What is cycling for?

[palinurus]

A number of things, only some of which involve lycra.

There's my commute. Practically all my transport as it goes, load carrying with the trailer. Cycle sport too, time-trials and cyclocross.

What I like about cycling is where it can take you. I swear I got into racing because I bought a Brompton, like this:

The Brompton led to an Airnimal and the Airnimal led to faster riding and that led to trying a TT, then joining a club and then more time-trials and then cyclocross (picking up a few more bikes on the way)

 

[HJ]

You were losing your faith in CC??

Yes...

 

[WeeE]

Hadn't been on a bike since I was about ten. Got one for about equal parts mobility and getting fit again.

On my first ride, after just a couple of blocks, I was literally unable to stand up for half an hour & still ready to throw up when I did. Thoroughly miserable...and yet...those two blocks, gliding along (even with falling off, but that's another story) it was such fun. I suppose I'd kinda forgotten the fun part, thought it was being a child, when anything was fun.

Nope, it was riding a bike that was fun, and it's still fun. Shopping is one of the things in life I like least, but pedalling back from the shops with more shopping than I can physically lift in one go...is fun!

WeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

 

[Mycroft]

what is cycling for?

transport!
be that moving you from one spot to another or transporting your mental state to a calmer more settled place, combining the two is ideal

even if one decides to challenge oneself with some big miles/hills/speed (or all three) one is still transported physically, and mentally arrive at a better place through the sense of achievement as well as the preparation mental and physical that the effort involves.

-

I started back into it after serious illness, drs eventually were no help to some of the side effects my treatment had left me with, I lost my confidence in my physical self as well as my mental drive stamina and stubbornness (think i used it all up getting through treatment)

I've managed to shift what felt like an ocean of fluid/water retention from my back arms legs and backside (face as well) but I've still got to shift some actual FAT.

I started the year with the resolution it was going to be MY year and promptly got the shingles, managed to do my first 50 miler and then got the swine flu. managed a 40 miler recently with 18 of that over a mountain.

the confidence hasn't been this good for years... THATS what cycling is for!

and along the way I, having never owned a car, decided that THIS was going to be my transport, so now its a way of life... THATS what cycling is for!