# Why do you cycle?



## gavroche (26 Nov 2012)

I have been a member of this site for a while now and can't help noticing the various type of cyclists we have here. Some are obsessed with distance and regard 20 miles as just a walk in the park. Others go for Strava and clock beating. A few are all for hills and stamina. Me? I don't fit in any of them, my age prevents me from it, so I am just a cyclist who has never riden more than 40 miles, has an average speed of about 12.5mph, ride only in dry weather if I can help it and never ride after daylight. Am I in the minority?


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## Scoosh (26 Nov 2012)

Maybe - but if you ride your bike/ like your bike(s) - you are just as much a cyclist  as any others here. 




... and probably more than many  ..... 

If you like CC - it doesn't really matter, does it ?


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## Brandane (26 Nov 2012)

I cycle because .... I can; and getting to an age where I realise that might not always be the case .
Purely for leisure purposes for me, so no need to get cold, wet, or blown about.
I also enjoy the side effects of keeping the weight down, hopefully giving health benefits, and saving me money as the car stays at home while I am out cycling.


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## Jodee1kenobi (26 Nov 2012)

I don't fit into a particular box either and wouldn't want to either. The important thing is to just get on your bike and enjoy the time you spend on it!!
I don't particularly go fast, but do like distance, because it means I spend more time on my bike. Equally, I enjoy pootling to the shops with the trailer on the back to do the shopping or cycling to my friends to visit.


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## Mo1959 (26 Nov 2012)

gavroche said:


> I have been a member of this site for a while now and can't help noticing the various type of cyclists we have here. Some are obsessed with distance and regard 20 miles as just a walk in the park. Others go for Strava and clock beating. A few are all for hills and stamina. Me? I don't fit in any of them, my age prevents me from it, so I am just a cyclist who has never riden more than 40 miles, has an average speed of about 12.5mph, ride only in dry weather if I can help it and never ride after daylight. Am I in the minority?


 
Nope, you sound identical to me! I want to enjoy my cycling not feel I have to do it. I love early morning cycles but we are about to have a lengthy cold spell here with temperatures below freezing overnight and not much above during the day. Already had mornings when I have looked out the window to find sparkling roads so no intention of breaking anything just to keep my mileage up. If I can even get out once or twice a week over the winter I can pick things up again in the spring.


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## lulubel (26 Nov 2012)

I just ride because it's fun ... and it keeps me fit and healthy ... and allows me to eat lots of food.

Yes, I enjoy riding up mountains, and sometimes I like to see how fast or far I can go, or how many miles I can do in a week, but those are secondary to the simple pleasure of just getting out in the air and feeling alive.


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## subaqua (26 Nov 2012)

started riuding for fun as a kid. had a break when i discovered cars, big mistake should have kept cycling. came back to it properly 2 years ago and now ride for fun, to keep fit , save money ( ha yeah right) and a multitude of other reasons.


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## ianrauk (26 Nov 2012)

lulubel said:


> I just ride because it's fun ... and it keeps me fit and healthy ... and allows me to eat lots of food.


 
this......


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## Hip Priest (26 Nov 2012)

Only started cycling because I was sick of the bus! Now I commute, but I'm also a keen road cyclist. I keep trying to get further, faster...etc and I'm constantly setting goals for myself. I've recently joined Strava too, so I'm chasing segment times!


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## oldfatfool (26 Nov 2012)

Dunno, it keeps costing me a fortune.


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## subaqua (26 Nov 2012)

Hip Priest said:


> Only started cycling because I was sick of the bus! Now I commute, but I'm also a keen road cyclist. I keep trying to get further, faster...etc and I'm constantly setting goals for myself. I've recently joined Strava too, so I'm chasing segment times!


 
getting sick of sweaty armpits in my face 1st thing in the morning on the bus and tube was another factor in why i ride.


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## subaqua (26 Nov 2012)

and a great thing is that I have a stinking cold at the moment and am still going into work as the ride in, albeit slower than normal, helps deal with the cold. plus if i don't ride in i might drop out of the top ten on endomondo


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## slowmotion (26 Nov 2012)

It makes me very happy. I don't know quite why, but it does.


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## 400bhp (26 Nov 2012)

If I could cycle all day every day I think I would.

