Why Casting Bicycle Touring As A Sporting Achievement Is Completely Missing The Point

Let me know what you think

I 100% agree with the logic behind it… but actually being that person and living with cycling as a relaxing fun thing to do is actually quite hard for most of us. Most of us push and strive to get fitter/faster/better. But in some ways it’s detrimental to the enjoyment

Each to their own, I think. I actually get a bit bored trundling along taking in all the sights, much prefer to see how far I can travel in a day and push myself a bit when touring. The adventure racing (transcontinental/transam) style of riding is much more appealing to me. Not knocking traditional loaded touring, if people are having fun on bikes then it’s all good.

I recognise all of that. I spent several months last winter getting in shape to do the HTR550 then realised I was focusing more on daily mileages and average speeds than the countryside I was riding through and sacked it off. It’s nice to go lightweight, that makes pedalling easier, and it’s nice to be able to look at a map or a distant mountain range and see how far you have managed to travel. However,it’s also rewarding to take time out to study some of the little things like local architecture, waterfalls, the wildlife and, of course, to chat to the people whose lands you are passing through.

I’ve also been thinking that I could do with a new touring buddy but the difficulty would be finding one with the same balance of attitude that I have.

That post pretty much sums up my riding these days…..

I eagerly follow the tour divide, trans am etc but have no interest in doing such things

but ‘doing it for charity’ really grates on me the most, if you want to support a charity thats great but dont kid yourself that riding a bike somewhere gives you an entitlement to harass me to give you money

You had me until ‘cycle touring’.

I ride my bike, I tour on my bike, I commute on my bike.
I do it all for fun and enjoyment, I never ever do it or ever have done it as a sporting achievement.

so I agree with everything said.

That post pretty much sums up my riding these days…..

I eagerly follow the tour divide, trans am etc but have no interest in doing such things

Exactly this, although I’d love to tour these routes rather than race them.

but ‘doing it for charity’ really grates on me the most, if you want to support a charity thats great but dont kid yourself that riding a bike somewhere gives you an entitlement to harass me to give you money

And this. I’ve been approached by colleagues wanting money for their ride of 30-40 road miles. Am I unreasonable to think like this? Perhaps for another thread.

Anyways, touring is ace, however you choose to do it.

I don’t mind giving money to charity for a road event… as long as it’s 100 miles.

Anything I can cycle in a morning doesn’t count.

I like that whole website tbh, specially the beer can stove.

Brilliant stuff. Totally agree. Long-distance rides can make great challenges and there’s deep/big experiences to be had there, but stravaism and ‘Achievement’ is generally a load of b—–s imo, it’s nothing more than a personal motivation source and it can be over-shared at times. It’s all been done before anyway.

My late autumn tours or trips are always about stopping for coffee and sitting quietly in the woods or corners of cornfields, or waking up and appreciating the birdsong rather than thinking about getting a move on. Did one last weekend, found a load of new trails, bivied on 2 lovely hillsides I’d not been on before, drunk too much coffee and some beer and did ‘not very many’ miles.
I like a bit of perspective, so doing both gives me that. Seeing how far/fast I can go etc is motivating as it is for most of us but I do realise the real experience has nothing to do with power output or resistance to sleep deprivation : )

The author seems to be conflicted about her cycling, and i don’t really understand why.

I’ve raced pretty seriously with the aim of winning. I have cycle toured with no other objective than seeing the world and enjoying the countryside and the passing miles. I have ridden off road into the mountains. I ride my bike to work and sometimes I will do a wee pootle with the kids. All different forms of cycling, all good fun. No one is making me do them, and I don’t feel any pressure from anyone else to adopt a particular approach to my cycling.

I don’t understand why the author of the article feels the need to justify cycle touring in relation to other types of cycling. It is what it is, just enjoy it!

I don’t understand why the author of the article feels the need to justify cycle touring in relation to other types of cycling

Isn’t it partly a mild punt at all the shared online mileage totals, strava-challenge leaderboards, charity epics and 100-post blogs about preparing to race a sportive? 🙂 It can make us feel that achieving is important. Like it or not we’re all subject to it more so than ever now. Human nature + the internet.

That’s the bit I don’t get. Strava leaves me cold, but lots of people love it. I don’t feel any pressure to participate in Strava, however.
Achieving is important, but you just need to be comfortable with defining achievement for yourself. That might just mean riding out with your panniers on a sunny morning and feeling that it is good to be alive. You don’t need to compare that with something else on the internet!

How presumptuous of her, that she thinks she knows what other cyclists should enjoy .

I’m with her completely, my aim in life is too enjoy myself. that may be on a bike,in an art gallery or at work. I no longer do anything that I don’t want to do just to please other people

I’m happy

I’ve had two experiences in the last couple of months – one where I set out to chill and enjoy touring, which I didn’t end up liking

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/shameless-promotion-of-a-friends-article-on-cycle-touring

and one where I cycled up Mont Ventoux which turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve had to date on a bike

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-cycled-up-mont-ventoux

Both I did when I had 12 weeks off work between jobs. I’ve realised that I like speed and setting targets. Cycling has always been my meditation and I need distracting from everything else in my life by the pain of going fast.

Each to their own!

How presumptuous of her, that she thinks she knows what other cyclists should enjoy .

This

I guess Mark Beaumont, Vin Cox, et al “completely missed the point”. The bell-ends! 🙂

Some folk on this thread obviously struggle with the english language.

Vin Cox, et al “completely missed the point”.

Actually Vin said before the ride he was going to take some time out along the way, and after said he knew he could have gone faster but still chose to see the sights along the way since he’d only get to ride around the world once. I’d say he gets it 100%, I also liked his mild lack of competitive dedication to the cause despite being a successful racer : )
(I know what you meant above though!)