Bike Riding vs Cycling
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Bike Riding vs Cycling
I'm an old man who fell in love with cycling as a young man. Now, coming back from heart bypass surgery cycling has once again enriched my life far beyond my expectations. I never imagined I could enjoy cycling as much or more than I did 45 years ago, but that's how it feels.
I had to take a week off the bike after cataract surgery 6 days ago. Today I wanted to wake up my legs and did a beautiful ride up the North Shore of Lake Superior, the scenic route, on nicely paved wide shoulders with no need to put a foot down for 2 hours of steady riding. I actually did an out and back and took a snack break in the middle of a 30 mile ride. With only about 600 feet of climbing up and down the rocky terrain of the North Shore it was easy to keep a nice tempo. As usual, the weather changed two or three times from overcast and calm to partly sunny to breezy and foggy on the way back. Lake Superior is a true force of nature and riding along its shore is always a sensually rich experience.
While moving along I took a break from the sensations to daydream a bit. I was thinking about how the way most folks refer to cycling - riding a bike or biking - are just inadequate words to describe how I think or feel about what I am doing. Riding a bike seems to be more about getting from here to there, while cycling seems to be about being on the bike. It doesn't really matter where I go, how far I go, or how long it takes me as it does about the experience itself. Of course, the cliche' comes to mind: it's not about the destination, but he journey, but sometimes cliche's are apt, and I think cycling embodies that in a way few other activities do.
Not that any of this matters, of course. I was pulled out of my daydream by a complaining leg. Every cyclist knows what I'm talking about: a leg or legs start squawking. It's not a cramp, exactly, but something like that. I shifted to a higher gear and dropped my tempo, powered up the next hill and the leg shut up. My butt even began to get a little tender - even a week off the bike at my age has consequences. Still, I feel like I woke up and for me that's what cycling is about.
I had to take a week off the bike after cataract surgery 6 days ago. Today I wanted to wake up my legs and did a beautiful ride up the North Shore of Lake Superior, the scenic route, on nicely paved wide shoulders with no need to put a foot down for 2 hours of steady riding. I actually did an out and back and took a snack break in the middle of a 30 mile ride. With only about 600 feet of climbing up and down the rocky terrain of the North Shore it was easy to keep a nice tempo. As usual, the weather changed two or three times from overcast and calm to partly sunny to breezy and foggy on the way back. Lake Superior is a true force of nature and riding along its shore is always a sensually rich experience.
While moving along I took a break from the sensations to daydream a bit. I was thinking about how the way most folks refer to cycling - riding a bike or biking - are just inadequate words to describe how I think or feel about what I am doing. Riding a bike seems to be more about getting from here to there, while cycling seems to be about being on the bike. It doesn't really matter where I go, how far I go, or how long it takes me as it does about the experience itself. Of course, the cliche' comes to mind: it's not about the destination, but he journey, but sometimes cliche's are apt, and I think cycling embodies that in a way few other activities do.
Not that any of this matters, of course. I was pulled out of my daydream by a complaining leg. Every cyclist knows what I'm talking about: a leg or legs start squawking. It's not a cramp, exactly, but something like that. I shifted to a higher gear and dropped my tempo, powered up the next hill and the leg shut up. My butt even began to get a little tender - even a week off the bike at my age has consequences. Still, I feel like I woke up and for me that's what cycling is about.
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Keep your old butt happy by standing once in awhile as you pedal.
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Fred "The Real Fred"
Fred "The Real Fred"
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I don't know what the right word is - I tend to prefer "cycling, like the OP", but I do know that at the right moment, bicycle riding is transcendental in a way that is hard to describe unless you've felt it.
Or, as I read last year,
"I asked Robin Williams why he loved riding a bicycle so much. He said it was the closest you can get to flying."
Or, as I read last year,
"I asked Robin Williams why he loved riding a bicycle so much. He said it was the closest you can get to flying."
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I'm not much concerned with what we call it, but I empathise with your feelings about being on the bike. I'm often asked what I think about when on a long ride, or when touring, and the answer, often, is nothing. I'm not thinking, I'm just being. It's highly meditative and, I think, extremely good for my mental health. The modern description of it is "mindfulness" - being in the moment, aware of one's relationship with one's surroundings, in contact with the physical rhythms of the activity. I feel whole when on the bike.
