What do you actually get out of cycling............?

[Supersuperleeds]

I'll call you a freak and I haven't seen your tan lines

Don't give up hope, play your cards right and you never know

 

[BrynCP]

I can deal with most tan lines, as I don't swim or walk around topless or wear shorts except on the bike.

But the 3/4 tanned fingers, white back of hand, baring a little circular bit, and the tanned wrists, are very clear to everybody, all the time, and only getting more defined by the day!

 

[ianrauk]

I can deal with most tan lines, as I don't swim or walk around topless or wear shorts except on the bike.

But the 3/4 tanned fingers, white back of hand, baring a little circular bit, and the tanned wrists, are very clear to everybody, all the time

Even worse when you have worn meshed backed gloves...

 

[donnyjnk]

Wow - so many replies! Thank you very much . I won't clog the thread up by replying to everyone individually but each and every comment and welcome is greatly appreciated.

You've all convinced me but I'm slightly crest-fallen in that I'd decided on a bike - the Boardman Road Sport Limited Edition 2014 (yeah, I know you have to deal with Halfords but I'll risk it) but of course they're out of stock in all frame sizes except one. I just like the look of this bike and from what I've learned so far it's a pretty decent entry level road bike, especially considering it's available for not much over £400 with a couple of discounts applied. So I need to find out if they will be having more in stock and if so, when.

If they're not I'm back to square one but I may start a new thread in the 'What bike' forum to hopefully find a bike as good as the Boardman for comparable money. There is a LBS nearby (Red Kite Cycles) but I'll need to know more before I venture in there, as I don't recognise any of the brands on their website and I'm sure they'll be pretty expensive anyway.

Thanks again for all the 'what do you get out of cycling' comments, which I've really enjoyed reading - keep 'em coming and enjoy your evenings .

do yourself a favour. if you get the bike from halfrauds get it checked out by your local bike shop. the bikes are good but my chain ring bolts came of whilst on the extreme trail at Sherwood pines, not impressed.

 

[Stantheman]

Fun and freedom.

 

[Torvi]

well for the first mile with my new bike i had biggest grin ever since my childhood days that speaks for itself no?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I don't have a car, so, yes, freedom to move about any time I like.
The weather does not bother me.

 

[Saluki]

I can deal with most tan lines, as I don't swim or walk around topless or wear shorts except on the bike.

But the 3/4 tanned fingers, white back of hand, baring a little circular bit, and the tanned wrists, are very clear to everybody, all the time, and only getting more defined by the day!

My hands are slightly paler than my arms and fingers. A bit noticeable but not too horrific. I do work mostly outside so my hands get some sun with my gloves off, which possibly helps a bit.

 

[Boon 51]

A new way of life...Simples

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can deal with most tan lines, as I don't swim or walk around topless or wear shorts except on the bike.

But the 3/4 tanned fingers, white back of hand, baring a little circular bit, and the tanned wrists, are very clear to everybody, all the time, and only getting more defined by the day!

It's the helmet tan sported by slapheads that's the worst.

 

[LarryDuff]

One of the things that I like about cycling is that for the time I'm out on my bike I can totally forget about all the sh*t that accompanies life these days and the only thing that matters is the next hill.

 

[Torvi]

i got the same mate, 12 hours of hard work and once i jump on my bike on my way to home im smiling all the way

 

[Andy Jeffery]

A clear mind!

 

[Elswick Cotterpin]

Freedom, like being a kid again, a sense of well-being, riding through puddles with that satisfying 'swish' the tyres make, gravel crunching under the tyres, fresh air, the wind - if it's not too strong - the feel of a well-running bike beneath me, the soft whir of the chain, the tyres on the road, smiling for no particular reason, saying 'Hello' to people I don't know, pretending I don't have a care in the world for a while, deciding where to go when I don't really have to go anywhere but I just feel like doing it, scenery, dappled shade on quiet minor roads, imagining that all the motorists that pass me envy me even if they don't, not thinking about anything special, standing on the pedals to ride up a hill, free-wheeling downhill, shiney spokes in the sunshine... lots of things.

Strangely, I find I often have to make the effort to go out and do it, even though I know how much I enjoy it once I'm out there. I'm currently riding a pretty old Dawes Discovery, nothing fancy, Mr Sedate, and I've swapped the drop-bars for almost flats, and 27 inch wheels for 700c's, and put on a very heavy rear rack, so each time I ride it now I'm trying out the new-ish bits I've added, and I'm loving how it all feels 'just right' for me, soooo there's also the satisfaction of swapping out these other parts then finding how well they all work together.

Yep, that's about it. (Sorry it's an essay.)

 

[Dave 123]

Cycling makes me feel good, as does all exercise. It releases old dolphins or something*, and as we all know, old dolphins make you feel good!



*Yes, I know.