Are you a real cyclist?
- Thread starter alienator
- Start date
Yes, I am a cyclist.
I am a cyclist because I ride my bike for the sake of riding my bike, not for any reason any of you may feel approval for.
I am a cyclist because I no longer own a car, by choice.
I am a cyclist because 4 of my 5 broken bones are the result of riding... and I do not stop riding.
I am a cyclist because I will ride my bike for 90 minutes on my 90th birthday.
BOO-yah!
I am a cyclist because I ride my bike for the sake of riding my bike, not for any reason any of you may feel approval for.
I am a cyclist because I no longer own a car, by choice.
I am a cyclist because 4 of my 5 broken bones are the result of riding... and I do not stop riding.
I am a cyclist because I will ride my bike for 90 minutes on my 90th birthday.
BOO-yah!
If you mean do i suffer and love it at the same time? Then Yes.
If you mean do i scrape and scrounge to afford a semi-decent bike to ride? Then Yes
If you mean do i weather the rain, ice, snow, sleet and lovely lovely English bone chattering, tab numbing and knuckle biting wind? Then Yes.
I never cycled much a few years ago, until i had surgery on my knee. My physio said i could cycle and thats about it.
I said ok and started, i have never looked back, it helped me recover and given me fitness and strength and a certain form of self discipline too.
I am in love with the velo.
Keep on riding,
If you mean do i scrape and scrounge to afford a semi-decent bike to ride? Then Yes
If you mean do i weather the rain, ice, snow, sleet and lovely lovely English bone chattering, tab numbing and knuckle biting wind? Then Yes.
I never cycled much a few years ago, until i had surgery on my knee. My physio said i could cycle and thats about it.
I said ok and started, i have never looked back, it helped me recover and given me fitness and strength and a certain form of self discipline too.
I am in love with the velo.
Keep on riding,
The route begins with a slight incline for 3 miles. This is a good warm up for the climb, it would seem. I have one guy riding with me and I am leading and setting a good pace. We now start climbing and I feel pretty good. About 3 more mile and my partners goes in front, I am breathing heavy. About a third of the way and the road switches back sharply and the grade decesases. I shift up a gear and feel relieved.Unfortunately the grade increases to around 11% in the next mile. My training partners slows and asks if I am ok, to which I answer yes. I am lying like hell.I am sucking wind hard now to keep the pace. A little over half way the grade decresases about 7 miles into the climb. I fell good until I look up at a stone overpass up the mountain. SUVs crossing over it look like ants and I realize it is only about three quarters up the climb and a long way away. I make it past that point, my right leg is cramping from my a** to my knee and I am sucking wind through my ears, it seems. My arms feel like lead from squeezing the bars for so long
There is a short unlit tunnel ahead. I know I need to rally and try and blast through it so that a car that is travelling 5 times my speed doesn't hit me.I am in the tunnel now and have no kick left in me, I am exhausted trying to keep the pace. I am thinking that if I get hit at least I will be on the ground resting and can stop breating so hard. Maybe they will put me on a nice soft gurney and give me some oxygen.
Finally the top and 17 miles of no let up climbing is over. The endorphins now rush to my head and give me a feeling of euphoria. I unclip and take the last of my water, put on my wind breaker and look forward to my fast 17 mile decent back down. I am a cycling god.
Don't know if it makes me a real cyclist or not but it makes me feel like one every time I do this route.
There is a short unlit tunnel ahead. I know I need to rally and try and blast through it so that a car that is travelling 5 times my speed doesn't hit me.I am in the tunnel now and have no kick left in me, I am exhausted trying to keep the pace. I am thinking that if I get hit at least I will be on the ground resting and can stop breating so hard. Maybe they will put me on a nice soft gurney and give me some oxygen.
Finally the top and 17 miles of no let up climbing is over. The endorphins now rush to my head and give me a feeling of euphoria. I unclip and take the last of my water, put on my wind breaker and look forward to my fast 17 mile decent back down. I am a cycling god.
Don't know if it makes me a real cyclist or not but it makes me feel like one every time I do this route.
I thought Freds were completely oblivious to anything and everything around them and possessed zero situational awareness whatsoever, and as such aren't even aware of the existence of "real cyclists."
Roadies, on the other hand, intentionally ignore anything and everything around them, except as necessary to avoid a crash. Freds are kept on the radar screen only for the purpose of avoiding collision.
Roadies, on the other hand, intentionally ignore anything and everything around them, except as necessary to avoid a crash. Freds are kept on the radar screen only for the purpose of avoiding collision.
I consider myself to be hundred per cent real. I've been cycling for over thirty years for leisure and commutting. I don't compete I cycle for the sheer joy of it. I love pumping along a quiet back road with sweat oozing down my face for a few hours. Cycling is the ultimate. It ticks all the boxes, it's good for health, fitness, meditation, stress relief and the environment. When my children were teenagers and driving me mad, I used to get on my bike and ride for a few hours rather than argue with them. I'd come back feeling perfectly relaxed so they could begin punching me again. cycling's for life not just christmas.
