I've had a bit of a falling out with road riding this year - nutter drivers, state of the roads, etc and a spell of illness has also kept me off the bike for the past couple of months.
So, looking forward to 2026, I'm thinking I want my riding to be less about "training" and fitness, and more about just getting out on the bike and enjoying it (and keeping away from the roads).....but I'm not sure I've decided what that really means......
I'm probably going to be retiring in early 26 too - so a lot of time on my hands!
So, interested to hear what "fun riding" means to you - to see if I can draw some inspiration!
(and I do need some fitness to come back - I'm doing the mid distance Dirty Reiver in April)
.y riding has always been " fun" the times it isn't is on the roads 🙄some drivers have an inbuilt hatred of cyclists 😔
Off road the only thing that scares me is my own lack of talent 😔
Lose the road bike use a 29 er hardtail as a " gravel" bike and crack on , it's fun !
I’ve done it all - road, cross, mountain, group rides, friend rides, solo rides, multi-day rides, long distance rides and events from TTs to Enduros to Nationals to 3 Peaks to Mega.
And my favourite kind of riding is rocking up somewhere with the wife, a couple of bikes and vague plan to go have an offroad adventure with a café stop or two.
I very rarely don't have fun on a bike. If I were to pin it down what I'd class as "normal" (ie, not the Alps or any lift assisted stuff) fun riding though, I'd say any ride that included gentle ups, off-pistey type downs, mates and a cafe afterwards.
anything that isnt racing. I've not done a massive amount of racing, but the as soon as its riding 'as fast as possible' it sucks the life out of it for me.
I've enjoyed it still (Megavalanche, Enduro2, Ard Rock etc), as its somewhere new to ride, with mates, but its defo not as fun as just getting out there.
Variety is a good spice of life, so keep it fun by exploring new places and spots.
But yeah, forget riding on the roads these days, way too many morons!
All my riding is fun. But then I don't own a road bike...
just getting out on the bike and enjoying it (and keeping away from the roads).....but I'm not sure I've decided what that really means......
You need a good ATB. Not a gravel bike, not really a contemporary mountain bike, just an ATB like we used to get out and explore on (but with better kit vs the 80s and 90s). Exploring, stopping for views and a chat, fun trails, no data or pressure, that kind of thing. Tracks, trails, lanes and byways, all good stuff.
We used to call it XC before the UCI format made it all about racer attitudes.
You need a good ATB. Not a gravel bike, not really a contemporary mountain bike, just an ATB like we used to get out and explore on (but with better kit vs the 80s and 90s). Exploring, stopping for views and a chat, fun trails, no data or pressure, that kind of thing. Tracks, trails, lanes and byways, all good stuff.
I think that's a great summary @jameso - when I was recovering from my broken back around 6 years ago, this was the riding I got into - discovered a whole new raft of off-road loops round near me as a result - the last 18 months or so of more concentration on road riding has led me down a path of forgetting about all of that - so thanks for the reminder! 👍
Singletrack trails. Almost impossible for them to be not-fun 🙂
I’m with James
I’m on a drop bar bike with big tires which is different to what James rides. But it’s more the same than different.
It helps to live near off road that’s not too over grown or muddy. I set off from the door for an hour upto a day. Don’t look at your average speed. If you need to walk a bit then do so. Try and hit a cafe or take good and a hot drink
If you can put in enough time you’ll get fit. Adding 30 second sprints or hill efforts is the icing on the cake
riding an appropriate bike, in the manner the designer intended, while putting a decent amount (but not necessarily race pace/heart attack level) of effort and requiring a decent amount of mental engagement/technique.
sprinting round some traffic free country lane on a responsive drop bar bike; threading a trail bike round some woodland singletrack; scaring yourself pointing a sticky tired big bike down some lift served downhill.
a zone 2 multi hour road ride with no corners would bore my to tears, but so would a similar style of "gravel" or "xc".
and to the other extreme, when the equipment means you cant enjoy things like you know you otherwise could... like pedalling some super tacky downhill tyres around on tarmac, or taking a gravel bike on techy singletrack. sucks all the fun out of it.
All my riding is fun. Be it touring with my wife or weeks away beer biking with my pals to riding the odd event like jennride to riding from home for a coffee or a pint.
fun riding for me is just actually riding my bike with no pressure just going at my own pace whether offroad or on and enjoying the scenery and nature. maybe stopping off for a coffee or cake somewhere too.
Was your road riding solo or with others?
I love just getting out on the bike, whether that's road or offroad, I'm not really fussed. Used to do much more off-road but when my daughter was born just under 2 yrs ago, time became more of a factor so have generally stuck to road rides, and usually with my club.
What I find riding with a group of others brings is that even if there are a few dickhead drivers about, provided they don't cause a crash, you're soon back to just having a chat with mates, rather than dwelling on it as you could do if you're by yourself.
