ho hum

When I had my sixth birthday, my father took me into town to let me pick out a birthday present. We went to the Gamble’s store downtown and spent some time looking at the things in the store and he guided me towards the bikes. I found a nice ‘banana seat sting-ray’ style bike that I wanted. On the way up to the check out stand I saw a beautiful truck and trailer rig in the other toys. It took me almost half an hour to decide to get the bike or the truck. I finally decided to get the bike.

We got home and took the bike out of the trunk and got it all adjusted. We lived at the end of a dirt road on a little hill. I had never ridden a bike before. I got on the bike and after a little push from my father; I went pedaling down the hill as fast as I could go. I was headed straight for the back of the neighbor’s pickup and everyone was yelling; “Put on the brakes, put on the brakes!” I slammed into the back of the truck and it took me almost a month to learn to master the art of riding a bike after that.

I would go out, get on, pedal a couple of times and fall over. I thought I would never get the hang of it. It was a great day when I was finally able to do it! It was another great day when I could ride all of the way up the hill without getting off to walk too.

I can recall many fun days spent with my friends on our bikes. We would ride the 16 miles round trip to the swimming pool in town. I carried a large snapping turtle home one day on my bike’s handle bars and kept it from biting me. We would go to the top of Virgil’s hill and defy death by riding our bikes down it. We would pretend to be Indy car drivers on the sidewalks of the church and go around and around in circles and race all afternoon. We built jumps. I even tried riding my bike off of a large loading ramp that was used to load tractors onto semi truck trailers. I don’t know how I missed the trip to the doctor on that one. Bikes were a sense of freedom. They allowed us to get out and go places and be away from town.

I have always enjoyed riding bikes. I got out of the habit of riding them for almost 15 years. Then, I suffered a tough injury to my knee. I ruptured my patellar tendon. I gained almost 40 pounds and started having trouble with my blood sugar. I was having trouble with being depressed and not feeling good.

I got a bike. I rode it. I had as much fun as I used to have. You can smell the smells, see things you would miss in a car, push yourself to new levels of performance be alone and think, and have a great day.

I wear cycling clothes. I have a nice bike. I am lighter, healthier and happier because of my hobby. I get ribbed by my dad and my kids about how the ‘clothes make the man’ when I am dressed up in my stuff. My dad told me that I wouldn’t catch him in clothes like that. And I replied he wouldn’t be able to catch me either. Fun…. That’s why I do it. I like the air, the freedom, the quiet, the smells, the sights and doing it alone where I am the one who is pushing against myself and imposing the goals and the standards that I choose.

I just love the whole package. Why do you cycle?

ovoleg

Nice story

I ride because I enjoy it.

I like going fast and I like doing that under my own power. You can drive fast but you really don't get that sense of speed until you are the one generating the power to make you go fast. Cornering downhill at 30+mph is another reason

chipcom 

I'm a guy - gotta ride something! I was told bikes were preferable many wives ago.

timmhaan

it's just such an awesome invention.

iamtim

I've always rode bikes. I didn't get my driver's license until after I was 18 because I was racing BMX and considering going pro. Once I got my license, my BMX career was shot. Well, my license and a girlfriend. :-)

cuda2k

https://thecuda.com/Cycling.html -- my story.

bbattle

I enjoy getting out in the countryside, talking to the cows, talking to myself. It's my favorite form of exercise.

Oh, and it gives me the perfect excuse to wear loud spandex in public and drop $275 on sunglasses.

jschen

I ride purely for fun. Not for exercise, though it's a nice side effect. Not to train for anything. Just because I enjoy it. Maybe someday, I'll train for something or have some other reason for riding (to get to work, perhaps). But for now, no reason other than enjoyment.

substructure

I was given a C'dale and it would sit there all lonely and stuff if I didn't.

badkarma

I initially took it up as a way to stay in shape b/c I was sick of running, and now it's nothing shy of an addiction. Now I'm 16 lbs lighter, a lot faster, and loving it more and more by the day. Plus, being on the bike offers some of the best scenery to occupy myself with as I ride; it's just not the same when you try to enjoy the scenery in a car.

Enthalpic

"Because it feels good when I stop." Seriously, that post ride high is great.

Sprocket Man

Exactly! Cycling allows me to wear lycra, which is the only socially acceptable way that I know to show off my "whole package"!

caloso

I ride my bike to ride my bike.

simplyred

Hmmm...
Because of him - he showed me how strong a human body really is.
So I'm trying to prove him wrong - just like the French
So far he's been right...


That - and for keeping in shape...

SteveAZ

Because I've beat the piss out of my body and that's just about all that's left that gives me that satisfaction of speed and pushing myself to a physical goal that I can actually do without to much discomfort.

