When you start cycling you do a cost-benefit analysis, either consciously or sub-consciously. You weigh up the positives - increased fitness, healthy competition, camaraderie, fun – against the negatives – the financial cost, unhealthy competition, braggadocio, shaving rash in places it shouldn’t ever occur, chafing. Eventually you decide that it’s worth it.
And it is worth it. I’d never suggest otherwise. But there are probably some further negatives you’ve neglected to factor in. It’s only when they become pressing that you realize that you’ve overlooked them. And this weekend just gone they’ve become pressing, if not for me, then definitely for folks who I hold in high regard.
The first of these is crashes, which are common. But even though they are common, it’s important not to factor them in to your analysis. This may seem counterintuitive, as they certainly represent a gigantic flashing minus sign, but the minute you start recognizing crashing as a factor is the minute you become a very average racer. You have to ride smart, sure, and safe too – I’ll be the first one to rip you to shreds if you ride dangerously – but if you’re worrying about crashing all the time then you’re not worrying about going fast, getting through traffic or around that next corner – all the stuff that makes cycling fun.
This being said, when crashes happen they tear the guts out of every cyclist everywhere. Every one of us has crashed at some point, and we all know the pain of gravel rash, bruises, broken bones. Some of us know the pain of paralysis, intensive care units, death of loved ones. When you hear of someone you know suffering your heart goes out to them, and next time you get on the bike you hope that today won’t be the day it happens to you.
The second of these are the cops. This is a tad more controversial, but hey, if you ride alleycats cops are a problem. Such as on Friday night, when Campbell was forced to hide in a carpark for a good fifteen minutes until the cops gave up on finding him – in his Halloween outfit. Which was an extremely skimpy bikini. Or last night, when Pip found himself in the cells for four hours thanks to a party that got out of hand. I don’t think you should factor in the cops either, but rather ride like they’re not there at all. Occasionally you get fined (twice in the last month, in my case), occasionally you spend a night in prison.
So, in light of the series of totally shit incidents that have tipped the scales a little more to the negative side, I’m getting interactive. A while back Liam had a crack at explaining why we ride alleycats, but I’m going to broaden the topic a little bit and ask you, reader, why you ride. Don’t make it too long, because my attention span is short. Leave your response in the comments section. Best one wins a prize. I swear this time the prize exists.
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9 comments:
Nothing beats hitting that perfect cadence, having got every light for the last few ks. As far as i'm concerned, i'm flying.
Also riding road in the morning, then donning sweet sleeveless band tee and smashing it into the city.
for the sense of personal accomplishment (in its myriad of forms).
'yeah, i did that' -
be it climb a closed mountain road during snow season, ride around the city faster/smarter than you thought you could, getting a large group of people to ride with you and watch them form friendships, finding you cut real time off your commute without any other explanation than 'you got faster', when that ride/hill that worked you before isnt that hard any more, riding earlier/later than joe public seems to think is normal and loving it, learning how much you can hurt and still turn the pedals. theres more... but hopefully you get the idea.
There is no other feeling like when you get on your bike for the first time in a while, or even just every morning. Riding my bike, to me, is always a pleasure, even every morning before school, it makes you see the world in a completely different light. But the best part is riding with mates and being amazed at how hard you push eachother. I'm with you on the cops issue, it's better just to ignore it. Plus, riding to and from the state library gives me incentive to try new routes when the day is done. The knowledge that my bike will only roll if i do, and as hard as i do, is just an amazing feeling on a fixed gear.
I ride because of how it makes me feel. When I'm on the bike I feel goooood. It doesn't matter if I'm going slow, fast, down to the shops or on a century. Hilly, flat, rain, shine, foggy, hot, cold.. it doesn't matter. If I'm riding, I'm happy!
why ride? best therapy in the world. ever.
I ride because i like bikes, i like the tour, i like DISC, i like girls on bikes and i'd much rather change a flat on my bike than on my car.
I ride because when I do, I don't think about anything else except where I am and what I'm doing in that moment.
I ride because the bicycle is the bastion of the decent human being.
Light on the earth, light on the legs, light on the eyes, there's a lot to admire about a bicycle and a lot to love about cycling.
But for the odd pothole and rainy day, mere mortals are blessed with the opportunity to find themselves almost flying with nothing but a good solid contour of the earth to get them there.
That's why I ride.
I ride because I gave up on challenging myself at work. Now I get to beat myself up about it on the way home.
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