Never got into racing, just riding frequently enough to keep up on the quicker club rides.
Single track (preferably dry) - gravel or MTB - just fun, And like others combined with coffee and cake- hard to beat.
Riding somewhere with the time and skill to be able to follow any interesting looking trails I might come across.
I own:
- A lovely singlespeed rigid MTB
- A racy hardtail
- a 140mm trail bike
- a gravel bike
- a road bike
- a Brompton
- a 90s hybrid shopping bike
I ride alone, with a mate, with a road club. I don't think I can remember a ride that wasn't fun - even if occasionally it was Type 2 fun.
@onewheelgood I was just going to say...
What type of fun do you want?
Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, or a mixture?
All riding is fun. Road, gravel, MTB, commuting. Sometimes it can be a bit Type 2. If its not you're doing it wrong.
The thing most likely to reduce the fun content for me is to add numbers to it to obsess over because I can never match up to my own expectations. So leave the computer at home and just ride, enjoy the view, the weather, the speed, the feel of your body working, the bike, the trail or road.
Even yesterday's freezing cold, piss wet, cut short to an hour and a half excursion that left me screaming in pain when the hotaches hit my hands had its moments. It was hideous, but you could at least share a wry grin with the (few) other silly buggers who had got caught in it - and sliding around in the mud never gets too old!
Depends on the mood im in but generally...
Getting out into the middle of nowhere on some questionable singletrack and just before hoying your bike over a stile stopping to take a breath and catching yourself taking the view in and realising its blissful peace and quiet, the scenery is gorgeous, all you can hear is the birds, the wind, and even my own mind is quiet, thats the crux of what always gets me out on the bike. I come back home feeling like all the shit that's built up since the last ride is cleansed from my soul again so to speak.
Other times it's the flying down trails that gives me the fun factor, I don't like slow, steep techy stuff, thats the sort of stuff I'll ride and laugh cause I can't believe I made it down without falling off but I prefer rougher chunkier natural or even trail center trails where I can proper bomb down them and laugh whilst I'm riding down because I'm flying off drops, chundering over roots, hoying it over jumps, pinning round berms faster than I think I should, ploughing through rock gardens with dodgy line choices and laughing because it's the fine balance of riding just about on the edge of my ability, going fast, having a laugh at some of the features cause you're not sure if you'll be able to ride them or not but going for it anyway.
The type of trails you get to the bottom and go "HAHA!! That's an INSANE trail! Lets ride it again!" as opposed to "Jesus christ that trails insane, yeah nah one and done for me on that one"
What gives me fun though on the bike, like inane, always gonna find it fun, is purely going down hills. Theres even a big long straight and steep downhill road out of my local woods and you can get some proper speed up on it if theres no cars coming, just feels good you know?
All riding is fun. Road, gravel, MTB, commuting. Sometimes it can be a bit Type 2. If its not you're doing it wrong.
The thing most likely to reduce the fun content for me is to add numbers to it to obsess over because I can never match up to my own expectations. So leave the computer at home and just ride, enjoy the view, the weather, the speed, the feel of your body working, the bike, the trail or road.
Even yesterday's freezing cold, piss wet, cut short to an hour and a half excursion that left me screaming in pain when the hotaches hit my hands had its moments. It was hideous, but you could at least share a wry grin with the (few) other silly buggers who had got caught in it - and sliding around in the mud never gets too old!
Basically what Jon says but I don't own a gravel bike and don't commute anymore. I just love riding bikes and do it as often as time and my legs allow!
@onewheelgood I was just going to say...
What type of fun do you want?
Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, or a mixture?
Wait, what? There's a Type 3 now?? Did I miss another meeting?
With Type 2, it's fun almost as soon as you stop. Type 3 is where you nearly die and it takes many months before you appreciate the experience.
With Type 2, it's fun almost as soon as you stop. Type 3 is where you nearly die and it takes many months before you appreciate the experience.
Ah. Yeah, I'll stick to Type 1 and/or Type 1-Type 2 cocktail I reckon.
I thought Type 3 was when medical intervention was required? Anyhow for me as soon as I've done the first pedal stroke I feel free, everything else is irrelevant except for the road or trail in front of me. "Fun" is the icing on the cake after that and comes in moments rather than whole rides, from clearing something improbable on a trail to snaking through some beautiful lanes on a road bike.
No one gets hurt. No one gets dropped. Everyone gets along. The cafe stop is good. Everyone gets what they want from the ride - be it a beasting, or a chat, or some fresh air, or head space, or to see somewhere different, or learn something.
Riding singletrack on a light rigid bike with chunkyish tyres does it for me, no need for cafe stops or mates, just solo grin factor 1.
