The simple fun of riding!
 

Reading another thread gave me the idea for this topic.

Everyone post on the simple fun of riding for you.

For me, I started riding again because of the one-two punch of elevated cholesterol and elevated gasoline prices. So I started doing all the local errands that I used to do by car with my old bicycle. Quickly, the motivation for bicycling changed to bicycling itself.

Now I ride simply for the fun of riding. I try to expand my territory to see new scenery (and carry along my other simple joy, a point-n-shoot camera for my inner shutterbug) and talk to people in a non-textual manner. There is the joy of just slowly pedaling along and gawking at the trees and flowers while listening to the rustling of the breeze and the chirping of the birds, then there's the joy of getting into the zone and zooming along in a sustainable pedal cadence, where your focus narrows to keeping the beat and the road ahead of you.

That's it for me. How about you? (Yes, YOU! Right there reading this text! I'm typing at you! ;) )

I lost "it" for about 3 years but it's slooowly coming back.

The first accident, in which I broke both of my elbows, is when I lost it. At the time I didn't think about "it" very much. I figured at worst I could switch to riding recumbents and everything would go back to the way that it was. I didn't count on the mental aspect. Anxiety just about did me in. More than once Mrs. Grouch talked me into taking our tandem down to the Katy Trail and, after putting it together, dissassembled the bike and loaded it back into the car because I couldn't bear the thought of riding. I commented once that I just wanted the carefreeness that I used to feel while riding my bike to come back. If you've never suffered that kind of mental anxiety, God bless you.

I think that going to the Midwest Recumbent Rally in Steven's Point, Wi., was one of the best things that I've done for myself in a long time. Certainly there were some go-fast people there, but there were also a whole bunch of "smell the roses" types. I don't remember seeing that in a long time. Maybe I was just trying to keep up with the wrong group. I think that I'm going to go to the "even darker side" and become a trike rider. Putzing around the parking lot on Mrs. Grouch's tadpole and conversing with various people was an eye opener for me. There's no need to balance, I've pretty much overcome my concern about the minimum extra width of a trike, and I had a comfortable seat to use while stopped to talk with folks. In other words, the carefreeness that I used to feel is gradually coming back.

I'm glad that we bought the Screamer tandem because that kept us bicycling even if it felt felt uneasy. Without taking that step I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to consider the switch to riding linked delta tricycles. Right now I can't imagine us riding a conventional tandem or even the Screamer through our 70's. I can easily picture us riding deltas for another 10 or more years. I'm having the kind of feeling that I had 35 years ago when I put together our first tandem for Mrs. Grouch and me. For the first time in 3 years I'm actually looking forward to riding together. The carefree feeling is slooowly coming back!

I'm back to riding because I wanted to regain my health after several severe problems. I wanted the freedom of being able to get out and ride where I wanted to go. Getting back my health is a slow process and the complications can drive you crazy. Riding my bike allows me to clear my mind, I've regained my aerobic capacity and lowered my BP to a healthy level. 26 lbs lost so far hasn't hurt either.

Oh yeah, I just flat enjoy cycling and riding along the roads. Makes my day every time.

Bill

I have always ridden primarily because it is fun. Other reasons like mobility, health benefits, economy etc. have at various times assumed higher or lower stature in the long list of reasons to ride, but the top position on that list has always been fun. I simply love riding bicycles. If it ain't fun, why bother?

I'm 65 and have ridden since I've been six. Never stopped. My BF name sez it all.

I ride for health reasons as I'm a type 2 diabetic and overweight. I love riding. I'm excited because I'll being doing my first century in October. Riding also let's be escape from the stressers in my world.

53 last January

I rode as a kid up into high school, when it was no longer all that cool to be seen on a bike (or so I thought). The riding I did back then was just 'riding' - No special emphasis on competition, road, whatever. Just a kid riding around town, as it were.

In the spring of 2010 ago I got interested in just having something to putter around on, so I ended up with a comfort bike. After a year that turned into having something a bit more roadworthy, so I got Specialized Tricross Sport. It's got more 'roadie' in it than I have in me, but can still go offroad, so it's a good solution for me.

I enjoy just being on the bike. I'm always aware of speed/distance, but they don't rule over me. Good thing! :eek: :D I guess I'm still in the phase of proving something to myself, since sometimes I see opportunities to stop and smell the roses, but keep on going since i don't want to see One More Stop on my ride graph after I'm done. :( I probably need to place more emphasis on enjoying the ride and everything that goes along with it than the numbers (which is almost laughable, given what they actually are!!). As I progress I'm sure that will happen.

Although currently I only able to ride on weekends (for various reasons), I usually try to get 30-odd miles done on Saturday mornings. It's making a difference, albeit somewhat slowly. I'm starting to look for other routes and such, so I don't get bored with the same roads over and over. In fact this afternoon if it's not pouring rain I have another area in mind I may check out. No time to ride today, but I'll drive it just to verify things.

