranium

I was discussing global resource depletion, rare-earth minerals, erratic weather systems and how hard it was to find or "schedule" rides because of the local weather. I was riding in southern Illinois near one of the new "state of the art" coal mine/power plant complexes and my ride partner had just done a deal to provide services associated with the project. Oh yeah we also talked about floods and famine. It was great day!

wnl256

"There sure are a lot of cars on this road for a Sunday morning."

"That truck was way too close."

"Wow that hill looks steep." ... "Oh jeez this hill is steep." ... "I am never riding on this hill ever again."

"Ugh it sure is hot."

"I thought this was a back road... Why are there so many cars?"

"Am I home yet?" ... "That shower sure is going to feel good."

"I wish we had bike lanes."

"There is no way I'm going to be ready for RAGBRAI."

"I'm almost out of water."

"Ahhh....good to be home. I think I will ride up that same hill next week."

I am not a deep thinker.

(See my blog for more thoughts about today's ride up Vaughn Road.)

Bob Ross

Mostly sex.

Barrettscv 

That I'm overweight, need to ride more and I should pick up the pace.

Retro Grouch 

That's what I think too. Maybe too deep.

Here's a shallow answer. I do a lot of my riding on the Katy Trail. It's probably only 10' or so wide so you have to pass the riders going the opposite way pretty closely. A lot of the riders going the other way are attractive young women riding road bikes. Did I mention that it's been hot here in Missouri? Denver could start a poll about what I'm thinking but I'm thinking almost everybody would choose the same (correct) answer.