Work gets in the way


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## Darren Jeffrey (26 Nov 2012)

I enjoy being in the outdoors. Mountaineering is a massive part of my life and cycling just seemed like a nice add on. There's nothing like being out on my bike as the sun is rising and the world almost seems at peace :-)


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## Night Train (26 Nov 2012)

Depends on the ride itself.
When I am over in York to see Arch I can't park near her home so I ride from where I can park the car. It is also easier to get around York by bike then by car when I am too lazy to walk. It is also easier to move stuff about by bike and trailer when we are doing craft fairs, car boots and auto jumbles, or if I am delivering stuff to St Nicholas Fields.

At home I ride, so as to not drive locally, when I can. It is a practical thing.

When Arch and I are meeting up with friends, on and off the forums, I am cycling for fun and social pleasure.

Overall I am a practical cyclist, getting from A to B and transporting stuff. It is just a mode of transport that is usually fun and healthy too. I don't do mountain biking, racing (against the clock or others), stunts, distance for the sake of it, or many of the other 'cycling type stuff' except for going out to eat cake and drink tea with other like minded people on bikes.


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## Nebulous (26 Nov 2012)

I've never done any exercise/ sport seriously. I spent about 20 years slowly, so slowly that nobody really noticed, getting fatter. Yet I always had an idea that sometime in some way I'd change it. I started losing weight, and when keeping the weightloss going became more difficult, I looked for a way of upping my exercise to burn more calories. I didn't want to run as I wasn't sure my knees would cope. So I bought a roadbike two years ago and it took off from there.

The bike quickly became more important than the weight. My main driver is speed and competing. I look at faster people and ask myself what it would take to get there. My times have improved this year, but I'm still a long way off the good guys, even the good guys in my age group. I'm determined to do what it takes to become more competitive. If I do that and it doesn't work, then so be it - that's life. I don't want this to be another of those "I wonder how it would have been if I'd taken that seriously?" moments.


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## Hip Priest (26 Nov 2012)

subaqua said:


> getting sick of sweaty armpits in my face 1st thing in the morning on the bus and tube was another factor in why i ride.


 
For me it was more the unreliability. I finish at 5pm and was regularly getting home after 6pm. Cycling, I'm home between 5:30 and 5:35, pretty much guaranteed.


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## subaqua (26 Nov 2012)

Hip Priest said:


> For me it was more the unreliability. I finish at 5pm and was regularly getting home after 6pm. Cycling, I'm home between 5:30 and 5:35, pretty much guaranteed.


 
thats also a bonus for me.


door to door its quicker than the tube bus and walk i need


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## SimonJKH (26 Nov 2012)

I needed to find a form of exercise that I could actually enjoy.


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## subaqua (26 Nov 2012)

SimonJKH said:


> I needed to find a form of exercise that I could actually enjoy.


 
i found one of them with my girlfriend  who then turned into my wife


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## Sittingduck (26 Nov 2012)

400bhp said:


> If I could cycle all day every day I think I would.
> 
> Work gets in the way


 
I'd go along with this. I think somebody from this very forum wrote that 'work is just something that gets in the way of bike rides'. Never a truer word has been written, IMHO


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## tonyhalsall (26 Nov 2012)

I have a number of hobbies and interests and find that in all of them - many people are more fanatical than I am.
I fly light aircraft and microlights for fun and I have been doing it since 1987 but my hours are considerably less than average because I just do it for fun.
I ride motorcycles but I am not part of any group and I don't indulge in mammoth tours and outings
I enjoy cycling - but just in my own way and in my own time
I think we should all do just what we want without feeling pressurised or intimated by peer pressure to adopt someone else's view of how we should partake in our hobby.


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## Dave 123 (26 Nov 2012)

I cycle to get to work- the days I don't I feel crap!
I cycle for leisure and fitness.
I cycle to get tired.... tired is better than fidgety and bored.
I cycle because I can. One day I will be put in a box, and the buggers will screw the lid down!


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## SpokeyDokey (26 Nov 2012)

I just like being outdoors doing stuff.


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## MattHB (26 Nov 2012)

To start with I rode to loose weight, then I started riding to commute as well because I love it, then to get fitter, now I'm fit I ride to get super fit and to try to see just how fast I can be  I love it more the better I get. I've met some great friends too.


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## AndyPeace (26 Nov 2012)

I cycle because it does me good. Not just physically, but also confidnce, mood and pride. I'm not that fast and compared to many dont go that far but it's always a highlight in my day to be out on a bike.


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## Pat "5mph" (26 Nov 2012)

Hip Priest said:


> Only started cycling because I was sick of the bus!


