Because its hard.
Some rides are harder than others.
Because it’s quiet.
Because running sucks.
Because it’s a thrill.
Because it helps me relax.
This is how I hit the 'reset' button.
Because it can be exhausting.
Because it can rejuvenate me.
Because I aint going to a gym.
Because cool people ride bikes.
College was fun.
Because it’s a chance to dig deep.
Because its not in front of a computer.
Because it shows me things I wouldn’t see otherwise.
Spotted from a bike: the biggest copperhead I've ever seen.
Because watching other people play sports is boring.
Because it’s an escape from the stresses of everyday life.
Because it’s outdoors, in the weather, whatever that may be.
Because it’s a great way to experience the change of seasons firsthand.
A very rare (for Georgia) snow ride.
The wheels on my bike might have gotten bigger since '89, but my fashion sense isn't much better unfortunately.
Your turn: Why do you ride? Tell us in the comments below.
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“I ride because it soothes my soul, and fires me up. It’s a part of who I am, and has been since before I can even remember.” D. Gaddis
Very nice!
Because it’s there.
-George Mallory
And partly because I like good tasting food and beer, which gives me extra calories to burn.
I like seeing new things.
Challenging myself.
Feeling out of breath at the top of a hill.
Hearing the wind whip passed my ears on the other side of the hill.
For the feeling of tired legs, worked muscles, and a healthier heart.
Seeing the miles increase, the time drop, and the average speed increase.
To get some time when I can attempt to turn my brain off, think of nothing other than the next turn, the next hill, the next drop, and the miles to come.
dgaddis, awesome write-up. \m/
I can resonate with ALL of those!! Awesome post dgaddis. I especially love this one: “Because watching other people play sports is boring.” I totally agree there! I would way rather be out on my mountain bike than sitting in front of a tv watching football (or any other sport for that matter).
I’d also add that I love to experience new places, new landscapes and new ecosystems (or even just different landscapes, not necessarily new ones, that I’ve never been to before). IMO, a bicycle is the best way to see and experience the geography and the flora and fauna of a place. Hiking or backpacking is just too slow–you can only cover so much ground in one day. Anything with a motor is too fast, and it doesn’t require you to experience the topography by paying the toll in sweat and pain to get to the tops of the mountains. The bicycle is the perfect medium–and when you’re off the pavement (which is where I’d rather be because there you can find solitude), the MOUNTAIN bike reigns supreme!
Great post!
Ditto.
If I have a choice between “watch” and “do,” I’ll always choose “do.” It’s better for me and, by extension, those around me.
I ride because it make me a better person. Physically and mentally.
I also ride because being a fat slug sucked. I’ve lost 80 lbs, changed my life, and will never look back.
That’s awesome!
Dude that’s great!! Congrats on taking control and changing your life!
Way cool. Good things happen when you keep turning over the cranks!
Thanks guys! I’m going to post a thread about my weight struggles and successes, including a before and after pic once I reach my goal weight. I have 19 lbs to go before I reach my 100lb weight loss goal. Much of my success was fueled by this site. I tell you what, 236 lbs feels a WHOLE LOT better than 317.
I ride because there are no scores, no judges, no rules. I’m IN the changing seasons, the fresh air, the energy, the outdoors. Not just watching it or thinking about it… I’m IN it.
+1 to that. I hate sports with tons of rules about what you can and can not do… on a MTB it boils down to your fitness and your skills and the difficulty of the trail. you are at the mercies of the laws of nature.
I agree with every one of these reasons, but especially with “because running sucks” and “because I ain’t going to a gym”.
I ride because mountain biking helped me cope with the loss of my 20-year-old son. Being in the woods and pushing myself until I was exhausted was therapy, counseling and stress relief. Four years later, it’s still all of those things, but now I ride mainly because I love it.
I ride because there is always a better reward at the crest of each hill and mountain I conquer with sweat, pain, and landscape to remember it by.
I know that I get bored easily, so going to a gym place to do a work-out routine just absolutely drives me bonkers. Don’t get me wrong, I do work out at home with my Bowflex, and also walk around my neighborhood for excercise.
To me, riding a bike is so much fun that it does not even feel like excercise most of the time. I look forward to it so much that sometimes it consumes a good chunk of my time during my working hours.
Now that is what I call being passionate about doing something fun and healthy in my life…
Why I ride is best stated by Capt. Kirk…
“Dirt: the final frontier. The mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new trails and new singletracks, to boldly ride where no man has ridden before.”
I am pretty sure Capt. Kirk said this anyway.
I vote this for best response.
Great article, and a question I’m sure many of us get asked. I ride because I love that each ride is different.
I ride because I love to challenge, and best, myself.
I ride because it’s my bike and I and nature, and each ride will be what I make of it.
I ride because it’s fun, it makes me happy, and it makes me healthy.
I ride because bikes bring me to a happy place.
I ride because cold beer tastes best after 2 hours of sweating.
I ride because chicks dig flat stomachs.
But mostly, I ride because I don’t know how NOT to ride.
i completely agree with mtbgreg 1…i rode atvs for years and ya you could go far but mountain biking is so much more rewarding…you get more exercise and have a great time and you dont have to worry about no where to ride cause theres posted property…mountain bikes can ride pretty much everywhere in national forest and local forests..its a win win
not to mention but atvs make noise and alot of people dont like that
I ride because I can challenge myself.
I ride to get away from life.
Ride to Live…
Live to Ride.
No getting away!
Mt biking, just like hiking, x/c skiing, snowshoeing, and trail running, it is just you, the trail, and nature. Nothing else. You can push yourself, see new places, have solitude or even go five minutes out to a quiet spot and just sit down, think and maybe have a nap. You can do these with other people but it still comes down to you.
It is very hard to explain to people that do not participate in the activities I mentioned but it cleanses the soul, recharges the spirit, and refreshes the body.