Depends on the day and what mood I'm in, but generally if it's pointing downhill and involves fast swoopy and flowy singletrack then I'm having fun. Or "big BMX track" style groomed hardpack flow trails with reasonably sized jumps, just not too big or steep faced otherwise I get scared 🙂 don't mind a bit of rocky tech but I don't want that for the whole ride.
Road is never what I'd consider fun, but it's more bearable than running for exercise and I can feel the benefit when I go back to MTB.
Good company, dry trails, technical single track descents and preferably the sun on my back and a nice bar for a post ride beer.
- the last 18 months or so of more concentration on road riding has led me down a path of forgetting about all of that - so thanks for the reminder! 👍
👍 I like road riding, not really as a 'roadie' but I enjoy it. Fast road descents are a buzz like an MTB trail can be. I've had periods of being on the road most of the time. Great for fitness. There's always a point where I go back to an MTB (simple XC trails will do it) and think 'damn I missed this!', it's just the most fun.
It's mucking about on a bike in a way that kids do, we just ride further on more expensive bikes now.
Playing in the woods with mates, ideally with dry trails and a pub finish. Though tbh any riding that doesn't involve roads ticks the box
There's a not fun version of riding a bike?
Must be something to do with turbos, Zwift or Wattbikes. 🤔
I ride road and off road.
If I had one word that sums up my favourite aspect of riding it's "flow" or "fluidity". That could even be uphill. Just everything in balance.
Do love a swoopy trail though. 🙂
Wait, what? There's a Type 3 now?? Did I miss another meeting?
Didn't realise there was a type 3 fun ...
Rolling through the hill but wanting to touch the front brake braces it's being training the last three days and everything is greasy AF or slogging yourself up as hill in 1st gear for hours in end to reach the summit..... That's type 2 for me
If I'm turning cranks or heating downhill I'm happy.
Whether that's on my own or with the GF, sitting on a chairlift, grinding up a mountain, spinning up an alpine pass, riding to the shops or the pub...... I like riding bikes regardless of size and shape..... Bouncy ones, stiff ones.... Better than sitting in a car, at work or on a sofa.
Wether I'm riding the same trail for the fifth time in sav bike park or descending a new trail for the first time I'm always thankful that I'm able to do so. Like I said better than sitting on your arse at home or at work.
I miss having my cargo bike and just riding to the shops, but I take solace that my mate uses the cargo bike with his family. I take as much pleasure in riding my gravel bike with either bags or trailer to the next shop just to pick up some veg for next few days as I do doing bike tours through the high Alps and hitting the descents.
I just like riding bikes.
What is fun? Fun not fun fun funny not funny fun not fun. Fun? NOT FUN? Funny.
Riding bikes? Fun? Not fun? Bikes? NOT BIKES? FUN BIKES FUN NOT FUNNY BIKE FUNNY BIKE FUN.
I never knew there were actual definitions for type 1 fun and type 2 fun! I thought it was a made up joke but shit, there is!
So **** you too all the trials dissers in the trials thread, trials is fun, just mostly type 2 fun, especially if you waited until your 40s to start learning it like I did!
When at home, a fun ride for me usually means riding ~8+ miles to the nearest 263+ foot 3%+ (cat4) hill, the closest of which is Beeches Hill near Bishops Waltham and getting up it as quick as I can. Repeat similar effort on a few other hills near Old Winchester Hill and head home.
Alternatively, smashing the little hill rollercoaster road with several names as best I can between Morestead Hill and the bottom of Beacon Hill Lane.
Away from home, the hills near Longleat Center Parcs and the hills near Prestatyn heading inland, especially the ~6.9 mile ~1200 foot Road To Hell.
All lanes that are far quieter as regards motor traffic than the ~2.5 miles near home on the eastern edge of Southampton.
Couldn't do them in '23 or '24 because of long covid.
248Wh battery gravel ebike made this possible again in '25.
There's a not fun version of riding a bike?
There are many. So many, from grim wet commute, tedious dog walker-riddled canal towpath, bike destroying grind through peaty shite, multi -fall slippy muddy trails (personal bugbear when I don't know how everyone else is riding just fine. And I've not even started on different species of mechanicals, hypothermic schlepps home etc etc but I'll pause for now...
There's a not fun version of riding a bike?
Must be something to do with turbos, Zwift or Wattbikes. 🤔
Basically that. I like riding bikes - all my bikes in all the places I go - but sometimes, in order to increase the amount of fun I can have, I'll ride indoors. That's purely about developing and maintaining fitness.
The only "not fun" riding I can think of is when someone I think is an absolute plonker turns up, buzzing around and generally making a nuisance of themselves. I've removed myself from one group I used to ride with as a result of this.