I've been on and off the bike for all my adult life. I think the longest break was 4 years when I was doing the single parent thing and didn't have the time or motivation to ride. When I turned 50 I seem to have gotten all the usual 50+ issues on schedule (blood sugar, blood pressure, both cholesterols going the wrong way, etc.). Decided I had to get back on the bike and stay on it if I don't want to die a slow death on the sofa. Follow up blood work early this year shows everything in normal range. I showed the results to my wife and she went over and kissed my bike. I am now doing the kind of rides again that I did in my 20's and I am over 2500 miles for the year. Looking at nailing 4000+.

For me the joy of riding is a few things. The feel of balancing on the edge of a knife blade. Getting out in the air and nature relieves stress. Easily pushing over a hill that kicked my butt last year.

I've also realized that a large part of my love of cycling is the same thing that interests me about photography, and can be summed up with one word: exploring.

My wife did it to me on my 63rd birthday; she bought me a comfort bike, a Giant Serdona ST. She got tired of me telling my doctor that I would exercise while not trying very hard to start at any time soon. That was four bikes, three years and 35 pounds ago. I now ride at least 30 miles a day and get very cranky and restless when I don't get to ride. I've also been taken off of all the blood pressure and cholesterol medications I was on. Just mention the words "bike ride", fast speeds or slow, and I'm ready to go.

I ride for health reasons, its easier to ride than walk, and also so I dont have to get buses and trams.

Esp today I was reminded of one reason, apart from high fares. Some teens were playing loud music from their MP3 player with no thought of how that might affect other passengers.

They may think its acceptable but I dont and I thank heaven now I dont have to listen to it very often.

Also trying to get a job in an area where my cycle commute would take me either round an old gravel pit which is now a flood basin and pretty water park which is used for sailing and other watersports, down a river bank to another water basin or just over the river and down a path to a main road.

Now how is that for a commute lol.

Definitely make you jump out of bed to go to work:)

Also the social side of cycling, meeting people and just talking about bikes and tinkering with them and also on organised social rides around our local areas on different terrains, road, dirt trails and riverbanks.


Just more fun and getting out into different areas:)

I'm kind of ambitious to get better. But I try never to lose sight of having fun. Being a competent rider makes certain kinds of fun more possible, doesn't it? Anyway, I don't think I like suffering enough to ruin the fun.

Reasons have changed over the years. Started to try and retain some of the fitness I still had. Could no longer run and tried cycling. Spent a couple of years trying to get bike fit and could have given up but after that two years it led onto the next stage of achievement. Started doing rides that any sane person should not have attempted unless they were in their 20's and 100% fit. May not have been as fast as others -in fact many- but finished when others gave up. That was the Fun stage when any ride- whether on or offroad could be done and still be able to breath at the end of it. Reached peak fitness in 1999 but middle of the year saw a few medical problems that should have stopped me from everything. All it did was give me the resolve to get back to my early 99 fitness but a twist had to come about. Could no longer ride offroad on my own and that meant even getting left behind so Offroad Tandem came along. You want fun- want to p*ss your mates off and get fit- then take up Tandem riding -offroad- on 100 mile Enduro's.

But Good times come to an end and in 2006 ventured into Road riding after 16 years of MTB's. I could no longer put in the training to do the enduros and road riding seemed easier. Won't say it is and won't say it is not--just different forms of riding but if you do want a workout- then get up the hills on your MTB and suffer.

Still doing the occasional long road ride but mainly ride for me now. Try for 100 miles a week and it may be a couple of long rides or just plenty of trips down to the coast for Pie. Main thing is-I ride and enjoy it.

I love to ride, love the way it makes me feel, love the comraderie, love the friendly competition with my riding buddies. I still work 3 days a week and can't wait to be off so I can ride.

I like the feeling of accomplishment it gives me. I know I am doing something good for myself. I also enjoy the scenery, although mine tends to lean towards the female form :) I can't imagine what it would be like if I could not ride.

Well, riding alongside fit women in spandex IS one of the major benefits of the activity.

Makes me wonder why there are so many men who don't bicycle.

I started out riding as a kid and up till I got a car I went everywhere on a bicycle without thinking about it. When I got to college during the '70s bike boom I picked up a Stella and started putting in some serious miles and enjoying it very much. In 1977 I bought a Gazelle Champion Mondail frame in Belgium and built a bike around it when I got back to the states.

During my 30s and 40s I started putting on weight and occasionally took up running to get back in shape but that always ended up with me trying to pound my knees out of my legs. So about five years ago I bought a Mtn. bike because it had a more upright riding position than the Gazelle road bike. After the last five years I am riding the Gazelle more and more as my increasing level of fitness makes it more and more comfortable.

I like getting a good workout in the outdoors with the scenery and fresh air. Aerobic workouts in the gym end up being fairly tedious for me. Grinding away for more that about 1/2 hours on a single machine gets me very bored. For me the gym works best if I can get in and out in less than an hour. I do mostly strength training and stretching there.