 
This.
Only started a year ago, should have started it 30 years ago!
All those years wasted waiting for buses, not going places or even not taking jobs because of bad public transport 
Some unexpected advantages of my cycling have been:
weight loss
much improved mood and stamina
discovery of places on my doorstep not noticed before
discovery of places further afield never bothered to visit before
... new pals!


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## Boon 51 (26 Nov 2012)

Its go to work or go for a ride... non contest..
PS.. Plus SHMBO says I get under her feet...


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## Ian H (26 Nov 2012)

After 'commuting' to school on a bike I quickly learned that I was more suited to endurance than speed, and turned to touring, which gradually became more long-distance. Rode a few road-races in my youth, still ride time-trials (planning my fourth 24hr next year). Most of my riding nowadays is touring, audax (obviously) and TTs.


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## Night Train (26 Nov 2012)

subaqua said:


> i found one of them with my girlfriend  who then turned into my wife


I hope we're still talking about cycling here.


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## subaqua (26 Nov 2012)

Night Train said:


> I hope we're still talking about cycling here.


 
..................


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## ianjmcd (26 Nov 2012)

I ride cos its fun and a great way to explore our country maybe if more ppl cycled they might discover that we do live in a magnificent country with some beautiful scenery not far from urban centres , its also a great way to get fitter 
sometimes i try to beat my previous times or distances but depends on mood im also of the older variety being 47 but as i get fitter i plan to train more and more towards entering a couple of races next year and am planing to do lejog next year for macmillan


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## ianjmcd (26 Nov 2012)

Pat "5mph" said:


> weight loss
> much improved mood and stamina
> ... new pals!


 
Now she is looking for a like minded male cyclist to take advantage of her extra stamina (must be under 60 and not wearing lycra)


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## Pat "5mph" (26 Nov 2012)

ianjmcd said:


> Now she is looking for a like minded male cyclist to take advantage of her extra stamina (must be under 60 and not wearing lycra)


You forgot: must like cats


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## potsy (26 Nov 2012)

I'm an unfit, fat plodder that likes to do occasional 100 mile social rides, turned full time commuter.

Cycle for fun and weight loss, well the fun bit worked out


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## dave r (26 Nov 2012)

I cycle for transport,
I cycle for leisure
and most of all I cycle for pleasure,
that last bit is the important bit, the enjoyment.


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## AndyPeace (26 Nov 2012)

Hip Priest said:


> Only started cycling because I was sick on the bus!


 +1


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## Scoosh (26 Nov 2012)

ianjmcd said:


> I ride cos ...... I'm also of* the older variety being* *47*


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## Crankarm (26 Nov 2012)

If you have to ask you don't understand.

Also n+1.


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## EltonFrog (26 Nov 2012)

oldfatfool said:


> Dunno, it keeps costing me a fortune.



Damn straight! It's feckin expensive is cycling, I did some calcs the other day and so far my bikes cost me over £2 a mile to ride. And when the weather is as bad as been this week, I'd rather say in bed. I had to but a new waterproof jacket the other day, it cost neary a ton! FFS! A hundred queens for a bloody Kagoule, and not a Micheala Strachen in sight!


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## HovR (27 Nov 2012)

CarlP said:


> Damn straight! It's feckin expensive is cycling, I did some calcs the other day and so far my bikes cost me over £2 a mile to ride. And when the weather is as bad as been this week, I'd rather say in bed. I had to but a new waterproof jacket the other day, it cost neary a ton! FFS! A hundred queens for a bloody Kagoule, and not a Micheala Strachen in sight!


 
 I worked out my Dawes to cost 6.2 *pence* per mile, although not including clothing.


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## Accy cyclist (27 Nov 2012)

I cycle for pleasure bordering slightly on obsession. It's hard to explain to most out there who aren't into cycling. So when i tell them that i put my life in danger on main roads with cars and wagons passing me at 3 feet and doing 50 mph, and that the freezing rain deadens delicate bits of my anatomy, and that cyclists shouldn't pay "road tax" to use the roads as we don't damage them, pollute them or clog them up, they look at me like i'm .


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## RWright (27 Nov 2012)

I cycle for fitness and fun. I had become lazy the past several years, put on weight, out of shape and then found out I had high blood pressure. I started riding over a year ago then got lazy again last winter and went back to sitting around watching tv and eating as my hobby. I knew this past summer that I was getting too old to be living like I was and it could kill me early so I started back riding just before I found out about the high blood pressure.

