Is cycling/mountain biking your main pastime, or does it come way down your list?
It used to be the be all and end all of my life, when I was youger but now I have a young family, I just dont have the time for it. I have also developed new interests that take up the limited spare time I now have.
I still cant stop dreaming about getting back into the hills everynow and then. At the moment its limited to trying to grab an hour here and there on my cross bike.
Been up since 4.30 watching the womens road world champs when i should be making the most of a family free weekend to catch up on sleep.
It's just a hobby that keeps me fit & I enjoy being outdoors
If I could never do it again, I'd just find something else to do - no big deal for me
Ha ha, well me too co-incidentally, but because I have a little one with insomnia!
To me bikes = Happiness
I worked out years ago that everything I'd ever done involved bikes along the line somewhere. These days I get tetchy if I don't ride for a few days, I start to feel trapped if I use the car too much.
But to me "bikes" means anything with 2 wheels, with or without an engine. I don't see any difference.
🙂
I love my bike - gives me so much joy and keeps me sane.
I've got a young family too and find it is a great escape to cleanse the soul after a tough week.
I couldn't imagine not having some form of riding in my life.
I'm with Uplink on this. I'd find something else to do
A young family will trash any spare time you have (been there and done that) but my kids are all big now and sometimes you get to ride with your kids which is v cool.
Getting out now and again is realistically about as much as you're going to get for a wee while
Expect the mtb police along soonish to chastise you for not taking it too seriously and not ignoring everything else and going cycling all day every day
Mountain bikes is my 'something else to do' - too injured to ride bmx anymore. As Pete says though, it's all bikes. Road, mtb, bmx, motor - bikes is bikes.
It's a pretty big focus for me..
I've always given myself the freedom live a very rock and roll lifestyle.. until the last few years heralded the arrival of a family and responsibilities that weren't compatible with my wild ways..
My desire for the feeling of freedom neeeds an outlet..
I've always cycled and was a pretty handy rider in my youth..and for me now as a parent.. cycling ticks all the right boxes..
It keeps me fit and it keeps me sane in a crazy, crazy world.
Pretty essential for me. Riding gives me so much joy. It's my only form of transport, and even just riding to the shops makes me smile and feel good. I'll never stop riding unless my body breaks and I physically can't any more.
To me bikes = HappinessI worked out years ago that everything I'd ever done involved bikes along the line somewhere. These days I get tetchy if I don't ride for a few days
This!
My name is Bassspine and I am a cycloholic.
I work 2 days a week in a bike shop. The rest of my working time is spent BikeAbility training.
In my time off, I go for a bike ride. Or waste my time on the internet reading about cycling.
I'd have nothing to do without cycling.
If I was to reinvent Maslow's Hierachy of Needs, bikes would fulfill my most basic human needs (replacing food, shelter, ability to reproduce etc...). Bikes already provide my self esteem, sense of belonging, aesthetic needs etc etc etc...And I reach Self Actualising only when I'm with my wheels!! Sorry to go all psychological on you all so early in the morning, but I couldn't sleep cos I need to ride.... Now I'm off!!
I'm with PeterPoddy....
But to me "bikes" means anything with 2 wheels, with or without an engine. I don't see any difference.
It's the freedom bit, get on the bike (powered or not) and the stresses and crap of day to day life just get forgotten.....
Its all bikes for me,has been since i was a kid bmx,road and mtb love them all! 🙂
To me bikes = freedom and now therapy, I can honestly say that it helps to keep me stable. Nothing to me beats the feeling of just being out there on a bike being mtb or road, just going out and exploring helps to clear my head, I try to ride everyday, even if it's just a quick hour stolen at the end of the day.
It means a lot to me and yes keeps me sane, i ride most days and really miss it when i don't.
Love it more now that i can ride with my kids and pass the magic on (wife still pretends she doesn't like it though!)
All being well I'm starting a job soon as a bike tech. I ride as often as I can and i try and help with maintaining the local trails. I love my biking, its a lifestyle for me. Can't imagine not doing it really.
when I'm sleeping or cycling, I forget everything else that's going on in the world.
nothing else gives me that simple freedom of mind and joy.
Getting out riding plays an essential role in my life - it's absolutely central to good all round physical and mental health for me. That said, I could (and have, at times) replace it with something else - it's more the exercise and the outdoors that's really fundamental.
I can't think of anything that would be quite as good, though - mountain biking really has it all. Epic outdoor scenery - the machinery of the bike - fitness - technique - excitement - camaraderie or isolation as you like etc etc - Could go on all day.
It's so important to me that it played a major part in breaking up with my last bf. Even though I cut down on training and racing, it wasn't enough of a sacrifice for him and too much of a sacrifice from me. His favourite cry was "You're f&cking obsessed with cycling".
It's so important that I moved from north of London to south of London to be nearer better trails and hillier rides, even though I don't know anyone here - yet, I am working on this.
If I don't ride for a couple of days I feel down. Within 10 minutes of being on my bike I am laughing (to myself) - ok, laughing out loud - for the sheer joy of it.
Keeps me slim and toned, saves me money, keeps my head together.
Very important indeed.
It's massively important to me - I like getting out on the road bike (not such a fan of cars though) and really love getting out on the MTB - be it bridleways, trail centres, endurance events or whatever. Just love it. If I don't get out I get irritable, feel lethargic and keeps me sane. I wish my other half rode as well - but space can be a good thing!
