How do you feel when cycling?

[Pat "5mph"]

I had to go back to click like on @Ming the Merciless' for forum etiquette because ... I don't feel any of that stuff when I'm riding my bike
I'm not prone to introspection, as you can see lol
I ride my bike because I want or need to go places. I love riding my bike because it gives me freedom to go places.
Freedom makes me feel great!
The only time ever I had similar thoughts to Ming's was once on tour, on a particularly hard bit.
I did speak (in my mind) to some folks in my past that kept telling me I didn't amount to much, saying to them "Ha! Look what I can do, I can ride a bike to the top of hills! You would have never even let me try this!"
Apart from that occasion, I normally think about what I'm going to eat next

I used to do a long commute, 23 miles each way, much to the amazement of many of my colleagues.
On more than a few commutes, I must have gone into some kind of "auto pilot". I would get to a certain point on the route and wouldn't have any recollection of the earlier part of the route.

Normal, I think.
I'm the same on a familiar route, typically the commute to work.

This is true in that I never cycle with any useful purpose to fulfil. I'm not trying to get somewhere for a reason. So what am I doing? I must be exercising.

Or maybe looking for adventure?

I remember cycle touring in Scotland, grinding up a hill against a howling gale and pissing rain, chanting a mantra of 'you will NOT beat me'... and laughing at the silliness of it all. I was SO alive!

Oh, yes, I had my worse on a very steep hill coming out of the ferry on Isla.
What I was thinking was "Oh sugar, I cannae see a thing in front of me for this rain, hopefully I won't get squashed!"

I don’t think there’s been a Safeways for a very long time.

Here it has morphed into Morrissons for at least 20 years.

 

[Ianonabike]

Freedom makes me feel great!

This! Though I've had my ups and downs, it's been mostly ups. Ultimately there's nothing like it.