Thanks for reading the newsletter. The goal here is to share knowledge and tell a story or two. Here we go!

Intentionality

We all like to ride. The freedom, getting away from the house for a bit, breathing some fresh air. It’s good for your health, it’s good for your mind, and it give you a chance to ponder and just think about nothing or everything. Your choice. The quality of riding, I mean the actual physical value you receive from the exercise, is always there. However, when you take a step back and think about something that may be bothering you, or you may need to make a big decision, it’s always wise to take a bike ride and let your mind wander for a bit and I bet the answer will come to you before your ride is done.

Therapy

Heading out for a solo ride can be a rolling therapy session, or as I like to call it, a moving meditation. Riding up into the trails for just an hour can clear up your mind and give you a solid start to the day. Remember those first rides on your new bike? You were so stoked that all you thought about was the smooth suspension and the sweet shifting. Eventually the bike grew into an extension of you, the rider, and now you don’t think about the bike. This is the moment when the bike and you become one, and your mind is free to solve problems. Personally I like to put on a rocking play list and hammer the hills when it’s required for my training plan, or on slow days I’ll put on a podcast and make mental notes on topics that we can discuss at the bike shop. Most days we’re trying to devise a plan for world peace or a get rich quick scheme so we can ride more.

Lone Wolf

Group rides or solo sessions (lone wolf)? It’s clear cycling is somewhat of a selfish thing to do, but in a good way. You’re focused on your ride, you know you need to get up and go. When you get this urge to ride it can take several forms. I thoroughly enjoy the shops rides we do every Saturday. When customers of the shop show up and we get to know them outside the shop walls it’s great. We learn what they like and dislike quickly and more often then not we make new friends. Since group rides are held several days a week that leaves plenty of open time for solo rides. This gets back to my previous paragraph. Completing the circle here, it’s fun to ride at your own pace without a group either slowing you down or dropping you when the pace gets too high. If you need a specific hard road ride to smash your fitness to high levels there are opportunities to do so. If you want to work on your dirt skills you definitely can. It’s up to you and that’s what makes cycling the greatest solo sport in my opinion. It’s built on your life and your desires, nobody else can do it for you.

Thanks for reading. Go ride your bike and check in next week for more thoughts on bikes.

Peace,
Paul