Riding a bike is never 100% pure easy fun, and whoever told you it was flat out lied. To the degree that you want to move forward beyond the short commute and explore, corresponding levels of physical and mental exertion will always be required. Whether its negotiating traffic, climbing arduous hills, descending technical roads and trails or managing your limits in adverse weather: these aspects of cycling can all be both physically and mentally strenuous at times. Regardless of mental tenacity, the physically demanding aspect of cycling can often times be summed up into one word: pain.
We all love this whole cycling thing; you know, that ability to freely move from point to point in a relatively unhindered fashion, limited only by our motivation, imagination and mental/physical strength. But the grunt and grind of pedaling in various conditions to various locations takes just that; a little bit of hard effort. It wont be the optimal tire selection, perfect saddle, best gearing options or the most premium weather conditions that exclusively give rise to the conditions of a nice long ride that calls for a few challenges. Its the ability to push a little when the going gets tough; when things go a bit sour or when we begin to hit the literal and figurative wall of discomfort that helps us move forward on our little journeys.
How far you want to go will be entirely dictated by your desire to press on and adventure, to explore the unknown realms of not just your environment, but of both your physical and psychological strength. This isn't about masochism as much as it is about acknowledging that some work is involved in the long haul. It wont be about the miles traveled or grades of the hills climbed. It wont be about the friends you left in the wake of your efforts by powering along. Cycling is in and of itself just a game really. It stands both as a completely innocent and amusing activity while also being a deeply elating cat and mouse chase between a lot of joy and a little pain. Enduring the slight pain necessary to experience the joy is simultaneously finding joy and solace in those very moments of discomfort. Its only when we become so intimately involved with the act itself that we begin the blur the line between the two.
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| The recent merits of a good effort. Arriving to this destination was only half the fun. (Photo by Dave R) |