#5
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I was putting on my helmet and gloves after a break during a ride this morning. A woman came around the corner and saw me and asked "is it fun"? My answer was yes, I feel like a 12 year old kid when I'm on the bike. I'll be 60 in a few months.
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Bicycling/cycling/biking/bike-riding/whatever-you-want-to-call-it helps keep me immature...............................
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I got started late at cycling (age 12), but I never gave it up or took a long break from it. It remains the one sport I have truly loved. I have always been essentially devoid of athletic ability, but I ride for transportation, for recreation, for fitness, and for camaraderie (both on the road and online).
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
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…. Today I wanted to wake up my legs and did a beautiful ride up the North Shore of Lake Superior, the scenic route, on nicely paved wide shoulders with no need to put a foot down for 2 hours of steady riding. I actually did an out and back and took a snack break in the middle of a 30 mile ride. …
While moving along I took a break from the sensations to daydream a bit. I was thinking about how the way most folks refer to cycling - riding a bike or biking - are just inadequate words to describe how I think or feel about what I am doing. Riding a bike seems to be more about getting from here to there, while cycling seems to be about being on the bike. It doesn't really matter where I go, how far I go, or how long it takes me as it does about the experience itself. Of course, the cliche' comes to mind: it's not about the destination, but he journey, but sometimes cliche's are apt, and I think cycling embodies that in a way few other activities do.
Not that any of this matters, of course. I was pulled out of my daydream by a complaining leg…Still, I feel like I woke up and for me that's what cycling is about.
While moving along I took a break from the sensations to daydream a bit. I was thinking about how the way most folks refer to cycling - riding a bike or biking - are just inadequate words to describe how I think or feel about what I am doing. Riding a bike seems to be more about getting from here to there, while cycling seems to be about being on the bike. It doesn't really matter where I go, how far I go, or how long it takes me as it does about the experience itself. Of course, the cliche' comes to mind: it's not about the destination, but he journey, but sometimes cliche's are apt, and I think cycling embodies that in a way few other activities do.
Not that any of this matters, of course. I was pulled out of my daydream by a complaining leg…Still, I feel like I woke up and for me that's what cycling is about.
So for example, are the subscribers who post to C&V, or Bicycle Mechanics and rave about parts and models real cyclists? Or are cycle commuters who slog through urban environments constantly on the alert for danger, real cyclists? Or Adovocacy&Safety and Living Car Free subscribers who advocate on behalf of cycling, really cyclists?
Not that this matters of course, as you said, and I’m not being argumentative; just reflecting on your thoughtful post. I would suggest a definition of a cyclist as one who claims to being a cyclist. For me I make that claim by describing that I live a cycling lifestyle. IMO this is distinctive, and a virtually “alternative” lifestyle.
But to get back to the immediate experience you described, as I understand it, I describe to myself as "becoming one with the bike." I'll leave the roadie vs Fred distinction for my previous "Fred Manifesto".
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I'm proud to be Fred, AND a cyclist! I know I'm Fred because I wear Keen road biking sandals and wave at fellow cyclists.
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I'm an old man who fell in love with cycling as a young man. Now, coming back from heart bypass surgery cycling has once again enriched my life far beyond my expectations. I never imagined I could enjoy cycling as much or more than I did 45 years ago, but that's how it feels.
I had to take a week off the bike after cataract surgery 6 days ago. Today I wanted to wake up my legs and did a beautiful ride up the North Shore of Lake Superior, the scenic route, on nicely paved wide shoulders with no need to put a foot down for 2 hours of steady riding. I actually did an out and back and took a snack break in the middle of a 30 mile ride. With only about 600 feet of climbing up and down the rocky terrain of the North Shore it was easy to keep a nice tempo. As usual, the weather changed two or three times from overcast and calm to partly sunny to breezy and foggy on the way back. Lake Superior is a true force of nature and riding along its shore is always a sensually rich experience.
