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flowing singletrack? landing a jump or drop? clearing a climb?
mine's flowing down trails 🙂
whats yours?
Meeting like minded people and playing with them in the woods
Laughing at a mate who's fallen off at low speed on a really lame corner / small log, etc 😈
Motorbike noises.
Not riding into trees and failing......
*rubs sore shoulder*
Unknown trails, preferably techy, downhill where you never know what is round the next bend but the adrenalin keeps building and you feel invincible.
(then crash)
What rocketdog said. Also....
If I've finally cleaned a climb that I've never managed before, or descending something tricky that used to scare me is the best feeling.
For me its the completeness. You need a series of elements to make a good ride and its when it all comes together that its great. A nice bit of trail, ridden well, in good company, with some good views as you take a break.
The feeling you sometimes get when everything goes right! I like flowy singletrack that points down. And rocky technical stuff 🙂
Like the OP, just finding the flow of the trail ....
The bit where you realise that your legs and body have finally warmed up and you can start cracking on.
Oh, and dawn breaking on a fine morning.
The knackered feeling at the end of a great ride.
Also those rides you do when the weather is shite and you know all the fatties are either in bed or watching telly while your out haveing great fun.
Riding outside my comfort zone just once or twice.
The fun of almost saving a crash, the ones where you hang on and hang on for ages till you loose it.
When you get a beautiful view, having broken out of a long climb through the trees.
Blue skies, crisp air, moo-cows in the field sort of stuff.
The feeling of almost flying like superman, gliding along, out there in the woods.
I'm with TJ - it's the completeness - Friends, solo. Fight, day. Racing, bumbling. Cake, gel. Coffee, tea. Whiskey, beer. The technicality, the simplicity. Big Sky rides, wood rides. Road, off road.
it's a little bit of everything that's good.
The inane giggle when things go pear shaped but you somehow stay on the bike and the adrenaline surge takes over.
Also, as TJ says, a bit of everything really does make a great ride.
mines getting to the top of an insanely steep climb
definitely flow.
when it works you feel like a cross between some kind of Zen monk on a bike and a super powered cycling cyborg. the whole world disappears and only you the bike and the trail remain.
mines getting to the top of an insanely steep climb
freak.
Mines super flowey singletrack followed by a quality beer in watery evening sunshine with a view. I love the Malverns 😉
good crack with new and and old faces, on new and old tracks
Same as Votchy - the rush from an 'almost-crash'.
achieving a state of [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29 ]flow[/url]
which does not require flowing singletrack, uphill or down, and you can even get it on a road bike
Mine would be "flow" too - don't care if its man made or not just enjoy something feeling smooth, effortless and grin inducing - hanging on to the edge of traction, peeling round a corner and into the next, over obstacles and onward.
The people are really important but the feeling of nailing something and not having to stop is oh so good!
flow here too... when my body and mind have been sufficiently infused with enough oxygen.. adrenaline.. confidence.. power and endorphins so that I am completely [i]within[/i] the ride.. for some reason.. say one in thirty rides this doesn't happen and the whole ride from start to finish is hard work..
dito what votchy says; plus finding that magical "happy gear" that lets you fly up any hill without feeling any pain or discomfort!
plus laughing at mates when they go a pissballer 😆
Cleaning a climb everyone thinks is impossible, such sattisfaction 🙂
ploughing through rock gardens at high speed
properly railing a corner
moto whiping the back wheel out every time i get even slightly airbourne
Views, countryside, wildlife etc
Flowing singletrack +1, but also the feeling that I'm reenacting the speeder bike scene in Return of the Jedi when pedalling flat out through the woods...
...something you never grow out of.
Thankfully, there's no Ewoks on my local woods.
So hard to chose one thing but i do enjoy nailing something techy that i've not done before - even if it's only a little thing
Dry dusty singletrack up, along, or down under blue sky with the sun on my back while darting a forest with that fresh pine smell. Oh preferably amongst big snowcaped mountains. The pine smell is a favourite though...
Riding something that's always scared me a bit, and it all comes together for the perfect run is the best feeling ever.
pjm1974 - MemberFlowing singletrack +1, but also the feeling that I'm reenacting the speeder bike scene in Return of the Jedi when pedalling flat out through the woods...
We actually have ome single track through some woods that has been nicknames "jedi's" for exactly that reason!!!
Finding a previously unridden bit of trail that turns out to be a peach.
Finding a normally busy path empty and being able to really hammer it.
Stopping at the top of a big f*ck off climb hardly able to breathe, looking down below in baking summer sunshine, sweat dripping off you, thinking YEEEAAAAHHH! and then going back down at warp speed.
no brakes sliding always brings the biggest grins for me 😀
but even a short blast to the shop for milk makes me happy
"the whole world disappears and only you the bike and the trail remain."
Then the bike disappears and there is just you and the trail
The you disappear and there is just the moving trail
Then there is just movement
I particularly get a thrill from overcooking the way into a corner but somehow hanging on and zooming out. I also like the feeling of skipping fast over a rough section. Smoothly cleaning a techy bit without a dab or stoppage is satisfying. Getting up a climb in one push for the first time is also very satisfying.
What most disappoints me is my fear of air-time.
what is your favoutite thing during a ride
Doing something better than I expected, such as jumping, pumping, nailing a berm (imo) or hitting a rock garden fast and not coming off.
I like to push my limits which are pretty limited!
Sunsets and finding that perfect speed where everything feels mellow and easy.
Too many to list, but as we approach the season for it - (approach, who am I kidding!)
Night rides with a decent sized club group. Doing one of the twisty Swinley singletracks and looking back up to where you just came from to see the lights of the rest of the group snaking down through the trees.
Another one for finding that riding rhythm and flowing smoothly down the trail. Riding a new trail for the first time too - reminds me of the excitment I felt when I started mtbing.
The inane giggle when things go pear shaped but you somehow stay on the bike and the adrenaline surge takes over
true true...
Fixing punctures, slowly followed by adjusting my seatpost. Oilng my chain comes third.
When I stop thinking about it and it just happens.
Not on every ride, but nice when it does happen. Especially if on fast, technical trails.
*Whipping 30ft doubles really smoothly.
*In my mind that is...
Cake
p!ssing in the woods
****in around like a ten year old.
That Zen state of mind* you get when you overcome fear, riding techy or exposed stuff like North Shore.
*I've rarely achieved this and am **** at NS.
Flowing down singletrack with my two boys. Admiring their developing skills and wishing I had them. cake at the end comes third... Oh and I like climbing on the SS for a reasonable CV workout.
For me there's a special buzz when I discover a new bit of trail that I just know is killer and share it with mates. Even better if it's the not even marked on a map variety. It's all good though