I have now lost some weight and want to lose more, got my blood pressure down to a more reasonable level and want to take it lower, and a very important part, almost got my avg MPH up over 14 MPH on the toughest route I have set up so far.  I like being classified as a fitness rider, that means I can wear anything from lycra to cut off blue jeans or helmet or no helmet lol. Not that anyone really notices or cares in my area and it's not like I would care if they did.


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## musa (27 Nov 2012)

Was aiming to become a competitive rider but time isn't on my side

Will need to start with food and diet before anything


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## MrJamie (27 Nov 2012)

Mainly to offset my cake and beer intake 

I cycle to the shops, the pub etc, go for shorter faster rides, longer slower rides when the weathers nice, take my nephew out on his bike, some road cycling, some trails/offroad stuff in the woods, kinda covers all bases except for competitive cycling which im not really bothered about. Id like to try some cycle touring too soon


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## avalon (27 Nov 2012)

Don't know why, but I do.


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## Boon 51 (27 Nov 2012)

MrJamie said:


> Mainly to offset my cake and beer intake
> 
> I cycle to the shops, the pub etc, go for shorter faster rides, longer slower rides when the weathers nice, take my nephew out on his bike, some road cycling, some trails/offroad stuff in the woods, kinda covers all bases except for competitive cycling which im not really bothered about. Id like to try some cycle touring too soon


 
Nowt wrong with that way of thinking...


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## EltonFrog (27 Nov 2012)

HovR said:


> I worked out my Dawes to cost 6.2 *pence* per mile, although not including clothing.



Crivens! You must have done about a billionty miles on it or it only cost 20 p or summat!


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## SomethingLikeThat (27 Nov 2012)

It's fun as hell. Also that feeling once you've got out there and ridden a bit and you're tired but feel great.


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## Nearly there (27 Nov 2012)

Fun and fitness


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## MrsDangermouse (27 Nov 2012)

Another fun and fitness here.
Still in the early stages at the moment....haven't yet managed a proper long ride and my speed is still quite low, but I've definitely caught the bug 
Haven't been out for a couple of weeks coz of a cold on my chest which means any exertion brings on a nasty coughing fit....need to get back out there!


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## Sandra6 (27 Nov 2012)

I started cycling as a fair weather cyclist for fitness and fun. I keep cycling towards cake though so it's more fun than fitness now.
As I don't drive I then started cycling for transport because it's quicker and more fun than walking. 
When I joined this forum I thought I needed a goal of so many miles, or to do a certain distance or get to a certain speed, then I realised I was missing the point of it being fun, so now I just cycle because I can. 
Why wouldn't you cycle?!


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Nov 2012)

I enjoy debating traffic law and taxation policy with Audi driving middle-managers of a morning.


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## Andrew_Culture (27 Nov 2012)

I cycle because I've always loved whizzing around on a bike, I started to cycle a lot more often for lard reduction purposes. The weight shifted fairly quickly so now I cycle because I love whizzing around on a bike.


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## Drago (27 Nov 2012)

All sorts of reasons to justify it, but the bottom line is simply that its very enjoyable.

While I am a keen rider, I do not participate in, er, 'lively discussions' with Audi drivers as I have no sexual inadequacy that drives an atavistic desire to be dominant in a confrontation. I think ugly thoughts about blood, smile, and half a second later I've forgotten them and I'm getting back to what I enjoy - riding my sickle.


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## VamP (27 Nov 2012)

When you´re _racing_, it's life, anything that happens before or after is just waiting." (_Steve McQueen_, 1971)


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## Licramite (27 Nov 2012)

I started cycling because I can,t run anymore (heart problem) - I love the adventure of it, I mostly do off road and its great pounding along trails and tracks, every bits a challenge.

On road you can explore back roads and bridal paths, study the maps and push out on routes you couldn,t do in a car.

my last epic was to follow a roman road all the way from warminster to badbury rings - brilliant.


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Nov 2012)

Drago said:


> All sorts of reasons to justify it, but the bottom line is simply that its very enjoyable.
> 
> While I am a keen rider, I do not participate in, er, 'lively discussions' with Audi drivers as *I have no sexual inadequacy that drives an atavistic desire to be dominant in a confrontation.* I think ugly thoughts about blood, smile, and half a second later I've forgotten them and I'm getting back to what I enjoy - riding my sickle.


 
Do tell. What drives your atavistic desires to be dominant in so many confrontations in here then?


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## EltonFrog (27 Nov 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Do tell. What drives your atavistic desires to be dominant in so many confrontations in here then?




Ouch! Little Miss Sharp Outtheknifedrawer!


