Was There A Time That You Want to Quit Cycling?



claystevens

Member
Dec 15, 2013
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Just wonder whether any people had the thought of leaving cycling. And why? What makes you continuing on it?
 
No.

Through three career, three wives and a few houses, cycling has been a constant.

Why continue? Because I enjoy it.
 
Originally Posted by claystevens
Just wonder whether any people had the thought of leaving cycling. And why? What makes you continuing on it?
I used to ride with a fellow who chaged sports every 10 years or so. He seemed to think that 10 years was long enough to achieve the goals he had.

I stopped cycling for several years. I had done all I wanted to do. And I had other ambitions. I restarted to stay in some sort of shape.
 
I was never into cycling as a culture. As a kid it was away to get somewhere farther and faster. Freedom. I lived in the NY metro area. There was a lot to see and do as a kid. Especially in the summer. Then we moved to the burbs (NJ). The next step was a car( girls). Now after 50 yrs I can appreciate bike trails and other bike related things. Too bad not much was available for bikers in NY in the mid/late 50's. At least that was advertised.
 
I bought my first road bike back in the early 1970s, before LeMond put it on the map in the States. I was vaguely aware that some guy named Eddy, with a funny last name full of consonants, was kicking ass in the Tour de France. So being part of "bike culture" was never an issue. It was a Motobecane, and I'm not sure which model. I had it a long time, and it stayed behind after my first marriage went south. I wish I still had it, even with the 5 speed freewheel cog and crappy Huret mech and shifters. I bought a second hand Schwinn LeTour shortly thereafter, and I still have that. Sun Tour mech and shifters. Still work as well as new.
 
Quote by mpre53:
"I had it a long time, and it stayed behind after my first marriage went south."

When I married wife unit Mk. we had a Siberian Husky.

When we divorced I knew I was going to miss that dog.
 
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I have quit cycling... twice. But like a faithful mistress she has never quit me.

The first time was after a couple years racing as teenager, I took a bike trip with some chums across Europe, or that was the plan at least but I met a young zaftig beauty who shared with me, among other things, her Marlboro 'rouges' and I never made it out of Arromanches. A couple years later in college I was selling the bike for my first car and spending money for more debaucheries. The first place I tried to sell it was Emy's bike shop on 25th St. in NYC, a little hole in the wall where the owner had let me loiter endlessly in my early racing years as long as I went and got coffee whenever ordered. He told me he wouldn't buy it only because he was certain I'd end up regretting it. He was right.

After college she took me back and helped me get my life sorted out with a couple more years of racing, and a short career path as a swany, but like only a young man could thought I knew better and once again discarded her for a life of iniquity and work that was not aligned with my natural proclivities. Ironically it was hanging out in the backyard of another bike shop in Brooklyn drinking beers after hard workouts where I got hooked on nicotine again that precipitated my exit from the sport. To my credit there was also another young lass vying for my attention.

Many years later the longing returned for the only one that truly had my best interests in heart (actually it was just to stretch my legs out to ease the pains of atrophy from sitting on the couch playing too much Call of Duty). She has given me another chance at lasting happiness and she has reminded me there is no love lost, that she bears no jealousy, and she will gladly share me with another if she must. All she wants is for me to be happy, and to win at least one bloody race before I die!
 
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Quote by Dan:
"playing too much Call of Duty"

I would have never guessed.
 
My friends called me "the Lance Armstrong of Call of Duty". The number of angry messages I've received online accusing me of cheating can't be counted without advanced mathematics. Thinking about being responsible for some dolt rage quitting brings a smile to face... haters gonna hate.
 
I gave up FPS games with Wolfenstein, Quake, Rise of the Triad and Doom. I did do a little Half Life, but never got into it.
 
It becomes the topic of call of duty.
big-smile.png
To myself, I have only 6 years of cycling experiences and 1 years cycling enthuasists. Still not sure about what would happen in the future.
 
Originally Posted by claystevens
Just wonder whether any people had the thought of leaving cycling. And why? What makes you continuing on it?
I got hit by a car about 8 or 9 years ago and pretty much stayed off the bike until the start of 2013. Used to do the odd ride, but no racing or real training. Would sometimes go months between rides. Still don't feel very comfortable in traffic, thankfully have some good options where I live and can train on very quiet roads.
 
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I think some people have wanted to quit at one point or another. Life just gets too stressful or they believe they no longer need it. For me, I cannot imagine my life without it!
 
I believe that most of people who want to quit from cycling are due to health condition or accident.
 
Quit many times when my job gets in the way to the extent where I can no longer ride competitively.

Started again many times.

One gets addicted to the feeling of being healthy and fit when riding competitively, it sure improves body, mind and overall outlook on life.
 
Originally Posted by WillemJM
Quit many times when my job gets in the way to the extent where I can no longer ride competitively.

Started again many times.

One gets addicted to the feeling of being healthy and fit when riding competitively, it sure improves body, mind and overall outlook on life.
I have quited 3 times in the past 7 years. You are totaly right WIllemJM.
 
Originally Posted by adenough
Just about every time I ride a long, everlasting hill.
Somewhere around the 80-85 mile mark of a century, I start questioning why I'd ever want to do another one----but I always wind up doing them again. OTOH, I love riding hills. I try to pick centuries that don't have a major climb in the last 20 miles, though.
 
Originally Posted by claystevens
Just wonder whether any people had the thought of leaving cycling. And why? What makes you continuing on it?
i quit cycling the day I realized I wouldn't become a pro.

Took eight years to come back to racing with the mindset of just doing it for the local competition without any bigger aspirations.

I love training and racing, but don't particularly like just riding for the sake of riding. Too boring and time consuming. I would not ride if I weren't racing.