berts

i've often wondered why, for many people, the fascination and desire for cycling continues from early childhood through the latter years in life. Is it something intrinsic about the machine which lures us, the freedom it offers to quietly glide over the highways and byways, the challenge of conquering a hill or overcoming competition, or could it simply be the enjoyment we derive from self-propulsion, being in touch with our environs.

Here I sit with a broken femur neck and - for the love of cycling - my thoughts are already wandering to the hopeful near future when I'll get back to my old steed, wind wipping through my helmet, scent of pine in the early morning, pedaling up the hills and coasting down.

Is there a cure?

oilman_15106

Nope.

NOS88

Recovering from injury is a difficult thing. I hope yours goes quickly. The only cure I know for wanderlust is death.... not a cure I'm especially interested in yet.

Blackberry

I have been astonished many times by the regenerative power of the human body and the human spirit. Hang in there. Listen to your doc. And keep us posted.

George

I ride because of everything you said.Good look with your recovery and get back riding as soon as you can.

Big Paulie

+1

stapfam

Berts- Had a couple of nasty incidents that should have kept me off the bike. All I could think off was "When and how can I get back on the bike?"

Bit awkward for you to get down a gym, or walk fast round the town- but Find some way of keeping the cycle muscles in trim. Not A.1. condition- but just exercise them in some way. While we are on the Diego ride this weekend- How about starting on hopping on the spot(Supported by crutches of course) or a Wheelchair sprint. When you get mobile you could come to Eastbourne and join in the Zimmer frames races on the pier. (Sorry -local joke due to the retired outnumbering the working in Eastbourne as it seems to attract the older resident).

I do not envy you but time to get the Relations and friends scouring the newsagents for Cycling magazines- Get them out to the bike shops for the latest Pamphlets on the bikes or get surfing to find out the latest Specs on the 07 material. Then when we have a query on what is best for our bikes to upgrade them- We will have a resident Expert to hand.

One my Incidents and I never thought I would get back to serious riding again. 11 weeks later I did a 40 miler on a route that if I knew how hard it was going to be- I would have trained for. And that was after 6 months of not riding a bike except to make certain it still fitted. The other time I was back riding after 8 weeks, and I was warned that it may have been some while before I could ride again.
Only thing was that I did try to get a bit fitter whilst off the bike so Start the power pressups- Get on the rowing machine one legged or find something that is going to get the Cardio working without damaging the leg.

Good luck and hope to hear that you have upset the surgeons by doing a century ride 6 months before they expected you to.

crtreedude 

Good luck on the recovery and there is no cure for the love of cycling. Even when it hurts us - we are right back at it.

My love is based on enjoying exploring. There is something so fun about just being on a bike - cranking out the kilometers and exploring the nooks and crannies of where you live. Especially when you live in a third world country! I did a exploring ride yesterday. Met some new people, saw a new place, got to eat a LOT of icecream so that I could make it up the hill.

I went places I wouldn't want to go with an SUV.

John E

Get well soon, berts; Mazel Tov!

As I have written before in BikeForums, bicycling is the only sport I have truly loved. It has brought me cost-effective freedom of mobility, camaraderie, cardiovascular fitness, fun, and pleasant hours of tinkering.

Cassave

It's the endorphins we crave.
There is no cure.

I go out looking for that strange sensation that occurs on really hard climbs when after a long pull up a steep grade the slope of the road levels just a bit, still going up, but not as steep and it feels like the bike has it's own power. It seems to be carrying you up the hill under it's own power. Fantastic.

Heal quickly.

rule

10,000 years and counting...I'm going with no.



Get better berts.

Coyote!

Berts ruminated. . .

>>> wondered. . .fascination and desire for cycling continues. . .through the latter years in life. . . something intrinsic. . .freedom. . .quietly glide. . .challenge. . .enjoyment we derive from self-propulsion. . .being in touch with our environs

At nine years old, for me the bike was freedom incarnate in Small Town USA. Rode to school. . .rode to odd-jobs. . .rode to meet the guys. . .rode to get away from parents/church/school. . .rode to meet some gals. . .rode to exhaust my energy. . .rode to think. . .rode for adventure. . .rode to explore. . .rode to escape irate landowners. . .rode LONG after my counterparts were driving. . fixed it when it broke. . .jury-rigged it when I didn't have a clue. . .experimented with the whole accessible engineering gestalt it provided. . .upgraded when I had the funds. Later on, commuted for 15 years. . .vacationed on two wheels.

Guys, when I throw a leg over, ALL THAT comes rolling up the road to me as if I was still nine years old. You can’t buy that kind of joy.

Blackberry

How right you are. Berts, we'll look forward to seeing you on the road soon.

byte_speed

Cure? Who wants a cure?

jppe

I agree with Berts that there is an attraction that is hard for me to explain to those who don't ride. However, they do sense the enthusiasm that goes with it........

cyclezen

I think about it almost everyday, ranks up there with "What am I doin here?"
seems like such a simple thing. There's plenty of other things that are more challenging, more technical and for the guyz - goes faster, makes more noise and comes with more instructions - and plenty more things more introspective.
Not sure, but for me, cycling is a lot like ridin a bike, an act of balance - a little bit of everything mentioned above, rolled into 'one thing' that you can mould into anything you want on any particular ride or moment.
And most importantly, you're movin at the speed of life.
cure what?

Monoborracho

Berts:

You may recall I spent much of last year in recovery from surgeries. When sleeping, day dreaming, or waking I would have those same type of thoughts you describe. In the heat of last summer and fall I would approach bedtime, get all splinted and bandaged up, take something for the pain and something to sleep, and doze off thinking of riding off into the hills on a cool weekend morning. And before you know it....I could.

Keep daydreaming, healing, and posting. Its good for the spirit.

urban rider

I am sitting in bed recoverying from a pinched nerve. I had a four shot in my back. I haven't been on my back in three weeks, due to illness and trying to address my back. Reading this forum helps me. I can't wait to get back on my back.


Gas, the price of a can of beans

DaveTaylor

berts: with all these great posts, all I can think to say is, focus on healing, dream about riding and here's wishing you a rapid and full recovery!