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## cyberknight (27 Nov 2012)

To keep some form of fitness, what with shift work and young kids the commute is my main means of keeping fit.
It also lets me get out and meet other people a couple of times a month so i get to talk to other people with similar interests, at home its all kid talk and money worries and at work its all macho bull .

The short answer...
Its the only thing i have that keep me sane,without it i start slipping into ever bigger depressive circles of despair.


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## Hicky (27 Nov 2012)

I returned to cycling after going to France and enjoying the time out with my kids, my then 6y/o had just learned to ride and was obsessive and I realised what I'd been missing.

I cycle now(commute) because it is faster door to door than either the car or public transport...even in this wind, I dont have time to go to the gym and work long enough hours, I'm not getting up earlier 3/4 times a week to go running.....wife works evenings so it doubles as my fitness quota.

Also I cycle with the kids, to instill that there are other forms of transport other than car/bus/train(we walk alot too) and hopefully encourage cycling to be part of thier life as they grow older(9y/o has cycle training in his school in Feb that I organised in prep for the Highschool commute).

I cycled as a kid(everywhere on a steel BMX) because it gave me a freedom to go/do what I wanted and visit family as my parents hours didnt allow.


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## neil earley (27 Nov 2012)

Had an accident at work damaging my spine, so I ride recumbent bike as its a way of getting me out of the house, exercise and sooo much fun, Wish I had discovered them before my accident!


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## Nebulous (27 Nov 2012)

HovR said:


> I worked out my Dawes to cost 6.2 *pence* per mile, although not including clothing.


 
Did you incude food in that calculation?


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## paul04 (27 Nov 2012)

I just cycle because I enjoy it. You can just get on the bike and go where ever you like, does not matter if its 1 or 100 miles.and keeping fit and healthy is a bonus.


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## markharry66 (27 Nov 2012)

I had an accident a few years ago. I had no car so went to get a bike to ride to work until insurance came in. Never looked back.
Love cycling. For me its not about distance or speed. Although saying that I never want to get off the bike. As for speed I also love to go flat out sometimes. Never thought I would wear any sort of stretchy material either no proud owner of padded shorts. Life is strange


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## Rickshaw Phil (27 Nov 2012)

I've loved to cycle as long as I can recall but only got into it seriously when: 1) I realised I wasn't very fit and: 2) I accepted that driving 3 miles to work was a bit silly when I could easily cycle it (believe it or not, this was pointed out to me by a car dealer  ).

Since then I've rediscovered a childlike wonder of going to places completely under my own power and have discovered places I would never have gone to at all if the car was the only option.


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## ACS (27 Nov 2012)

I cycle because I want to, not because I have to.

Cycling is as important as life itself. To me its not a sport, a money saving activity, a hobby or an eccentric pastime; its a life-style.

On the 9 Apr 09 I decided to get back on my bike as a possible replacement treatment for depression. After 14 years of medication I got my life back. I am physically, mentally and emotionally stronger than I have ever been.

Its not about speed, distance or competition its about personal acheivement.


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## Alan57 (27 Nov 2012)

I cycle because I love the freedom of it , also I currently do not run a car ,(costs no other reason). The fact that I am using my energy and power to get somewhere is great and gives that sense of freedom more credence. Also i`m 57 and it gives me pleasure to think that I am still reasonably fit able to get around without a car or relying on public transport and I am not past my sell by date yet .


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## jude (27 Nov 2012)

gavroche said:


> I have been a member of this site for a while now and can't help noticing the various type of cyclists we have here. Some are obsessed with distance and regard 20 miles as just a walk in the park. Others go for Strava and clock beating. A few are all for hills and stamina. Me? I don't fit in any of them, my age prevents me from it, so I am just a cyclist who has never riden more than 40 miles, has an average speed of about 12.5mph, ride only in dry weather if I can help it and never ride after daylight. Am I in the minority?


I just cycle for the pure pleasure it gives me


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## defy-one (28 Nov 2012)

In no particular order ...

Fun
Rewarding
New friends
Weight loss
Fitness
Stress relief
Mental relaxation
Personal acheivements
And a spring in my step that no car or golf club has been able to replicate.


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## mark st1 (28 Nov 2012)

defy-one said:


> In no particular order ...
> 
> Fun
> Rewarding
> ...


 
+1 Also like to add its quite addictive.


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## Drago (28 Nov 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Do tell. What drives your atavistic desires to be dominant in so many confrontations in here then?


Ah, but unlike most others I make no bones about it.


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## paulw1969 (28 Nov 2012)

why do i cycle..........
been thinking long and hard about this and the only plausible reasoning is.......