LSPR_MTU

Love the story. I started riding regularly about 6 mos ago, partially for rehabilitating my shin splints, and partially because I see riders every sunday morning speeding down my road. (I live right on a 33 mile loop which winds around lake Monroe, it's awesome)

I'm finally able to start running gently again, but I'll keep up the cycling.

My dad lost 50 lbs. over about 8 mos when he first started cycling about 7 years ago, he had a Gary Fisher comfort bike. He eventually got into running, and he's since run about 6 full marathons. I became injured after only my first, but hopefully cycling will keep me healthy for my next one. I figure I've got about 20 years to catch up.

He's seen my nice new bike, and I think I may have sparked an interest in cycling. hehe. I'll let you guys know when he qualifies for Le Tour!

timwat

I hate the melodrama of this response myself, but the main reason I ride is to try to extend my life. The details are boring and interesting to no one but myself, but it sums up as involving serious pulmonary illness and effectively cheating death.

dragonflybikes

It partly comes down to the exercise and the competition. When I am in shape I feel much happier, and have a lot more energy, I look better too, and I can get more work done. Playing basketball could help keep me in shape but it beats my body up. Then there is the whole competitive side of me. Even if I don't ever do another race there is always a hill to try and beat others up, or when you start riding with a faster group, just trying to keep up. It also gives me something personal to focus on and of course something to spend my money on. I would consider swimming but there just don't really seem to be organized groups going out and swimming, (and it just wouldn't be the same or as much fun).

KrisPistofferson

I've commuted by bike most of my adult life, and over the years, I've fallen in love with almost every aspect of the sport, hobby, mechanics, industry and variety. I ride nearly every day, spend even more time doing mechanical work on them, and sometimes just sit and look at them like I would a Rodin sculpture. I'm a bike nut. It's funny, too, because I work as an auto mechanic.

Patriot

I like it.

Chicocreole

Started cycling for a form of Bodybuilding cardio cause I hate running I just wanted to get down to 6% bodyfat to see if I was good enough to compete on stage.

Instead I got addicted to cycling, and now I don't lift enough!

Been doing the Cardi-Commute for 2 years now!

iceberg

Amen to that.

I started playing ice hockey as a way to help me get in shape and have some fun. I kept getting injured because my body wasn't up to the challenge. I tore up my right shoulder pretty bad, so the doc said to find something else, so I got a bicycle. Enjoying it so far.

was_bmxer

I did my first race at the BMX track in 1979, aged 7. Still have the medal from it. I think every rider got a medal back then, didn't matter where you finished. Still have a BMX, last race was in late 2003.

Have been addicted to bikes my whole life. Cars & motorbikes can come and go. Have been to the USA, Australia, NZ and all over Europe, with my bike. Places that BMX, road and some mountain biking have taken me is amazing. I would ride if the effects of it were of no benifit, if it made me fat and killed me off, I would still do it. The fact that I am fit & strong is a added bonus. I race my road bike every second weekend, (could do 2 races a week now that it is summer). Have made many lifelong friends that share the same interests.

I can meet my father in the park and do some laps, he is 71 years old. I take my daughter with us in a child seat some times. It is in the blood.

baj32161

I ride for exercise and fun..no racing here..just an old fat guy trying to get my body where it should be. I don't plan to stop riding once I get there.

14max

I really began cycling at the age of 6 on a metallic red Schwinn Sting Ray. Beautiful metal flake with a metallic white cover banana seat and big swooping chrome handlebars. I rode it until the tires wore out then I rode it some more until the darn thing finally broke. I then graduated to a P.K. Ripper, then to a GT Pro, a CW Pro, and finally a Diamond Back Pro. I stopped riding for a while and then something incredible happened. I began to take notice of cycling again because of an American in France. Greg LeMond won the Tour in 1986 (I was 16 by this time) and I got really hooked again. I saw how colorful, fast, and exciting road racing was and I just knew I wanted to go fast. Faster than I had been able to go on my Sting Ray, et al. I wanted to experience the days of carefree riding only faster. My first bike was, again, a Schwinn. This time a Circuit. I loved it. The ride was excellent and the I felt like the king of the road. Aluminum caught my eye and before I knew it I was swapping out parts on the Circuit to a Cannondale. The old Criterium Series. What a rush. It was light(er) and nimble and would beat the crap out of me on rides over 50 miles. I just kept riding on...

In short, I ride to relive my youth. The curious side effects are better health and feeling invigorated which is really nice on days when the world wants to crush you. I ride for me and for my family so I will have the chance to be an old man with grandkids and great grandkids. That's why I ride...