What is cycling to you?

[Gillstay]

Its memories more than anything. I get on there and as I start to go down the road the motion makes me think of my mate in Australia who toured France with me, and the time I had a run to Tewkesbury, and the first underage drink by crashing through the pub door when I was 14, and the joy of getting the Koga to work so well, and the views from.... An eating great cakes.

 

[mikeIow]

Adventure and creating memories for me 😎
I’m too much of a fair weather cyclist these days, and (aside from my much younger youth!) never really commuted with it, so it was always fun rides out. Often with pals, although never been into large groups 👍
I like a multi-day cycle/camp, although nowadays that might be one a year 🫣
Deeply envious of those who spend longer on it, but MrsMikeIOW refuses to have anything to do with bikes, so that narrows the options 🤷‍♂️

 

[Gwylan]

I have one serviceable bike that is what gets used
For practical purposes it becomes a shopper, with panniers
For pleasure we roam, usually alone, with just a bar bag with tools, pump and so on.
We have toured together, with the minimum possible.

We roam taking advantage of local train connections. Have favourite routes from 20 to 50 km. These have variations, hills to avoid ascending or enjoy descending
Quiet lanes where we encounter numpties and hired assassins driving Amazon vans for cover.
But it's outdoors, exercise for mind and body, a special kind of peace as well as being as yet untaxed.

 

[mikeIow]

Definitely agree here. I often just 'switch off' when out in the rural areas.
Simply just stopping to admire a view or stopping at a field gate to ponder the whys & whens of the scene in front of me is a real pleasure.

As one of my fave selfies from my LEJoG almost 5 years ago illustrates, on a beautiful (although big: 84 miles) day through the Scottish Borders:

You can let your mind wander free whilst pedalling…& whilst I enjoy walking, you cover so much more ground.
At least until the hills arrive 🤣

 

[Thorn Sherpa]

Nowadays almost entirely commuting which I enjoy even when it's slinging it down to be fair. I use to cycle for pleasure on my days off before the 3rd and 4th child came along, now when not working i'm doing things with them (neither interested in cycling yet!) When the kids are older I can see myself starting to do some longer leisure rides.

 

[sevenfourate]

 

[matticus]

'just transport' the bicycle is so much more, it enabled your everyday human (for want of a better word, I refuse to use 'ordinary people') to travel distance in a day that seemed miraculous at the time, it widened the human gene pool even! It was so popular tarmac roads were laid primarily for cycling. If even 30 percent of people just transported themselves to the local shop by cycle the UK would be a changed place. By using your bike as 'just transport' shows people that it can be done simply if people could be bothered or created the political will. You may have inspired someone as you cycled by even.

Great post!

I'd add that the beauty of the cycle is that it does all that AND people can use it for more... niche purposes (racing, audax, stoopid riding involving mud - bleah! - etc ...).

 

[Oldhippy]

Thank you @matticus appreciate that. The cycle is indeed a remarkable invention.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

When you reach a certain respectable age, and head out on your bike like you are 30 years younger. You know you’ve found the elixir of life. What it is all about.

 

[Oldhippy]

I find it particularly incredulous when I'm out and when stopped for a drink I am asked 'Come far' the person asking is invariably astonished when I say 30 40 miles. People so underestimate how easy it is cycle a good distance with no super fitness, special clothing. Just hop on and go.

 

[fossyant]

Cycling has been part of my life since my first bike, a Budgie. It's me.

Done most of it TBH, commuting, road racing, time trials, MTB, bit of early cross racing on an MTB, big rides, little rides. The key is to mix it up. I don't do a lot of utility riding - i.e. shopping etc.

Commuting is a means to an end - primary is it is a routine, it keeps you fit for the fun stuff and sometimes saves money. It does, however, not suffer from traffic, or cancelled trains. It does, however come with downsides - my major accidents have all been cycling to or from work. Doing the daft stuff, like chucking yourself down a mountain on an MTB - nope, the odd scuff, the odd slide down the trail on my head.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I find it particularly incredulous when I'm out and when stopped for a drink I am asked 'Come far' the person asking is invariably astonished when I say 30 40 miles. People so underestimate how easy it is cycle a good distance with no super fitness, special clothing. Just hop on and go.

It's great on day rides, but even better touring, where what are perceived as huge distances can be done without any special fitness. On our big tour a couple of years ago, in places like Southern Italy, the conversation on arriving in the evening would go something like

"Where did you come from?
"Manchester"
"Great, but where did you cycle from?"
"Manchester"
"WTF!"

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I never thought about why I did it, I just fell in love with cycling when the old man bought me a sit up and beg when I was thirteen. I used to look at club cyclists riding by on there "Proper" bikes and thought, "I want to be one of those". A couple of years later I was.

 

[presta]

I find it particularly incredulous when I'm out and when stopped for a drink I am asked 'Come far' the person asking is invariably astonished when I say 30 40 miles. People so underestimate how easy it is cycle a good distance with no super fitness, special clothing. Just hop on and go.

At York YHA:
"How far have you come?"
"I've cycled up from home in Essex"
"Why didn't you just put the bike on the train?"

It's great on day rides, but even better touring, where what are perceived as huge distances can be done without any special fitness. On our big tour a couple of years ago, in places like Southern Italy, the conversation on arriving in the evening would go something like

"Where did you come from?
"Manchester"
"Great, but where did you cycle from?"
"Manchester"
"WTF!"

Landlady at the Goddard Arms in Clyffe Pypard:
"Didn't we see you a few days ago?"
"Yes, I was on my way down to Land's End, now I'm on my way back home to Essex."

 

[EltonFrog]

Well, I’m about to bring a bit of a downer to the proceedings: I no longer enjoy cycling. The antisocial behaviour from drivers, pedestrians, and even other cyclists has finally worn me down. The thought of getting on a bike now fills me with anxiety and dread.

I was meant to go out today for a little social ride with some acquaintances, I took one look at the weather and thought, “feck it, I’m not going.” A couple of years ago I’d have gone out regardless of the conditions.

On Monday I did 20 miles on the road bike, and the whole time I kept asking myself, “why am I doing this?” I felt no sense of achievement or satisfaction when I got home.

Three weeks ago I hired a leccy bike and did 30 miles on traffic‑free routes around Canberra. It was fun, it was safe, and I didn’t witness a single bit of negativity. The gorgeous weather helped, of course. I genuinely enjoyed it.

But now that I’m back here, I just can’t face it anymore. For me, cycling in this country is sh!t.

I suppose I should be grateful. I’ve had about 30 years of enjoyment from cycling, with some great adventures and visits to places I’d never have reached otherwise. I’ve been very lucky.

Maybe the love will come back one day. Who knows.