So, why do you?

Ardennes1944

different people love different things in their lives and most have a specific reason for doing so. but why do ye guys love/enjoy cycling? and not just why do ye love it but what moments make it special, if at all.
for me, i have always felt it gives so much more freedom with miles of space surrounding you and just you and your bike. youre alone and its up to you to get where you need to be. looking at the "photos on your cycle" thread of people with just a camera and their bike cycling through remote and beautiful places in this country and others i couldnt help but feel happy that there are still people enjoying peace and quiet in this mad world we live in.

forgive me im feeling nostalgic

Beasty

To help make me live longer ...


... or die trying

AstraMonti

Because of boards.ie and the feeling of accomplishment every time you get over that hill.

Jawgap

.......because the scenery changes quicker than when I run.


and lately because at least one son is showing interest in going for longer spins - there must be very few sports / activities you could take up with your kids and (hopefully) keep at it with them through their teens and beyond.

Second son is starting to nibble now, especially after I introduced the first fellah to the traditions of cake and he came back with stories of gluttony from a recent spin:)

Harrybelafonte

To be honest, for my mental wellbeing. I could do plenty of things to sort out weight issues etc, but cycling is the only one that keeps me happy, and pretty much the only challenge I genuinely enjoy and gives me a sense of deserved satisfaction.

Plus it's fun and I get to spend time with my son, doing something we both enjoy.

CramCycle

Because it is the only way I get a day pass from the missus

monkeyslayer

because i spend so much money on it I'd feel stupid if i didn't

and it keeps me sane

briano

I don't actually cycle, I just talk about it and buy stuff.

Kintarō Hattori

Because it allows me to travel further than I could walk. I'd never have gone for a 20km walk last Saturday around the back roads of Balbriggan. It gives you an incredible feeling and the actual process of cycling is exciting.

TinyExplosions

I hate it.

...but it's good for me

07Lapierre

One of the few sports where you can sit down and take a break without having to stop!

Jawgap

........oh, and to save money.....

rolo454

Cycling for me is like a meditation. I feel like all the stress and worries in my life don't matter.
All that matters is going forward, exploring new places and trails, going further and finding something new.
My body and mind feel at ease and relaxed during and after a cycle.
Be it a short spin or a distance cycle; it feels amazing.

pmcd22

sence of acomplishment. heart rate pumping. scenery intake. downhill speed overload.

daragh_

Lycra fetish. Especially black and pink Lycra:D

Mates are always saying it must be a great way to be alone and think about 'stuff'. When I'm off on spins I don't think about anything at all, apart from where the next bit of cake/coffee is coming from.

Partly the Camaraderie, partly the freedom to just go, and bizarrely, the hills. I really like hills. I'm obviously sick.

michael196

to bring me to parts of this beautiful country that i might not otherwise see, ( wicklow way and Powerscourt for example), scenary, exercise, good company, making friends en route, listening to the ipod out there when on my own, accomplishments ( dublin to wexford etc), good health benefits, smaller pants:

Ardennes1944

good to see the replies here lads. glad to see some of ye really feeling the freedom from it

Biopace

'cause cars are too expensive these days, and the gardai can't annoy you for having a bit of fun on a trail up the side of a mountain

unionman

daragh_ wrote: »

Partly the Camaraderie, partly the freedom to just go, and bizarrely, the hills. I really like hills. I'm obviously sick.

I know him. He is sick.

unionman

Like what daragh said, when I'm out on a spin I stop thinking about anything except maybe the next food stop. I take it as a sign of a good spin that by the time I get home I can barely remember my own name, let alone what I do for a living.

That and a big sloppy endorphin-induced grin.:cool:

thehamo

A lot of mention of cake here. I knew I was goin wrong somewhere!

ednwireland

cos i move de legs and de wheels go round (slowly)

smacl

Exploring all those tiny little side roads that litter our countryside that no one ever seems to use, and being miles away from everything in the middle of nowhere.

kennyb3

I honestly think its because im a saddist, i love the pain and the sense of accoplishment you get after. The pain cyling up hills is better than running or other sports.

RussellTuring

It keeps me fit and is a free form of transport. I love the feeling of whizzing past cars stuck in traffic. The effort I have to put in to climb a hill and the sense of relief when I reach the top, followed by the wind going through my hair as I try to keep up my cadence to match my momentum on the way down (I ride a fixie). I love the feeling I get in my legs and arms that proves I had to work.

I love exploring my city and making mental connections of places I once thought were far apart but then realise are only separated by a short cycle. I love the sense of accomplishment after I have a hard cycle or I get somewhere faster than I expected without making any effort. Most of all, I love the fact that there's no other bike quite like mine.