I have masochistic tendencies.


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## VamP (28 Nov 2012)

Nebulous said:


> Did you incude food in that calculation?


 
That's tough to quantify...


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## gavgav (28 Nov 2012)

I have always enjoyed cycling, but between ages of 16 and 28 I hardly ever went, due to not having a bike. I bought a new bike in 2006 and my mate (Rickshaw Phil) encouraged me back out and I haven't looked back since. I love it now, having bought a better bike earlier this year and it just makes me relax, gets the endorphins going and you get a real sense of achievement at getting somewhere under your own steam.


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## Eribiste (28 Nov 2012)

I go bicycling because I enjoy it. I can go where I want, when I want. I can push for a better average speed if the mood takes me, or I can have a glass or two if that mood takes me. It's a bit of escapism that (once the bike is out of the shop) doesn't necessarily cost a fortune, and I've even got fitter and leaner through doing it. I've got cold, I've got wet, I've got hot, I've been 'scalped', and returned the compliment, and I've enjoyed it all. I'm so glad I found cycling, and that's why I do it.


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## Nebulous (28 Nov 2012)

VamP said:


> That's tough to quantify...


 
Well I reckon I need 500 calories a day to cover my cycling. So that certainly adds to the 'cost' per mile.


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## Sittingduck (28 Nov 2012)

Lol, what?!


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## Kins (28 Nov 2012)

I started cycling again because I couldn't afford to keep a car I hardly used, and because I wanted to get some fitness after 10 years yoyoing between being fit and being half dead. I enjoy living where I am and walking my dogs in the hills, but sometimes I want to see more in less time. MTB is perfect for that. When I get my road bike project done then I'll have better local road transport to.


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## VamP (28 Nov 2012)

Nebulous said:


> Well I reckon I need 500 calories a day to cover my cycling. So that certainly adds to the 'cost' per mile.


 
Sure. Some of us burn spare fat, some get by on a can of baked beans, others go to a Michelin starred restaurant for their dinner. Which amount will you judge as appropriate to pricing this up correctly?


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## roadrash (29 Nov 2012)

i cycled quite a lot when i was yuonger i had a 30mile commute to work each day,and i planned weekened rides too,then gave it all up for nearly twenty yrs
,ive got to the stage where im enjoying cycling again albeit in pain on the mtb on canal paths etc, the road bike has had hardly any use ,then two days ago the doctor informed me me that the surgery im waiting for on my spine isnt going to happen ...ever !!!!!!!!so if i cant raise the funds for a recumbent trike then my cycling days may be short lived,i have a like new giant defy 2 (2011 and totally unmarked) to sell and a giant rincon hard tail good condition the rest of the money i will have to find somewhere. i still to enjoy cycling all be it on recumbent trike, but i wont give up till i get one.........at least i HOPE i can afford one before i have to give up,,,ive looked at the price of trikes, but in all honesty i cant see it happening for me
i just feel really down abuot it at at the minute..

anyway enough of my morbid thoughts ..........................................................................................................................please carry on as before ..why do you cycle


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## Kins (29 Nov 2012)

roadrash said:


> i cycled quite a lot when i was yuonger i had a 30mile commute to work each day,and i planned weekened rides too,then gave it all up for nearly tweney yrs
> ,ive got to the stage where im enjoying cycling again albeit in pain on the road bike ,then two days ago the doctor informrd me me that the surgery im waiting for on my spine isnt going to happen ...ever !!!!!!!!so if i cant raise the funds for a recumbent trike then my cycling days may be short lived,i have a like new defy 2 (2011 and totally unmarked) to sell and a giant rincon hard tail good condition the rest of the money i will have to find somewhere i .still to enjoy cycling all be it on recumbent trike, but iwont give up till i get one.........at least i HOPE i can afford one before i give up,,,ive looked at the price of trikes, but in all honesty i cant see it happening for me
> i just feel really down abuot it at at the minute..
> 
> anyway enough of my morbid thoughts ..........................................................................................................................please carry on as before ..why do you cycle


 
Sheesh, doesn't sound to good! They give a reason why not? Having battled on and off illness for 10 years at least I saw an end to it. Move to Wales, they'll operate on anything here, even sheep!


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## roadrash (29 Nov 2012)

Kins said:


> Sheesh, doesn't sound to good! They give a reason why not? Having battled on and off illness for 10 years at least I saw an end to it. Move to Wales, they'll operate on anything here, even sheep!


