I ride because I enjoy it. It clears my head, and helps me maintain some level of fitness. But mainly because it gets me outside in a natural environment, which I enjoy.

I’m learning to ride without an agenda. I’m not very good at it yet, but I will get there.

I like to ride in groups who push me, I like to ride in groups who dont but make me smile, I like to ride on my own and set my own challenges but I also like to ride solo and take time to enjoy the scenery….most of all I like to ride.

In the last couple of years we have taken sausages (spicy bean burgers, eggs, porridge whatever) 20 or so times. Not to eat mid-ride, but to ride to go and eat. In the local woods. Sometimes before dawn.

It’s not always about finding the holy grail trail, but the people and the experience and the laugh.

Most of the time though due to family restraints my rides do have an agenda. Be it route, speed or time, but that’s ok I like that too.

All riding good.

See today is an ideal example.. As said earlier its either Roadie or MrSchmancy, it’s a bit damp so I’m going to get wet either way, I’m mulling and eating breakfast but pondering over which bike to ride, not yet decided which is a good thing, but my brains conjuring images of wet forests and sticky trails again, so I guess my minds made up.. Only destination I have is Bere Forest, how I get there and what route I take I have no idea.

Relaxing thoughts….

I’m really into my fitness, but 99% of my riding is completely without agenda. I just want to get outside, ride and feel happy.

I just like riding bikes.

Once a year, I ride at Hit the North, where my agenda is not to get in too many people’s way.

Apart from that it’s just all purely riding for the sake of riding.
I usually take a book. 😀

I admire those who race.
I can understand people who train for racing.
But I struggle with people who don’t race, yet still push themselves all the time into a grumpy, sweaty mess.

Nothing wrong with pushing yourself, but it’s not the be all and end all. Relax, it’s supposed to be fun.

Audax I like – good rides, nice company excellent cake, a nice little personal challenge and a reminder that older people can be much, much fitter than you.

But Sportives?
What’s that all about? Racing for people who don’t actualy have the balls to race?
An excuse to fleece a bunch of gullible idiots?
Fantasy fuel for those who watch the TdF sat in their team kit?
Honestly, they’re just as silly as people who ride R1’s round the crowded Dales in team replica leathers every weekend.

Like soul surfing on a bike. 🙂
I like riding on my own so every ride is an adventure.

@Mcmoonter – top idea – rack and panniers will be dragged out of the garage for tomorrow’s ride to lunch.

Loving this thread!
I think variety is everything and cycling gives you that.
I make plans with friends and we plot routes, sometimes we just meet up and decide where we should head but most of the time we just make it up. I love the adventure of trying new places but then equally enjoy the local loop I have ridden hundreds of times.
On top of that I love riding by myself and shutting off for a while. Stick on my mp3 and take my camera and just follow my front wheel. Found some places which normally you would never find.
I love the fact that even though I bought my first decent bike about 15 years ago I still get really excited about going for a ride and having new adventures. If I’m not riding I’m either reading about it or on the net looking at it.
So many plans for this year already, bikepacking to try. The sport has diversified so much there is always new ideas and places to go.
In a nut shell – Love it!

Almost all rides have one or more agenda and a schedule.

The hardest is the schedule, whether it was when commuting or just fitting in a ride around family commitments.

All my riding is for fun, but not usually just for fun.

Still love it every time I’m on the bike (even the turbo…).

Never have an agenda, I just ride my bikes because I enjoy it.

Got a couple of mates into riding last year. Same age as me 57 seeing their health and fitness improve has been brilliant . We are off later today to a pub ahem ! Most of my rides are like this which is fine and dandy until I ride with someone younger and fitter ! then I get properly found out ! 😳

I ride because I love to ride, no agenda.

In about an hour around Punchbowl. Need to finish revision supervision and fix puncture first.

But try to balance with some ball-out XC stuff or a technical sessions on some aspect of my poor skills

Every time.