Gasco

I have asked myself this question many times. At some level I think the link between the technology (and the fact that it is possible to do some effective diy) and fitness that really appeals.
The whole stats (I want a Garmin) thing, mapping the spin, comparing average speeds with the last spin etc. is relatively easy on a bike. I also "see" improvements with regular training something I don't get with running.

And hills, despite being a very bad climber, I love the mental and physical battle of the steepest hills. The bike allows you to reach a stage of suffering that you cannot manage with running.

Also, my wife no longer allows me to wear lycra around the house - it was the obvious outlet.

Ardennes1944

being a part-time saddist, feck this studying im going cycling up the airport hill, pain here i come baby!

Lawrence1895

It's the fastest way to get into work

joker77

kennyb3 wrote: »

I honestly think its because im a saddist, i love the pain and the sense of accoplishment you get after. The pain cyling up hills is better than running or other sports.

Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »

being a part-time saddist, feck this studying im going cycling up the airport hill, pain here i come baby!

Huh? Sadist? You get off watching other people in pain while cycling?

Or do you mean masochist?

(apologies, the pedant in me couldn't help it)

Gasco wrote: »

I have asked myself this question many times. At some level I think the link between the technology (and the fact that it is possible to do some effective diy) and fitness that really appeals.
The whole stats (I want a Garmin) thing, mapping the spin, comparing average speeds with the last spin etc. is relatively easy on a bike. I also "see" improvements with regular training something I don't get with running.

And hills, despite being a very bad climber, I love the mental and physical battle of the steepest hills. The bike allows you to reach a stage of suffering that you cannot manage with running.

Also, my wife no longer allows me to wear lycra around the house - it was the obvious outlet.

This sums up a masochist pretty neatly

kennyb3

joker77 wrote: »

Huh? Sadist? You get off watching other people in pain while cycling?

Or do you mean masochist?

(apologies, the pedant in me couldn't help it)


This sums up a masochist pretty neatly

feck ya anyway, no wonder i never got any A's in english

mahoo

because finally i can be good at a sport despite my poor co-ordination
any activity that involves eating and drinking lots is always a winner in my book too. hills, freedom, speed, sense of achievement all good

Ardennes1944

saddist....didnt fully know what it meant so i just trusted your man...big mistake! back from the cycle....masochist!

daragh_

You can be both.

Masochist - Sure I'll do 'just one more' hill.

Sadist - 'Lads' it looks worse than it is, honest'

Ardennes1944

ill be both:) covered in spray from the roads! tyres are below optimum psi really need that track pump!

kumate_champ07

kennyb3 wrote: »

I honestly think its because im a saddist, i love the pain and the sense of accoplishment you get after. The pain cyling up hills is better than running or other sports.

its nice but comes second to heavy overhead barbell press and olympic squats. epsecially when the weight is about to crush you and you gotta push even more to finish, with a bike you can just step off and admire the view!

Ardennes1944

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

its nice but comes second to heavy overhead barbell press and olympic squats. epsecially when the weight is about to crush you and you gotta push even more to finish, with a bike you can just step off and admire the view!

ah thats not a sport at all thats a hobby :pac:

fireblade001

Because I enjoy the freedom to thinking about things in my life, I enjoy the pain as it gives me a buzz, (probably the endorphins) helps give me a focus in life, the craic/the banter, the time away from the wife n’ kids.
I love being in the thick of the action (been awhile since that happened) either in a race, club race or club training spin and being totally knackered with sore/cramping legs, thinking I’ll be dropped, but once the hammer goes down, someone attacks or a hill/climb comes up I realise other people are more tired than me, which I suppose comes back to the pain.

PS: I've been known to cry with pain going over the top of a climb - only the once mind.

Undercover Elephant

RussellTuring wrote: »

It ... is a free form of transport.

One of us is doing it wrong.

CramCycle

Undercover Elephant wrote: »

One of us is doing it wrong.

It's not you

Gingersnaps

For me it's the challenge and sense of achievement. I really enjoy leaving the city and heading for Wicklow. Just enjoying the fantastic scenery when you get there and then that lovely satisfying tired feeling when you get home. It's a 70K loop across Sallys gap from my house and back. I just love it

studiorat

The challenge of covering a bit of distance or climbing a hill, + on crying with pain (why am I doing this!!!) Then the buzz of going fast back down that same hill. And And finally taking bits off the bike only to clean them and put them back on again or replace them with more expensive bits, or make a tired old bike into a nice new one again.