 

yeah they did give an explanation .... the simple version is the risks far outweigh the benefits


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## User16625 (29 Nov 2012)

roadrash said:


> yeah they did give an explanation .... the simple version is the risks far outweigh the benefits


 
You certainly have a very apt sig. (love those films!)

I do cycling coz I feel like it. Although I dont time myself I do like to go as fast as I can on the road bike. I have more fun doing 40mph (especially if I manage to overtake a car!) on my road bike than I do at 140 on my motorbike. God knows why though but its all fun.


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## gavroche (29 Nov 2012)

y


RideLikeTheStig said:


> You certainly have a very apt sig. (love those films!)
> 
> I do cycling coz I feel like it. Although I dont time myself I do like to go as fast as I can on the road bike. I have more fun doing 40mph (especially if I manage to overtake a car!) on my road bike than I do at 140 on my motorbike. God knows why though but its all fun.


How often do you actually do 40mph?


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## User16625 (29 Nov 2012)

gavroche said:


> y
> How often do you actually do 40mph?


 
Only occasionally. Always on a downhill and usually with a slipstream aswell. Others here will claim 50mph or so but I havent got near that. Most I ever got was about 44mph.


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## BrumJim (29 Nov 2012)

'Cos I can't handle the endorphins cold turkey.

There is a lot more truth in this declaration than I'm comfortable with.


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## Arjimlad (29 Nov 2012)

I ride my bike because I enjoy it.

I use it to ride to work to get time-neutral free exercise, and to be able to eat what I like. If I couldn't commute by bike, I'd struggle to find the time to leave my family and go off on my own on a ride. So my commute is anything from 5 miles to 20 miles depending upon how much time I have.

It makes me happy - I love the way you are in touch with the weather and the seasons, and enjoy trying to improve my times on Strava in the summer. It's good feeling you're not burning petrol, too.

Sometimes I need to drive to meetings or appointments for work, or if it's too icy I'll drive too. But I really prefer to cycle.


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## Mr Haematocrit (29 Nov 2012)

I cycle because its easier than pushing or carrying the bike


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## Nebulous (29 Nov 2012)

VamP said:


> Sure. Some of us burn spare fat, some get by on a can of baked beans, others go to a Michelin starred restaurant for their dinner. Which amount will you judge as appropriate to pricing this up correctly?


 
Well that depends on the person. Just because something is difficult to measure it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

I would suggest the best way for me would be to add all my food costs, attribute a fifth of them to cyling and divide by miles travelled. Then I can live on caviar or baked beans and it would give a good enough approximation of costs for additional food.

I've been reluctant to add up what cycling costs, mainly because I don't think I would like what I found. I'm pretty far down the food chain as far as fancy kit is concerned, but it still costs a fair bit. Put it this way, I get 12p a mile at work for using my bike and don't think it comes close!


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## mark st1 (29 Nov 2012)

Also because swmbo doesnt like cycling.


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## Kins (29 Nov 2012)

Well how many times have you gone back and forwards to work, and how much expense would you have had in a car for the same trip. You've saved on both really, so although the 12p a mile might not cover it, the active lifestyle and the cost of runnin your motor back and forwards probably does!


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## VamP (29 Nov 2012)

Nebulous said:


> Well that depends on the person. Just because something is difficult to measure it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
> 
> I would suggest the best way for me would be to add all my food costs, attribute a fifth of them to cyling and divide by miles travelled. Then I can live on caviar or baked beans and it would give a good enough approximation of costs for additional food.
> 
> I've been reluctant to add up what cycling costs, mainly because I don't think I would like what I found. I'm pretty far down the food chain as far as fancy kit is concerned, but it still costs a fair bit. Put it this way, I get 12p a mile at work for using my bike and don't think it comes close!


 
I agree that trying to work out what cycling costs is largely pointless. And I do spend a lot too, but I genuinely believe that I actually spend less on food now than I used to before I got very serious about balancing the nutritional requirements of focused cycling. Not that I'm counting. Being four stone lighter is a reward in it's own right


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## IanT (29 Nov 2012)

For me, I'd sum it up like this.... http://www.sprocketwaffle.co.uk/bio.html Sorry in advance for the shameless self-prmotion but It really would take up quite a bit of space to post here!!!


