Why do you ride ?

It's been a terrible week at work, very stressful.
This morning I threw my bike in the back of my van hoping to get a short ride in at lunch time.
I went to work and more bloody problems, but at lunch time enough was enough.
Well with it being such a lovely afternoon I left my office at Heathrow and rode the Thames Path all the way to Westminster, up Whitehall, a quick coffee in Leicester Square and back again. Sheer bliss, no people, no phones, no problems..just me and my bike and a clear head.
Not much of a post, but I just had to share the sheer uncomplicated happiness of riding on a beautiful autumn day. It just had to be done.

Not good enough mate..

no 531 fixies, no running over "stupid" peds, no getting fined for RLJ, no aerospokes, no brakless, and I bet your handlebars are wider than 8"

loser.

No, no, no... you're doing it wrong.

You need colourmatched components or you're not cool enough to cycle.

....and turned up black denims, with coloured belt to match your hubs

Cycling will bring you closer to jebus.

In fact I may even go sick and do it all again tomorrow.
I will have to find colour co ordinated bike parts and suitable rolled up jeans or risk looking uncool.

I want a job where i can go get a coffee at lunch

I ride because I like riding my bike ... no other reason.

There are other reasons I love the rush when you ride outta your skin and really feel the pain ... awesome stuff ... I feel like a fucking king of the world for a while at least.

Other times I like to think about stuff while riding in the countryside ... then once there is nothing I need to think about I just ride exploring new places around where I live.

That's the great thing about a bike, it takes you to places you wouldn't see by any other form of transport.

I love everything about it: the act of riding, exploring new areas, exercise; burning lungs, legs full of lactic acid, overtaking standing traffic, not having to think about anything because I am 100% focused, repairing it, maintaining it and putting new parts, I even enjoy washing the thing

I rode fixed on the roads for the first time today, it was a bit weird at first but I was really enjoying it by the time I got home. I was a bit knackered, did about 15 mile round trip. I can see I'm going to love it more than riding a geared bike, top fun

So that I can drink large quantities of real ale with impunity.

That's the great thing about a bike, it takes you to places you wouldn't see by any other form of transport.

Well I usually go to blandford in the end with fits the first part of its name ... I hope nobody starts with this crap of "taking me to god" , "taking me to zen" or any of that crap ... it just fun and lets you think ... many other pursuits do that for others.

Love the o.p. When having a bad day, a quick mash on the bike can fix so much, and you get some miles in when you're fired up.

When I worked in town, the Friday Lunchtime Rolls were always a great fix for the dullery of office life.

that was the funny thing, months ago some guy in a shop was trying to flog me a fixed gear by talking all this bollocks about 'being one with the bike'

if he just said 'yeah it's good fun and good exercise' I might have bought one of him that day

donut - i know what you mean, when I'm on a double and get an hour break, I go for a blast on my bike. Everyone else goes to a coffee shop to talk about the other members of staff that aren't working that day, tedious. They think I'm mental

^

:D ... much love...

Though the other day some tosser said "why you ride a bike with one gear" I pretty much replied with this ...

"THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE"

And promptly turned my back with no explanation.

I used to come back to the office after a Lunchtime Roll with the boys, sweating prefusely and
with a massive grin on my face.
My colleagues couldn't understand why it was so much fun to play in the traffic on a bike.

In fact I may even go sick and do it all again tomorrow.

I'm your boss. Try it and you're fired.

I ride because it takes me to zen

cos it lets the endorphins run wild and free

Um? Because its quicker than walking!? Nah just kidding. I can walk much quicker.

When i have a bad day at work i Roll a blunt and detour 10-15 miles home (usually only under 2) and try not to drop below 20mph. Feels good and is easy way to keep the ticker ticking!

I used to simply commute by bike for convience and to save money. That was before I had kids and could go out for a run or the gym most nights. The idea of cycling in my spare time never really occured to me. Then the kids come along and now then only way I could maintain anything like the same level of exercise was to combine all travel and cycling. My addiction started around then I think.......
......least thats what I tell my theropist

I now go riding whenever I haver the time. Trail riding, loaded road riding, fixed riding. and soon singlespeed off-roading, followed by proper road riding, and ...hmmm maybe some full sus mountain top action......hmmm.

...rings theropist

In all seriousness I do it to antagonize other road users with my skinny jeans, vans, plaid shirt, oversized Ray Bans and carefully decided coloured components. It's also the cheapest and fastest way to get around in London, thus allowing more money to spend Lomo cameras.

He's got them on speed dial :)

i ride because i can and everyone who can, should.

i ride because i can and everyone who can, should.

2nd. Fuck em.