Cycling has been my main hobby for over 35 years I would be lost without it
Cycling is what makes me me. It's the only thing I ever found where i feel like i fit in. I love all types of riding, get very tetchy if i don't do it for more than a day. It's drives where I live, my friends, my vehicles, my weekends etc etc.
I have no idea what I'd do without it and hope never to need to figure it out. Bikes = good times
Important as a mode of transport, as a means to keep fit and healthy, and as a means to escape things a bit. Very important to me.
Had to use the Tube yesterday, for a journey I'd normally cycle (along quite streets and canal tow-paths). The weather was foul and I needed to be 'presentable' for a meeting. Cycling wasn't the most appealing option.
Would much rather cycle there if the weather's ok though.
I've had various hobbies and interests over the years and they've all faded away eventually.
I've always ridden bikes, although not always as much as I do now.
I can see the novelty of my current obsession with racing wearing off one day, but I think I will always ride bikes.
MTB/Roading and all the the other FUN things we engage....all great ways to excape the utter shite we have to deal with during our working life + I draw particular pleasure from meeting a whole bunch of new folks.
I too have sprogs and thus don't get out hardly at all these days, they consume everything...time, money, energy....marriage...best stop there 😳
If you want addiction/obsession then I dare you to get into Triathlon (long distance).....was that even a question from the OP??
It used to be everything to me - if I didn't do five 30 mile+ rides a week it had been a poor week - I raced, did trailquests, cross races, all day rides, etc., etc!!
Now, even though I enjoy a good ride it doesn't bother me if I don't ride for weeks on end - I haven't done a proper ride since the end of July.
I can't see me ever without a bike in the shed though.
I think its just the getting out bit for me. I lile the outdoors. Fresh air is the moest under rated thing in this crazy rat race of a world! I like going to gym and riding just compliments trying to live a healty lifestyle. I also like building bikes up and swapping kit around now and again. Winter riding is no fun though. Its a means to an end. Just the odd ride maybe once a week at most, just to keep the legs in some sort of order for when the weather is good.
Riding on a pis# sodden moor in December nearly pitch black at 4pm is not my idea of fun and is equally or more depressing than shooting zombies on the Nintendo WI. I would rather stay clean and dry.
When you can't get out as much though due to health problems which I have had the last few months it makes you not take the little things for granted though!
means a lot to me. i have snowboarding too, but bikes are the main event.
after the summer spent guiding i was having dreams filled with singletrails, alpine meadows and twisty forest tracks.
if i don't ride a bike for a few days i get bored/down. i'm visiting 'home' at the moment and luckily have my fixie with me (just rode from germany to Rotterdam and got the ferry across) and have often grabbed the bike out of the garage and messed around trying to ride backwards (not much else you can do with a fixie) just to get me out the house and onto a bike.
when at home-home i'll drag the MTB out of the bike room and ride around town jumping stairs and mess about for 20 mins if i've got time.
before moving to germany i used to kiteboard an awful lot - 3-4 sessions a week. sadly there are fewer oppourtunities for this in Germany so the biking has come to the fore.
if i were to move back to the UK kiting would probably take its place as i'm down south and there aren't so many mountains, but plenty of flat grassy fields or wide open beaches.
in winter i board alot. my dreams turn into white powdery subconscious meanderings.
if i didn't have some form of escapism via bikes, kites or boarding then i don't know what i'd do.
Bikes are massively important to me too and again any bikes or biking event. I met Mr MC at a 24 hour MTB race if I don't ride for a few weeks becuase of work etc I get grumpy. Did 90 mile charity road ride yesterday in the pi**ing wind and rain (Oxford to Cambridge) but I was so happy being out on my bike enjoying myself, got a great smile on my face today. Don't know what I'd do without my bikes.
fir me it is ctycling in some form that i enjoy, it started with mtb's and only getting out on a weekend with mates adn the wife. 3 years of using it as the main form of transprt in nepal changed my view a little on the uses of the bike. with tthe coming along of a young family, most of my bibking is done commuting to work, the shops or swimming. The odd longer road ride and mtb ride with mates when ther is time. don't think i have been on teh mtb for about 5 weeks but willg et out this weekend. Hence the change in my grage from full suss hardatil and road bike, to road bike, corss bike (soon to go) tt bike and hardtail. its just easy to fit road riding around a young family at present, and also negtes the need ot dirve to ride. I lso white water kayak, but very infequently due to time commitments. I hope to increase the mtb and kayaking as the family get older and hopefully want to join me
I ride for fun, fitness, sanity and for the love of it....if I go 3 days or more without riding.....I get grumpy!!
Its my main passion/interest as it can be quite time consuming...but I would love another hobby too, but its just having the time and funds to do it all!
I ride bikes because it makes you feel like a kid again and I have made several loyal and true friendships through cycling. As they say in these parts "growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. Keep riding and never ever stop doing it. Yahooooooo !!!!
I love my cycling and its a massice part of me. I love road biking, mountain biking, Cyclo Cross etc. Ill watch it on TV, watch it live and love going out on my bike.
Some people think its un healthy obsession I have really, but I dont. Some people live for Gigs, going out and getting "smashed" or watching stuff like Xfactor.
Each to their own, but for me I love my biking 🙂
Surfing is my main thing but do love cycling - and the conditions (apart from ice) are always doable - surfing is very very fickle.
Great for fitness with low impact on joints and a lot of fun. Also satisfies the kit geek in me.
It is nearly as important as my dog