Pretty much my experience (rectal cancer dx at 51) except for the recurrence part (knock on wood). I put 1,000 miles on the bike pre-op during radiation and chemo and another 1K through post-op chemo. I'm crediting the bike with making everything that much easier--not to say that any of it was easy. It was the one thing I could do that would make me feel consistently good.

I was prompted to start riding again 4 years ago when my doctor weighed me in at 206 and wrote "obese" on my chart during my anual physical. I was way out of shape and losing my ability to hike and climb mountains. That doctor visit pushed me over the edge. I started snowshoeing and walking (It was November in Maine) and then in the Spring I got out my old Nishiki Olympic. I pretty much rode it into the ground so my wife was nice enough to okay the purchase of my new Trek 1000. I began riding for fitness, but quickly graduated to adventure and exploration and the pure love of being on my bike going places as fast as I can. Now I weigh around 184. I'd like to get down a little more too.

This exactly!

I started riding again two years ago. The event that triggered my commitment to fitness was the passing of my father.

I simply decided that life is short, and that I needed to make the most of it.

Cycling has been great for fitness, it has helped me lose 40 lbs. It's also been a ton-o-fun. I also enjoy the people I ride with and the time spent putting together bikes.

Really? Then why would a person since the age of 8 chain smokes and drink dies at age 108 of natural causes? Now I'm not saying that example is the norm, but some people are more or less susceptible to environmental and lifestyle factors depending on inherited risk. I know a person who worked out everyday for many years and died of a heart attack, but his dad died of a heart attack at age 48, his grandfather at age 46, and his great grandfather at 50, my friend made it to 54. My wife has cancer all through her family background and she had breast cancer...she was the only one to survive it due to modern medicine and lots of prayer with only less then 20% chance of surviving according to the docs. Look back in your family and you too will find some sort of illness that is carried by your family genes, not all illnesses result in death, some families may have genetics in them that the average person lives in their 90s but perhaps carries some non life threating disease or physical problem like a chronic back problem etc.

Note also that I said that genetics play a larger role then most people give it credit, I didn't say it was all inclusive. Inherited genetic factors make a minor contribution to susceptibility to most types of neoplasms. This finding indicates that the environment has the principal role in causing sporadic cancer. The relatively large effect of heritability in cancer at a few sites (such as prostate and colorectal cancer) suggests major gaps in our knowledge of the genetics of cancer. Conclusion is we still don't know the real role of genetics effects with cancer, but that's just cancer; with heart issues genetics plays a greater role, younger ages, death from coronary heart disease is influenced by genetic factors in both women and men. The results also imply that the genetic effect decreases at older ages. I outlined just two of the major causes of death in America, but I hope that cleared up some of the confusion I originally said.

By the way there is a hush hush going on in our government because of Mexicans working in fields having a high incident of heart failure with no family background of it-why? the chemicals they work with and around in the fields is the cause, yet some of those workers work in that environment for 40 years retire and live a long life. Somehow the old retired guys like the 108 year old man genetics do not seem to be bothered by it.

Weird as this sounds but I know a 84 year old that served in the US Army and did 3 tours of ground zero nuke blasts test in Nevada in the late 50's and stood with his other men at ground zero being exposed to heavy doses of radiation along side his men. The last survivor in his unit died at the age of 57, they ALL died of some form of cancer, my friend is still alive. Genetics or pure luck? no tests are being done on him so we will never know.

A lot of why I ride now has to do with the personal challenge of getting my fitness level up to what it once was. As a part of that, I've set goals of completing certain non-racing events. I'm still fairly new to Australia so there's always a bit of adventure and exploration when I ride. And although riding lately has been a source of a certain amount of stress, it is stress relieving to get out there on my bicycle, breathing deeply, getting my heart rate up, getting the blood flowing, and feeling like I've actually accomplished something. Overall, it's fun. Or I wouldn't be driven to get out there and keep riding.

Not necessarily.

Cycling saved my life too.

I started riding for fun, then it became fun and fitness, and now it's fun, fitness and commuting.

To get laid.

This might work for women.

Walking sucks.

Pcad, I can't correlate any data to back your theory but I'm betting they'd be too intoxicated to operate the bike.

I've hardly lost an atom but YEAH, it's fun and I'm the fastest wheezing guy on fat tires

Cocaine costs your life and two of my three bikes and both my works-in-progress were gifts or just given to me.

That's fine, CD, they are lucky. 20 years ago they didn't have such effective treatments and my beloved Linda had her breast cancer return in her bones eventually. She passed away 12/24/1995 and now my father, who quit smoking 13 years ago has a small patch in his lung. Fortunately for us his quitting has helped him even with cancer, which we all expected at some point.

Pointing out the exceptions is pointless in itself as they aren't the norm. If they were, NOBODY would get cancer. If you use it as proof you won't become sick, you are simply being foolish.

You can say you are protect from cancer and be killed by a car broadsiding you. Never take the joy and purpose of life lightly. Life does not exist for you, YOU exist for life.

I ride for every reason but social. And I don't list that because I only ever ride with myself. That will change later this year when I complete a build for my best friend. And also after I start riding with a local group come april.
I just love riding my bike. Any reason is a good reason.
-Gene-

All

Yep, I had to check a lot of those boxes. I played competitive sports my entire life. After college I got VERY bored lifting weights, jogging, etc. I began to cycle. Then I realized I could get to work much faster on a bike instead of using public transportation. This led to my first road bike. It's been a larger and larger part of my life since I got a 1998 Cannondale that was the "right size" for me...because I could stand over it. Now its been retired, I have three other road bikes (that fit me!), and I ride every day, both commuting and fun, longer rides. I love cycling and hope it stays a part of my life for a long time.

But, I do have to say today was one day when I thought, "Why don't I take up jogging on trails?" I was buzzed by a caravan, had an enormous Dodge Ram zoom past me while I was stopped at a light splitting lanes (so as to not take up the straight lane, nor the turn lane - the arsehole didn't even slow down as he made his turn), and then on my quietest road had a Suburban pass me heading into a blind curve, then nearly run off the road because it was going too fast in the turn.

Ugh, I stayed calm, but those incidents always make me feel a range of emotions, from seething anger, to just being happy I wasn't hit, to thinking I need to play more tennis and cycle less. I try my best to just let it go, but I never, ever can figure out why drivers think it is okay to do things that reckless and dangerous. I've been hit twice, and that is plenty for a lifetime.

I wonder how some of you cope? I realize chasing them down and cursing, while sometimes satisfying, just isn't worth it, nor helpful overall.

Trying to kill self.

I started riding because my former marriage councilor recomended a physical activity for me to help control my anxiety over my marriage problems. Cycling helped me survive the worst divorce ever. After 6 years of being blamed for all our problems I discovered while cycling the truth of the situation, and what needed to be done to get my life back.
I continue to cycle because it reminds me of being young and helps me to stay that way. Mostly I like how cycling makes me feel.

All of the above.

My feett said no more marathons. Biking is the only thing that gives me that good overall feeling that running did.

Because I am just crazy strong and have so much fun crushing souls.

eeez fun. fitness and stress relief are nice side effects but they arent the reason i ride. and of course no one likes being passed on a ride so it makes you want to be faster so that brings in that "training" aspect. honestly i wish i could get back to when i first started riding where i was just happy to even find time in the saddle and id ride as long as i wanted to then id head back home. now its all goals and training and pushing myself. not as fun.