What do you actually get out of cycling............?

[beardy01]

Like most others i started cycling after not being on a bike for 15yrs to lose the 2 and a half stone i had put on. After 6mths and now 2 stone lighter i now get grumpy if i cant get on my bike 3 times a week for 25+ miles and a 55+ ride at the weekend. Am enjoying it even more than when i first started for weight loss and fitness reasons. Riding quickly downhill or on the flat , even liking pushing myself up a climb ( not at the time tho ) having a little relaxed ride round the country lanes and discovering roads locally you never knew existed. Every ride is different and enjoyable for different reasons so grab yourself a decent bike and get out there, i spent £900 pound on my trek so it would force me out knowing i couldnt not go out and see a lump of cash sitting there. Glad i did as i love it and dont have to upgrade for a while yet. You wont be disappointed and you feel better for it

 

[Custom24]

Endorphins

 

[Squid lips]

Hiding place from the wife and two daughters ( I get nagged in surround sound )
And the beautiful Lake District, peace and quiet and fitness

 

[Shut Up Legs]

@WozzaTT: my tip for continuing to cycle through the Winter months is simple: just dress for the weather. With the right choice of clothing, you can stay warm and dry in bad weather, and still enjoy the cycling. Also: cycle regularly, so it becomes a routine habit, because that also helps keep you doing it.
Welcome to the CC fora .

 

[HailshamHoop]

Same as lots on here, hadn't cycled for years, started again about 3 years ago with a second hand mountain bike, was using it mostly on roads so 18 months ago bought a Scott CX bike that someone had cashed in at a pawnbrokers (£1200 new, only 9 months old got for £450 , got a bike fit at "the tri store" in Eastbourne and have never looked back.
35-65 miler at weekends and out at least twice during the week. I don't mind the winter months, just dress accordingly and check weather forecast to pre plan the best days to get out that week. And a lovely 30miler on Xmas day afternoon where I saw 2 vehicle in nearly 2 hours.
Also taking the bike on holidays (Peak district next week) and planning routes with a few challenging hills thrown in, and watch the wardrobe space reserved for lycra grow steadily

 

[Lincov]

Far easier parking at work, fitness, stress relief, occasional social...but mostly because it makes me feel like a kid again!

 

[vickster]

I had a nice 25mile ride this morning, improved by sunshine and less traffic. I don't think I had any particularly tittish drivers either! I don't think I've ever managed that distance at an average of over 15mph, nor indeed without stopping (I didn't unclip my right foot once) The Fulcrums definitely help. No great aches and pains either in leg or back, so that's progress. I might try the same run tomorrow morning on the carbon

(I realise 500ft of climbing is bu*ger all)

http://app.strava.com/activities/171022525

 

[John the Canuck]

I had a nice 25mile ride this morning, improved by sunshine and less traffic. ...
......... No great aches and pains either in leg or back, so that's progress....

excellent bit of news --.!

just off out myself - my av speed will be a LOT less than yours tho..

 

[BigAl68]

Fitness, freedom and fun

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I had a nice 25mile ride this morning, improved by sunshine and less traffic. I don't think I had any particularly tittish drivers either! I don't think I've ever managed that distance at an average of over 15mph, nor indeed without stopping (I didn't unclip my right foot once) The Fulcrums definitely help. No great aches and pains either in leg or back, so that's progress. I might try the same run tomorrow morning on the carbon

(I realise 500ft of climbing is bu*ger all)

http://app.strava.com/activities/171022525

Its half what I did over 100Km yesterday.

 

[Mo1959]

@vickster Well done. Great to see you back on board again and at a decent speed already!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

My background is that I've cycled for as long as I can remember but for many years they were all mainly short trips as I never plucked up the courage to go out and do the long rides I daydreamed about. Then a couple of things happened which changed that: Firstly I had a car dealer ask me why I even needed a car as I was driving such short distances (6 miles each week day), then I spent a day sailing and realised how unfit I really was. A cheap bike was purchased (so as not to risk the best bike) and I started cycling to work.

Rides to work led to more pleasure-trips, which led to wanting to go further afield, which led to actually doing those rides I had daydreamed about before moving on to more adventurous ones still.

Initially what I got out of cycling was getting fit, losing weight and saving the cost of fuel and parking. What I get now is that cycling makes most trips into an adventure in a way that driving has long since ceased to do and I get a real buzz from riding big distances or on challenging routes. I find I enjoy the scenery more from the bike too - the views from the hill tops seem far more epic when you've had to work to get there and I've been to places that I'd probably never have seen at all if I hadn't been on the bike.

Although my preference is fair-weather riding I do ride through the winter, mainly because I start to feel stir crazy if I haven't been on the bike for a few days. The winter just gone was difficult and I got wet a fair few times, but still enjoyed the rides.

As with any outdoor activity in winter, the secret is layers of clothing so that you can adjust it to suit. For example, you're likely to want to be well layered up at the start of a ride, but once you've got a couple of miles done you'll start to warm up properly and will want to shed a layer or two. I find a Buff really useful. Worn under the crash hat it keeps in the warmth in winter but also wicks away sweat in summer to keep me from overheating.

Your bike will need to be looked after more in winter. The dirt, grit and salt off the roads is not good for drivetrains and will also wear brakes faster than usual.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can't get the mental picture of Hepburn's bum and Saluki's legs out of my mind now. I wish these girls would stop talking dirty, I've come over all hot and bothered

 

[ianrauk]

I can't get the mental picture of Hepburn's bum and Saluki's legs out of my mind now. I wish these girls would stop talking dirty, I've come over all hot and bothered

Better get out on yer bike then..

 

[gavgav]

Cycling is a big mood lifter for me. I've had the most stressful and emotional 6 months of my life, this year, and getting out on the bike a couple of times a week has been one of the few things that have kept me from totally losing it I think. I feel so much better, relaxed and have a clearer head, after a ride.

There is also the feeling of a challenge and discovering new places and roads that I have never been on before