For me cycling has the best balance of a good aerobic workout that doesn't cause health issues, convenience, economy and enjoy-ability.

I ride for fun. The rest is, as they say, gravy.

I ride for the coffee....ride to and from the local coffee shop in the area...:p

For the sheer pleasure of going from A to B and back to A under my own power...and all the sights, smells and sounds I encounter from A to B and back to A.

I have been riding some type of bike continuously since I was a kid, and road bikes continuously since I was 13, and I have never stopped. At times I have ridden for fitness or to challenge myself, and at other times it was to compete with others, but now at 55 years old I just ride for fun. I do mix it up with several different styles of road bikes and mountain bikes including geared, SS, and FG and I don't see any chance of that changing. I tell people that I intend to ride my bike to my own funeral..... :D

I'm 68 and have been riding since I was a kid. I have had a few gaps in the timeline, but overall I rode about all my life. I ride fixed, singlespeed and geared. For fun and the attendant fitness. No computers, no racing. Love to ride and ride most every day.

Stopped riding when I was 14. Started again 18 months ago when I was 60. I have always enjoyed hiking and long walks. One day I decided to see if I could find an interesting and safe route to walk the 7 miles to my office. After my walk, I decided that biking to work would be easy and enjoyable. Bought a bike. Sold my car. (Full disclosure: My wife kept hers and lets me use it if I ask nicely.) Been a bike commuter and weekend distance rider ever since. Did my first century a week ago. Even when it's not so much fun, like when the wind chill is down around 15 F as I ride to work, I enjoy riding. I don't know why, but there's something about it that makes me happy when I ride. Conversely, I start getting really antsy when I have to go several days without riding.

I got back on the bike recently simply because I wanted to get to town! We have two cars, but when one is an older diesel, that goes down and needs a new fuel pump--that can weeks to get back out of the shop. We live about 9 miles out of town, and there were times I wanted to go into town---but no car, but there was a bike!

I had ridden off and on since I was a kid. Had to stop in my early 40's due to back problems that turned out to be temporary. Had to stop again in the late 40's as any sort of exercise seemd to cause blood clots. Turned out I needed to be on Coumadin, and once that got my system working right I haven't had any problems. Now, i have fun sailing down my quiet country road watching kingfishers in the trees along the river, ringing my bell at the rabbits and squirrels in the road and just having a good time!

There are many reasons I cycle and all of them are important. The fact that it's so much fun is definitely one of the most important. When I'm flying along, feeling like a Tour de France rider (okay, it's silly, especially at my age, but I'll bet other people do it too) I'm having so much fun! I always imagine that if I could get other people to try it and find out how much fun it is, they'd become bike nuts too.

Great thread, great responses. Around town and on day rides, I ride simply because I love it. I can afford the gas and the car, I just don't like them. I've always ridden enough that health and weight have never been an issue.

The other day, a motorist smiled at me at a red light, and said something about all the gas money I was saving. I replied to her that I cancel all those savings with the amount of food I eat. That's another reason I love cycling.

I also love touring, and besides exploring, a big motivation there is meeting people. The bicycle is a passport of sorts. It labels you as a traveler, not a tourist, and many people respect that.

Always had an interest in bikes, something about the simplicity of operation and watching the road go by under the tires. Very spotty riding through the years because of job and family etc. Started with some seriousness about 3 years ago and rediscovered the fun of riding with added health benefits most BF's are aware of.

Ride fairly regularly now with Seenoweevil and enjoy just cruising the backroads around north Alabama. Usually get dropped on club rides but that does not bother me any more, mainly because I am "out there" and not at home on the couch. We were able to ride in the Harpeth River Ride this year and one week later rode North Alabama MS charity ride and that was great fun meeting riders from all over the area most with common of goal of "just riding".

To me riding clears your mind and gives some peace and quiet (until dogs attack or someone throws beer bottle) in hectic times.

Wait! why am I sitting here writing about riding, I am going riding, SEE YOU ON THE ROAD!

I too ride mainly for fun and fitness. The fun part dictates that I do not get caught up in the "proper" kit to ride. I take advantages of riding a bent by riding with just T-shirts and rugby shorts. I do club rides, but the majority of my miles are alone going at what ever speed and direction that fulfils my whim on that ride. Getting caught up in cults and kits seem silly to me.

I tend to avoid group rides for the most part. I'm not fast, and I'm not striving to be fast. I ride because I enjoy it, because I can wander at will quite economically. I've seen things I wouldn't have seen if I'd driven, because if I'd driven I'd have taken a different route. I've wandered through historic neighborhoods and traveled to museums and various events, and haven't had to pay for parking.

I rode a lot in my teens, but then took nearly 35 years off. My wife wanted to try riding and got a donor bike to start on, so I picked up a used bike on CL just to keep her company on weekends. That was about a year ago. Now I'm riding for the sheer fun of it, whether my wife feels like riding or not. I never imagined I would enjoy it as much as I do.