While moving along I took a break from the sensations to daydream a bit. I was thinking about how the way most folks refer to cycling - riding a bike or biking - are just inadequate words to describe how I think or feel about what I am doing. Riding a bike seems to be more about getting from here to there, while cycling seems to be about being on the bike. It doesn't really matter where I go, how far I go, or how long it takes me as it does about the experience itself. Of course, the cliche' comes to mind: it's not about the destination, but he journey, but sometimes cliche's are apt, and I think cycling embodies that in a way few other activities do.
Not that any of this matters, of course. I was pulled out of my daydream by a complaining leg. Every cyclist knows what I'm talking about: a leg or legs start squawking. It's not a cramp, exactly, but something like that. I shifted to a higher gear and dropped my tempo, powered up the next hill and the leg shut up. My butt even began to get a little tender - even a week off the bike at my age has consequences. Still, I feel like I woke up and for me that's what cycling is about.
I had to take a week off the bike after cataract surgery 6 days ago. Today I wanted to wake up my legs and did a beautiful ride up the North Shore of Lake Superior, the scenic route, on nicely paved wide shoulders with no need to put a foot down for 2 hours of steady riding. I actually did an out and back and took a snack break in the middle of a 30 mile ride. With only about 600 feet of climbing up and down the rocky terrain of the North Shore it was easy to keep a nice tempo. As usual, the weather changed two or three times from overcast and calm to partly sunny to breezy and foggy on the way back. Lake Superior is a true force of nature and riding along its shore is always a sensually rich experience.
While moving along I took a break from the sensations to daydream a bit. I was thinking about how the way most folks refer to cycling - riding a bike or biking - are just inadequate words to describe how I think or feel about what I am doing. Riding a bike seems to be more about getting from here to there, while cycling seems to be about being on the bike. It doesn't really matter where I go, how far I go, or how long it takes me as it does about the experience itself. Of course, the cliche' comes to mind: it's not about the destination, but he journey, but sometimes cliche's are apt, and I think cycling embodies that in a way few other activities do.
Not that any of this matters, of course. I was pulled out of my daydream by a complaining leg. Every cyclist knows what I'm talking about: a leg or legs start squawking. It's not a cramp, exactly, but something like that. I shifted to a higher gear and dropped my tempo, powered up the next hill and the leg shut up. My butt even began to get a little tender - even a week off the bike at my age has consequences. Still, I feel like I woke up and for me that's what cycling is about.
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The main reason I’m quoting this post is because I recently got embroiled in a brouhaha on Bike Forums about expensive bicycles (I have one). Opponents of such high end bikes argued that there is a limit in price to what one can achieve. Proponents pointed out that just a test ride cannot give the proper sense of the ride, and I’m ever-increasing in my delight even after two years.
Anyways, one description of the experience I later thought of was the flying analogy. I presume many people have flying dreams. For me I take a little running start and fly effortlessly and smoothly at a speed between walking and cycling, at about eight feet off the ground, and while in flight it seems so real to me. When riding my high end CF on a smooth, flat to slightly downhill road, that’s the closest I get in real life.
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Biker
Cyclist
Does that solve your dilemma?
Cyclist
Does that solve your dilemma?
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Funny you should mention Robin Williams because just his afternoon I watched a documentary about his life and death, and did not hear a word about his passion for cycling.
The main reason I’m quoting this post is because I recently got embroiled in a brouhaha on Bike Forums about expensive bicycles (I have one). Opponents of such high end bikes argued that there is a limit in price to what one can achieve. Proponents pointed out that just a test ride cannot give the proper sense of the ride, and I’m ever-increasing in my delight even after two years.
Anyways, one description of the experience I later thought of was the flying analogy. I presume many people have flying dreams. For me I take a little running start and fly effortlessly and smoothly at a speed between walking and cycling, at about eight feet off the ground, and while in flight it seems so real to me. When riding my high end CF on a smooth, flat to slightly downhill road, that’s the closest I get in real life.
The main reason I’m quoting this post is because I recently got embroiled in a brouhaha on Bike Forums about expensive bicycles (I have one). Opponents of such high end bikes argued that there is a limit in price to what one can achieve. Proponents pointed out that just a test ride cannot give the proper sense of the ride, and I’m ever-increasing in my delight even after two years.