+1

There you go see.. I went out with a little idea to get somewhere and didn’t get there at all, in fact no where near it!! Random left and right turns followed by ” ohhh wonder what’s down here then?” And the recurring 3 front punctures didn’t stop me from giggling to my self when I put some effort in..
There was only about 20mins when I wasn’t smiling, that was hacking through some of the deepest and gloopyest mud I have seen in a long time on a trail I haven’t been on for about 3 years..
So there you go, front wheel took over and 4.5 hours later it found my front door, amazing. 😆

just got back from a road pootle on a few roads i aint been on for a few years.
it was very quiet, not many cars and best of all, i did not have to get undressed in the back yard to stop a muddy trail to the washing mashine.
halfway round it became a ride with AN agenda………….to only have 2 glasses of Dalwhinnie when i got back. cheers all 8)

Actually, agenda is the plural of agendum, to be gramatically correct.. 😉

Vast majority of my rides are solo and my only aim is to enjoy myself. As cycling is my way of resetting my head, it usually works.

Me – My next ride (the first in a while) will have an agenda of sorts – steady as she goes, and see how healed i am. It’ll be tomorrow or Sunday or both, fingers crossed.

Well, this guy says it better than I ever could 😀 😀 😀

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUbWVBaY3sI[/video]

I ride to escape the agenda. Fast or slow, short or long matters not.

I just ride because I like riding my bike.

Guessing I don’t walk with agenda ( other than getting some where) or driving my car.

Perhaps the only time I might think I am riding with “agenda” is if I am wanting to ride a particular section without bottling it.

I just usually start from a river or Bridge because thats the lower point descent wise,apart from that I have enough knowledge of the lakes to make the day up as I go along,I do like to find a new trail each time I ride if possible,sharing it with willing riders is always great for me,and thats the main agenda but nothing else, I think its important to consider the weakest riders thoughts on the ride, and thats one of the main things on my mind for most of the day.

Its good to hear Tons shreddin the trails again too.. 😉

Of course, its base miles isn’t it 😉

I took sausages with me today, they still tasted as good as they did when I was a lad. Woodsmoke and sausages were made for each other. Must remember to take marshmallows next time.

moonter, that is fantastic mate….well done 😆

I think I might have an agenda as far as getting to a particular place for sunset, if that’s the reason I set out, but that’s about it, I like just going for rides, the things I want from it appear as I go along, like being a bit braver or keeping a certain amount of effort going. I might be wanting to be get fitter or see how much fitness i’ve lost, but the most important thing is to be enjoying my day or few hours out, so i’ll get off and walk if the mood takes me. Enjoying myself is the the most important part of going out on my bike. Getting fitter and better is always good though, but if nothing is happening in that area i’ll switch back to just enjoying riding my bike.

I definately have the nicest time when I set out without any particular aims, but getting to Stanage Pole intime for sunset, especially during the winter, is always pretty cool.

Today I rode with an agenda, for the first time ever (apart from races). It was quite good actually, I might do it again

It is good to feel like you’re making progress in your riding, but it’s nice to enjoy the journey for it’s own sake as well.

I like riding out the front door sometimes and deciding which way to go when I get to a fork. One choice opens up endless others. Very refreshing.

Every ride has a different agenda. All require a form of joy as the outcome.

Purposelessness is priceless

If there’s an agenda; must someone take minutes?

I ride with an agenda most rides, but that agenda is ‘find something new’. Even if its just a short section of new trail, I try and explore something new on every trip out.

^^haha @ minutes.

Does “going out to enjoy being on the bike” count as having an agenda?

I only have a speed agenda if half way on a fast ride I think I’ve been riding faster than normal. Then I might see if I can turn it in to a 10km best time or something.

Think not having an agenda can probably be best described as pootling, either physically or mentally. 🙂

remind me never to ride with an agenda

sounds awful

Riding a bike without a purpose gets me down. I struggle to derive enjoyment through the simple matter of being on a bike I need to have some sort of goal or purpose whether it’s gnar, fitness, distance, speed whatever

apart from commuting pretty much the only agenda is riding the bike, what else is there? Training/racing is the only one I can think of *shudders*. I guess having a particular route in mind (i want to go up that hill) could be loosely classed as an agenda if you’re being pedantic.

I’m only out riding a bike coz I like riding bikes, everything else is a bonus.

Jamies summary sounds spot on 😉 and mcmoonter’s frying pan rides sound ace.

Great idea.
Needed to go to bank this morning, jumped on old steelyshedfind down to high street.
Thanks.