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## tug benson (29 Nov 2012)

Started cycling to lose some weight, lost 3 and a half stone, gave up there for 6 weeks, put half a stone back on, wasn`t enjoying the cold and the rain, and xfactor, the walking dead and boardwalk empire was making me enjoy the beer to much at the weekends....got the bit between my teeth this again week and i`ve got back into the cycling

I cycle now to keep my fitness levels up, keep the weight off, i also mostly cycle by myself and i love the time out there on my own....also ,ove the hill climbs, even though am a bit to heavy to get the top times up it i really do enjoy them


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## kopikat (30 Nov 2012)

gavroche said:


> I have been a member of this site for a while now and can't help noticing the various type of cyclists we have here. Some are obsessed with distance and regard 20 miles as just a walk in the park. Others go for Strava and clock beating. A few are all for hills and stamina. Me? I don't fit in any of them, my age prevents me from it, so I am just a cyclist who has never riden more than 40 miles, has an average speed of about 12.5mph, ride only in dry weather if I can help it and never ride after daylight. Am I in the minority?


 A soul brother........ but I enjoy the feelings of freedom and the indipendance that my riding gives. My bike means that I can go anywhere I like, when I like. I dont have to worry if i've got the bus/train fare, I dont stand waiting on the actions of others to be able to make my journey and I dont waste time. The solitude and being responsible for your own self are a comfort to me in an overcrowded nanny state that would try to control almost all aspects of modern living. 
OOOh that was all a bit deep !


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## Cyclopathic (1 Dec 2012)

gavroche said:


> I have been a member of this site for a while now and can't help noticing the various type of cyclists we have here. Some are obsessed with distance and regard 20 miles as just a walk in the park. Others go for Strava and clock beating. A few are all for hills and stamina. Me? I don't fit in any of them, my age prevents me from it, so I am just a cyclist who has never riden more than 40 miles, has an average speed of about 12.5mph, ride only in dry weather if I can help it and never ride after daylight. Am I in the minority?


I'm a bit like you. I cycle primarily to get to where I need to be, it just so happens that I quite enjoy it most of the time. It is my aim that when I have got some distance to go that I will still cycle there as there is nowhere in Britain that it is beyond reason to get to. Perhaps not possible if I have a time restraint but if I could go at my own pace I'd like to think I'd go anywhere.
Mostly though I cycle about town and I also use my trailer when I've got stuff to lug about. As such both my bike and trailer have more than paid for themselves in bus fares, taxi fares and petrol.


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## Cyclopathic (1 Dec 2012)

kopikat said:


> A soul brother........ but I enjoy the feelings of freedom and the indipendance that my riding gives. My bike means that I can go anywhere I like, when I like. I dont have to worry if i've got the bus/train fare, I dont stand waiting on the actions of others to be able to make my journey and I dont waste time. The solitude and being responsible for your own self are a comfort to me in an overcrowded nanny state that would try to control almost all aspects of modern living.
> OOOh that was all a bit deep !


I completely agree. Independence is perhaps the most appealing aspect of cycling.


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## Cyclopathic (1 Dec 2012)

Drago said:


> All sorts of reasons to justify it, but the bottom line is simply that its very enjoyable.
> 
> While I am a keen rider, I do not participate in, er, 'lively discussions' with Audi drivers as I have no sexual inadequacy that drives an atavistic desire to be dominant in a confrontation. I think ugly thoughts about blood, smile, and half a second later I've forgotten them and I'm getting back to what I enjoy - riding my *sickle*.


Surely not...At least it's not a scythe. Owy owy owy.


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## Peteaud (1 Dec 2012)

Health and fitness.

MTB for a muddy blast, Road bike for just getting out and clearing the mind, also now Strava.

Get a real buzz from just being out on the bike, its only the legs / lungs that let me down.


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## outlash (1 Dec 2012)

Early mornings, out in the sticks, just me on the bike. Bliss.

Health/fitness and all the other benefits are plusses, but personally it's a little bit of 'me' time without having to think about daily life .


Tony.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (1 Dec 2012)

There's a few reasons why I cycle. I started cycling just over 3 years ago because I got a 9 month driving and the hotel I was working at at the time was out in the sticks with no public transport to get me there so it was either walk the 12 mile round trip or cycle; I got myself a bicycle and have never looked back.

I enjoy the fact it helps keep me fit (There's plenty of hills round here .) plus when I'm feeling somewhat less than happy a blast on the bike really blows the cobwebs away. I love the financial freedom off a bike; no more petrol, VED, mot, car insurance etc. I love the freedom of being able to go places that I can't in a car. Being exposed to the elements is also an enjoyment factor for me; I find cycling in the rain can be very invigorating at times.

I s'pose ultimately I cycle because I love to cycle.


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