When at home, a fun ride for me usually means riding ~8+ miles to the nearest 263+ foot 3%+ (cat4) hill, the closest of which is Beeches Hill near Bishops Waltham and getting up it as quick as I can. Repeat similar effort on a few other hills near Old Winchester Hill and head home.
Alternatively, smashing the little hill rollercoaster road with several names as best I can between Morestead Hill and the bottom of Beacon Hill Lane.
Away from home, the hills near Longleat Center Parcs and the hills near Prestatyn heading inland, especially the ~6.9 mile ~1200 foot Road To Hell.
All lanes that are far quieter as regards motor traffic than the ~2.5 miles near home on the eastern edge of Southampton.
Couldn't do them in '23 or '24 because of long covid.
248Wh battery gravel ebike made this possible again in '25.
Each to their own, but none of that sounds like fun to me
Type III fun is an activity that's fun to moan about after the fact. Like bikepacking up Cross Fell for instance.
Fun riding for me:
- Any trip away by bicycle.
- Uplift.
- The Alps.
- Hardtails.
- E bike rides.
What is fun? Fun not fun fun funny not funny fun not fun. Fun? NOT FUN? Funny.
Riding bikes? Fun? Not fun? Bikes? NOT BIKES? FUN BIKES FUN NOT FUNNY BIKE FUNNY BIKE FUN.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_vmF1wJf3ZY
🙂
These look like type 1 fun, but probably novelty wear off quite quickly, but they'd be fun for a while I think. What wasn't fun was trying to find the creator, who I followed on Instagram the other month. I've found a number of clips of the inventor but not one single clip credits the author.
Does it make me smile?
Do I want to go back and repeat it again?
Am I glad that I did it?
If the answer is yes to these questions, then it's "fun" in my book... Invariably that means it's probably type 1 or maybe type 2 fun, but not type 3 (though type 3 always gives the best stories to tell afterwards!)...
As to where, what bike etc...? A very complex equation that is going to be uniquely different for every person I would suggest, though hopefully there will be overlaps that allow people to enjoy riding together at times.
To actually answer the question, fun riding is the only type of riding I aim to do. For me, that's mostly hand-built enduro stuff, where the enjoyment comes from trying to ride challenging trails faster and smoother than I managed last time (or "at all" in some instances). Enjoy the little spikes of adrenaline and the elation of challenging myself and coming up trumps. I mostly ride alone (riding buddies having largely aged out of the game and/or into other disciplines), so it's always a bit of a balancing act, between pushing myself vs. risk-taking.
The physical side of it is a fun aspect for me too. I enjoy the sensation of exertion and knowing that my body can handle it.
A deep appreciation of the outdoors is also a big part of it.
I'll never be anyone's idea of fast-fast, but I just ****ing love it.
I have no idea what type 1, 2 or 3 fun is, but it seems a bit anti fun to give it categories!!
Bore off, just go and ride.
Edit: that sounds harsh and it was only meant to be piss taking. Have a wink 😉 to soften it a bit.
Yep, if I had to categorise it (yeah some of it's tongue in cheek), that's instantly not fun
I enjoy solo rides and group rides in equal measure.
Mellow rides, intense rides, singletrack, steeps (to a certain amount of scare myself at least), tech, flow, open moorland, being in the woods (especially being in the woods), bike parks, canal paths, riding half a mile, a mile, or more to the pub, taking the ebike when it doesn't warrant an ebike, but sod it, I'm doing it in turbo, mid ride pub stops, end of ride pub stops, summer dust, autumn colours, winter slop and hopefully some crunchy days, grinning to only myself, laughing with mates, cleaning sections with ease, being on the edge of my abilities, tweaking bikes and doing that ride where you realise that change made a positive difference. Oh, being in the woods, did I mention being in the woods?
I bloody love bikes
the hills near Prestatyn heading inland, especially the ~6.9 mile ~1200 foot Road To Hell.
Intrigued. Where is that?
Not near Southampton!!
EDIT: Gadlys Lane up from Bagillt on NCR5?
I think the only rides I’ve had that weren’t fun are one where I bailed because I was ill and it was one of those wet night rides where every tree root tries to take you out and one where I only got a few hundred yards from my house and broke my ankle really badly (this ride was organised on this forum, Xmas 2010!)
I don’t count commutes but most of mine are fun now I have an almost entirely off-road way, and I’ve never been into road-riding (possibly because I know how teenage me drove down country roads…)
I like nice weather but I also enjoy bad weather in its various forms (although sometimes not at the time, other than in a “am I / are we mad to be out in this?!”) I like going up, along, and down, fast, slow, dust to slop, natural or manmade, jumpy (within my ability) or not, rocks or not, whatever.
I’d probably be more choosy if I had more time and money but I don’t so I shall continue in my cheerful delight at getting to play on my bike whenever I can.