cucumis.cucurbi

This whole thread is useless without pictures.

FrenchFit 

Dat ol skool, yo!

vuduchyld5

Fo realz! hahaha!

VertigoFlyer

I'm with Raydog - all the way! I LOVE that fully worn out feeling after a ride well done! If I'm testing something new on my bike I'm prone to taking it easy as I work with those new shoes or what ever. (I recently bought my first pair of true road shoes - Sidi's Genius Pro 5's - lovin them BIG TIME!) Nothing feels as good as a good hard push of a ride! IMHO the only way to really move that wall we all run into is to PUSH it! Constantly push it to the right!! Every time I attack the big hill I want to complete it faster than last time.

I don't like senseless pain. That includes feet that hurt (new Sidi shoes/new Shimano Ultegra pedals), sore buttocks (new Fizik saddle) etc. But achy quads? That's normal pain and I LIKE IT!! I earned that pain climbing up Snoqualmie Parkway!

I think I get what he's driving at. If I'm not pushing myself I don't get stronger. At least that's been my take in all my outdoor athletic activities. Now I will freely admit that it's just that much funner to PUSH on a really nice bike that I've tweaked to meet my needs puuuuuuuurfectly!! Add in a sunny day in the Snoqualmie Valley and life is damn near as puuuuurfect as it gets!!

So RayDog I'd love to rid with ya! We're cut from the same mold sir!

ro-monster

I usually ride because I need to go somewhere, like work, the doctor, the store. And sometimes I ride for the simple, pure joy of being with the wind, the sky, the earth, of exploring a new road or path to see where it goes.

If you're attached to the idea of gaining something you lose all that.

RobertL

One of the nice things about the 50+ forum is that few, if any, really care about "the best brand, the best fit, the proper seat, shaving off a few grams, the right sized tires,etc."

We're happy to ride whatever we have and enjoy it as much as possible.

Doohickie

But if we're not all about the burn, "the best brand, the best fit, the proper seat, shaving off a few grams, the right sized tires,etc.," is all we've got left, apparently.

DnvrFox

Ok - so what IS "pain?"

Pain to me is the 5 kidney stones I passed in one year.

Pain to me is the extreme facial electrical jolts I get when my Trigeminal Neuralgia decides to once more be an involuntary part of my life. It is said to be the most excruciatingly painful human condition in the world.

Pain to me is when, for one year, I could not stand up straight because of the excruciating pain of my L4-L5 Spondylolisthesis.

Pain is when you son(s) are critically injured and there is nothing one can do about it.

Pain is NOT the feeling of exertion in climbing a tough hill or "pushing the envelope." To me, that is discomfort, controllable by me, and something that I can participate in or not. Simply having the choice to stop removes the "pain" from those activities.

StephenH

Now, that sounds like the "My pain is bigger than your pain!" concept!

Beverly

+1

He did say he probably wouldn't make friends with his post and he was correct.

DnvrFox

The OP originally stated:

"that they loose(sic) a big part of the bicycle experience. If you want to go faster or ride longer or improve hill performance then....BE PREPARED FOR PAIN." and

"my neck hurts!"

and

"every time I ride it's painful!"


It seems he is the one starting the "my pain is bigger than your pain" (or anyone's, for that matter). However, he does not define pain. In the realm of real life, the "pain" in bicycling efforts is really not a big deal, IMHO.

donheff

I don't think OP sounds like a masochist, he was just talking about pushing his limits and feeling good with the fatigue afterwards. I normally ride at a fast cruise rate with my wife > around 15mph. It is good exercise but definitely not "training." Yesterday I went out by myself and did a few laps at Hains Point park (3 mile loop, low/no traffic). I was pushing it for me and hopped onto a faster group of about ten riders for the last lap (I rode far enough behind to not risk interfering but I still noticed a definite draft advantage). I was riding just under 20MPH, way faster than my normal pace. When I got home I felt the "pain" OP talked about and felt good about it. So I get the point. In fact, I am looking forward to doing it again. Heck, maybe I will buy a road bike to supplement my cyclocross. I'm retired now, I deserve an N+1 to compensate for all this pain.

jim p

Denv, you nailed it on what pain is. We all have plenty of pain without adding unnecessary pain. Discomfort will get you a long ways down the road without having to go all the way into the region of pain.