Anyways, one description of the experience I later thought of was the flying analogy. I presume many people have flying dreams. For me I take a little running start and fly effortlessly and smoothly at a speed between walking and cycling, at about eight feet off the ground, and while in flight it seems so real to me. When riding my high end CF on a smooth, flat to slightly downhill road, that’s the closest I get in real life.
Robin Williams and Dario Pegoretti: The Comedian and the Bike Builder - WSJ
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I have returned to cycling after a very long time...one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.
There is a joy I get from cycling that makes me happy to be alive. My favorite ride is on an 11 mile trail that goes by a river and a train and woods and a university and even some civilization. I try to be friendly and say hello to everyone, but sometimes I am lost in the moment, and hardly see them...dangerous, I know.
So, I know my psyche likes cycling, and my old body is trying to catch up. For now, about 60 miles a week seems to be my limit. But I want more of that joy, so I find myself plotting how to ride more.
So, however this has happened, I am thankful.
There is a joy I get from cycling that makes me happy to be alive. My favorite ride is on an 11 mile trail that goes by a river and a train and woods and a university and even some civilization. I try to be friendly and say hello to everyone, but sometimes I am lost in the moment, and hardly see them...dangerous, I know.
So, I know my psyche likes cycling, and my old body is trying to catch up. For now, about 60 miles a week seems to be my limit. But I want more of that joy, so I find myself plotting how to ride more.
So, however this has happened, I am thankful.
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There are many paths to joy so I don't like to tell others how to ride. For myself an slow ramble puts me in a wonderful balanced state
that lets me forget about my cares.
Charlie
that lets me forget about my cares.
Charlie
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I'm not much concerned with what we call it, but I empathise with your feelings about being on the bike. I'm often asked what I think about when on a long ride, or when touring, and the answer, often, is nothing. I'm not thinking, I'm just being. It's highly meditative and, I think, extremely good for my mental health. The modern description of it is "mindfulness" - being in the moment, aware of one's relationship with one's surroundings, in contact with the physical rhythms of the activity. I feel whole when on the bike.
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I usually say to others "I'm a rider", rarely referring to myself as a cyclist. Yet, when on a ride, I'm one with the bike. It is a mechanical extension of my thoughts and desires. My eyes scan the immediate road in front for any road debris, my mind may be on random thoughts.
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I enjoy riding a bike in all of its forms. Not sure what to call myself, though...
I recently stopped at a light and, glancing to my right and seeing my reflection in a shop window, I spied another bike rider. He looked friendly, so I waved...
I recently stopped at a light and, glancing to my right and seeing my reflection in a shop window, I spied another bike rider. He looked friendly, so I waved...
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Bike riding by any name is cycling !!! The only ones trying to claim "cycling" to themselves are the fully kitted wanna be racer boy group. Anyone from a 3 year old up riding a bike or a trike for that matter are cyclist. If you dont believe me google cyclist.
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Semantics, but IMO, putzing around at 8 to 10mph on a heavy bike in blue jeans and a T-shirt once or twice a week is not cycling. It's best described as bike riding. There is also virtually zero health benefit in doing that. Cycling, OTOH, is serious riding, typically someone averaging 16-18mph over 20-plus miles at least 4 times a week. There is health benefit in that.
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Semantics, but IMO, putzing around at 8 to 10mph on a heavy bike in blue jeans and a T-shirt once or twice a week is not cycling. It's best described as bike riding. There is also virtually zero health benefit in doing that. Cycling, OTOH, is serious riding, typically someone averaging 16-18mph over 20-plus miles at least 4 times a week. There is health benefit in that.
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I ride at 10-12 mph and cover around 30+ miles 3 -4 times a week. Most of my friends and relatives refer to me as ......... Tim, who rides his bike
As to having to be fast or spandex clad to be serious, I say bullsh+t
As to having to be fast or spandex clad to be serious, I say bullsh+t
Last edited by choteau; 08-10-15 at 08:25 AM.