Hey Riders,
Who / What , started your Motivation to Ride?
My Dad "Toured" for two decades.
I tagged along every year on the Milk pail run (ILL.) , the Elroy _ Sparta.(WI.)
to name a few.
Although I have yet to do a Century of some sort myself :rolleyes:

Friends got me to start riding mountain bikes years ago. Then I started to commute to work somtimes to help with my mountain biking and now I really enjoy road riding.

Hey Riders,
Who / What , started your Motivation to Ride?
My Dad "Toured" for two decades.
I tagged along every year on the Milk pail run (ILL.) , the Elroy _ Sparta.(WI.)
to name a few.
Although I have yet to do a Century of some sort myself :rolleyes:

I started riding a POS mountain bike/comfort bike to get into shape for the next elk hunt. I started last sumer at about June 1, by Sept I had purchased a C-Dale cross bike and was hooked. I now have nearly 4K miles on that bike (since Sept) and have lost near 20lbs. I'm in a lot better shape for the hunts now, I just don't have time!

I keep a lot of short-term goals also, last thursday I broke my old lunch-time ride record by nine minutes (ave 17.3mph ave. with 1200ft of climbing) and in about 2 weeks I'm doing a 10 mile ride with over 4 at 9% grade topping out at 9021ft. I'm little nervous but it shouldn't be too bad. I commute because I can't stand inactivity but I have a desk job :(

my motivation is the ride itself.

zen proverb:
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"

The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the first student, "You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do."

The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!" The teacher commended the second student, "Your eyes are open, and you see the world."

The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."

The fourth student replied, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings." The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."

The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, "I am your student!"

the_dude

So true Some call it "Runners High" (Not that episode on cops) :D
bReally though about two miles into any road ride I forget about everthing and go into Auto pilot and daydream as the miles go by me... ;)

my motivation is the ride itself.

zen proverb:
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"

The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the first student, "You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do."

The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!" The teacher commended the second student, "Your eyes are open, and you see the world."

The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."

The fourth student replied, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings." The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."

The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, "I am your student!"

the_dude what city/county/ and esp: what State is this in? And don't xpect the League of American Wheelmen to withhold it. If they have any testaments, at all ---- that they stand up to.

Friends got me to start riding mountain bikes years ago. Then I started to commute to work somtimes to help with my mountain biking and now I really enjoy road riding. What difference do You find between these two categories? (that is in the attitude) I find the mtb bikers more aggressive/jerks. A perfect match to the suv owners.drivers.

As a kid my bike carried me away from my parents to places I wanted to go and felt great gettin there. Now I'm 56 and the doubled exhiliration of riding and freedom join me for at least a few minutes almost every time I ride. Even this morning scarified roads and high humidity couldn't suck all the joy out of the experience. Accelerating to get through an intersection and then rolling slowly for the next left I was "one with the machine" and all was right for the two miles over the bridge and on to work.

I've always enjoyed riding but was too uncomfortable on my bike after ~10 miles to ride often. That is until I found recumbents. I bought a cheap used recumbent, quickly out grew it and bought a faster lighter one. I started doing a few centuries a year and riding 20 mile rides 3-4 times a week. Then I started a new job and had a daughter. My free time for after work rides dried up so I started commuting. I liked it so much I wanted to ride year round. My high performance recumbent was not suitable for poor weather riding and winters in Cleveland include lots of salt so I wanted a simple bike. "Fixed Gear"!
Now I commute everyday year round on a fixed gear. I now save the recumbent for weekend rides and the occasional century.
Craig

And somehow remember everything at the sametime. I don't know what it is and it does not even really matter what I am riding or where I am going. Somehow things are clear and regardless of the suffering I have fun everytime. I really don't know if I have ever gone for a ride and when it is all over not think I had a great time. Regardless of flats, big hills, torn tires rain, crashes, rednecks... It is always a great time. And get this... Every morning getting ready for my commute I am anxious to head off to work just because I get to ride my bike. At about 3 pm as time draws near to leave work.. I get all anxious all over again because I get to ride my bike. Today, because it is only about 77 degrees (and the wind is down) here in Colorado Springs I think I will go home over Mesa Rd. and climb a hill I could really avoid.

I wuld ride every day if I could because it makes me feel great!

And somehow remember everything at the sametime. I don't know what it is and it does not even really matter what I am riding or where I am going. Somehow things are clear and regardless of the suffering I have fun everytime. I really don't know if I have ever gone for a ride and when it is all over not think I had a great time. Regardless of flats, big hills, torn tires rain, crashes, rednecks... It is always a great time. And get this... Every morning getting ready for my commute I am anxious to head off to work just because I get to ride my bike. At about 3 pm as time draws near to leave work.. I get all anxious all over again because I get to ride my bike. Today, because it is only about 77 degrees (and the wind is down) here in Colorado Springs I think I will go home over Mesa Rd. and climb a hill I could really avoid.

I wuld ride every day if I could because it makes me feel great! life's too ez for some; I'm xperienced enuff of a sighclist ---- so to give YOU BREAK-IN sessions: so to observe the "REAL-WORLD." After all, more&more of those humans getting tired of the population and traffic of Southern California (that they were part of the problem in creating) ----- are moving towards your area, and less populated states/counties.

Hey Riders,
Who / What , started your Motivation to Ride?

I started riding (get this...) to get back and forth to DRIVER'S ED CLASSES! That's right. When I was 15.5, I lived 18 miles away from the nearest driver's ed class offered in the summertime. I rode my old Raleigh (real English Raleigh) three speed back and forth to the class, 36 miles per day on that baby. By the time I had my driver's license, I was hooked ON CYCLING! I bought my first "real bike" at the end of the summer, a 27"-frame Fuji Sports 12. I sure wish I'd kept the Raleigh, but we ended up giving it to the kids of some of our neighbors back in 1982 or so.

i actually would say more roadies tend to be uptight pricks , whereas most mtbr's are laid back. Although there are jerks and sandbaggers in both groups.

Jon

life's too ez for some; I'm xperienced enuff of a sighclist ---- so to give YOU BREAK-IN sessions: so to observe the "REAL-WORLD." After all, more&more of those humans getting tired of the population and traffic of Southern California (that they were part of the problem in creating) ----- are moving towards your area, and less populated states/counties.

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