Raydog will probably get where he is going faster than me, so he can have the camp setup when I get there.

Garfield Cat

You're just sensational.

BikeArkansas

Well, Raydog, the only thing I do not like is the fact you are so far away. I would like to go on a series of rides with you. You get it.

I find it interesting how defensive people are if you do not fit their mold. Your statement was that you were not talking to the more casual riders from the beginning. However, if you do not "smell the roses" on each ride you are a bad rider in their opinion.

I do not find the smell of roses all that wonderful.

However, I do not criticize those that happen to like the thorny flower. Why do they criticize the riders that want to push their bodies on a ride?

If you get over this way, and think of it, bring your bike.

mikepwagner

Or maybe the result of silly macho posturing. :-)

Neck pain has nothing to do with increasing strength or conditioning - it's just a way to get on a first name basis with your neurologist.

Quit the wacko chest beating routine and do some yoga.

BluesDawg

While I'm not quite with the OP on all of this, he makes a good point about the overemphasis on comfort and convenience prevalent in society. Most of us who post here are more willing than most people to get off of our comfy furniture and step outside our air conditioned homes to exert some effort and sweat some to enjoy our passtime.

I won't go as far as to say no pain, no gain, but it does usually work out that anything worth achieving will require pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone. I enjoy smell the roses rides, but my greatest sense of accomplishment comes at the end of a century ride. While I have learned to ride a century without excrutiating pain, I have yet to ride one that didn't involve a bit of hurting. Well worth it imho.

bigbadwullf

As I tell all my friends that ride/race dirt bikes, the key 'technology' is you. Make you better and the bike will be better.

Allegheny Jet

I can understand some of the OP's reasoning for embracing pain as part of riding because the results he desires are met. I really get the "post ride" feelings as I've been there many times. Frequently after a hard workout or indoor cycling session I'll feel a reverberation going through my body while sitting or lying in bed that is the result of the efforts expended. For me there are pains during the ride and discomforts during the rides. Limiting the pain is important, and accepting the discomforts is training. For several years my left ankle had 0% cartilage in it and riding hard was a very painful experience both during the ride and after depending on how much hammering I did. An ankle fusion surgery took care of that pain. Riding intervals up hills for X time @ X intensity really can bring on discomfort which is part of training, but if my knees are in pain during the interval I need need to adapt something to eliminate the pain.

Too many folks want to see black or white and not the shades in between. For instance, just because one’s neck gets sore does not mean that they cannot ride in the drops or look up the road. There can be fixes and adaptations to be able to look ahead without giving up and riding an upright bike or just taking the HTFU route and continue riding with pain.

rydabent

No one should take this personally. I think pain is for fools. Im 73 ride approx 100 miles a week. While I do get a little leg burn on some hills, I am not really in pain. I ride either my bents a bike or a trike. Therefore all of the DF pain, butt, neck, hands, and arms do not apply. That leaves just the legs burning on hills.

BTW my mileage built my ability to pass many younger people on a recient club ride on hills. It also exploded the myth that bents dont climb. One guy was so impressed that he said he was going to check out a bent. He admitted that he had heard bents were only good for flats. Were the 20 year olds passing me, sure, but as I say the ave biker on our ride pretty much matched my speed but not much more.

chipcom 

Riding a bike isn't just about conditioning improvement. Ironic how you rail against people missing the entire cycling "experience" while concentrating on only a small subset of the cycling experience. If you ain't having fun, you're doing it wrong and there is no right way to have fun.

chipcom 

There's your problem...racing is only a subset of cycling. My 72 year old mother isn't into racing or pain...though sometimes she does want to get home from the store before one of her programs comes on TV.

wphamilton

What is the pain we're talking about? Sore legs, fatigue? Gasping for air?

AlmostTrick

You might pedal harder than the next guy, but if you can't bench press your own weight you're still a wuss!

teachme

Bam! +1 !!