Do you always ride flat out ?

[Young Un]

I'm always going faster than I'd feel completely comfortable at. For me, I get pleasure from being out on the bike and that feeling of post hard bike ride contentment you get when you've pushed yourself. I don't not see the scenery just because I'm riding fast.
If you want to pootle, go right ahead, but I want to get fitter and faster

Hit the nail on the head there

 

[derall]

Depends on the bike. Over the last year or so I've been riding mainly the road bike, and I do tend to go flat out (though flat out for me probably isn't all that fast...). Can't help it, road bike, wearing lycra, you have to push. I go out thinking "I'll take it easy this evening, just enjoy a relaxed ride," and five minutes in I'm pushing it again.

On the SMGT, absolutely not. Sit back, relax and watch the world glide by. Same over the last couple of weeks when I've been out getting used to the Fixie, just saunter along enjoying the ride. I've been thinking about mothballing the road bike for a few months. If I stick with the 'bent or the fixie, a relaxed ride in the evening might be better for relieving the pressures of work, instead of going flat out on the road bike try to burn off the pressure.