There’s no doubt I live La Vie Velominatus. Sometimes I think I live it maybe a little too much, as I’ve been told by independent observers that bicycles and all associated with them dominates my very existence. And it’s true; I work in the industry, dividing my time between editing Spoke magazine, writing (not nearly enough lately) here, and a couple of days a week in the shop. Whenever there’s a spare moment, it’s usually spent surfing the web, and nine out of ten sites I’ll view are in some way bike related. To end the day I’ll settle down with a book or a magazine in bed. No need to tell you the subject matter. (It’s not porn… really.)
Is this healthy? Cycling is by definition a healthy activity, but when one becomes all-consumed by a solitary pursuit, it can be seen as unhealthy in itself. An addiction. Addictions are usually construed as being bad things, but surely an addiction to something so pure can’t be harmful?
Well, not if you aren’t actually riding. If the only link to cycling is from sitting in front of a computer, writing about riding, reading other’s articles about riding, and making a magazine about riding, all to the detriment of actually getting on a bike and doing it, that takes its toll, both mentally and physically.
It’s a Catch 22 situation. You don’t ride, and you lose fitness. And when you lose fitness, riding becomes harder. So you shy away from hard rides. Consequently, you lose even more fitness. Then you get to the point when you say fuck it, and just get your ass on the bike. You ride with your usual crew, you lag on the hills, but you feel stronger the farther you go, drawing on the energy from the simple act of being out, turning the legs and breathing fresh air into the lungs. You get caught up in the little sprints and KOMs, and find you still have something in the tank. Deep, buried reserves forged from la vie. You finish the ride feeling rejuvenated, tired but refreshed. You vow to ride again tomorrow. But there’s a deadline to meet, proofing to be done, a last mintute article to write. Life gets in the way. And so it goes.
I know. I have ridden my bikes probably on average twice a week for the last six weeks. I was supposed to be doing a race this weekend. I’m glad I’m not. The principle reason for not doing it was money, the very coin I’d spent on getting a bike to race on conspired against actually racing. That, coupled with a grand in dentist fees, a visit from an Aussie friend which helped drain the bank account, then an ensuing illness and my race fitness, which was well on track those six weeks ago, has now all but disappeared in a cloud of debt and lethargy.
Yep, life gets in the way of having a life. A life of riding. But I still have a life of cycling, it’s just being lived through other means right now. And that’s better than not having a life at all. I will be back. Vive la vie Velominatus.
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I can definitely relate Brett.
On the one side, I feel completely addicted to cycling in one form or another. I'm either thinking of the next ride, or reading about something cycling related.
On the flip side, my VMH gives birth to our second child in a month, and I can see that my days are numbered!
At times like this, the only thing that keeps me going is my commute into work. Enough to keep the legs happy anyway. I wonder how long that will last...
"Change/Life" - it happens to the best of us.
I hear that, brother! It's like you're talking about my life too. Here's to fortune giving us both some time to enjoy the actual riding we too often only enjoy vicariously...
But thankfully, your bike will patiently wait. It will not judge, complain or nag. It will not make unreasonable demands, ask for attention or turn away in frustration.
And when you are ready it will handle you precisely and comply (vertically)...
My god i know what you mean, i got a job in order to buy the things for my riding (new pair of wheels mainly) but all it does is stop me riding. Case in point yesterday i was actually kitted up and ready to go when they rang me and called my backside in.
After last weeks poor effort this made me sad, however the sun is out on one of those fantastic crisp Autumn days, so i'm gone.
My addiction to cycling got to a stage where i wasn't actually see anyone other that the people at work and my parents, so i decided to take up the hockey again, which i'm reliably told will increase my strength so good stuff all round
Aye, I can completely agree with that. Regular Life does indeed get in the way of La Vie.
And when it does, as @DeltaMngo says, the commute provides sanctity for pursuance of La Vie, for it justifies regular V-meditation in the guise of purposeful transportation. A reason for La Vie to constantly exist within the drudge of Regular Life.
As for Brett's musings on whether one can be classed as addicted to a pure activity; 'all things in moderation' as they say.
I like to believe I think about cycling much more than I manifest my love (obsession?) for it. One way I gauge this is to use the object of my VMH's arguments to tell whether I've got La Vie under control or not. If she's ranting about That Fucking Bike, then I know I've got to reel in in a little.
Things are quiet on that front for now, so I reckon I've got it under wraps at the moment.
...but I probably haven't.
Vive La Vie!
Damnit, we need an edit post function on this here forum.
Only noticing typos post-submission pisses me off!
@harminator
So true Harminator, sort of like a dog but one that you do not have to feed, just buy fancy bits for...
And whats wrong with being consumed by it even if you can't get out on the bike? It is a positive non harmful world that if I was Brett I would be proud to say that was my world.
Nice one, Brett!
My short life as a Follower has benefited from a Cycling Nirvana stage in my life, one where my only commitments were the gf-VMH & some graduate school. I even lived apart from the VMH for a few months a year, so then it was just cycling & school. I was riding for a few hours a day, every day. I knew it couldn't possibly last, so I enjoyed it immensely while I was fully ensconced in Big Ring Nirvana.
Now I'm engaged to be married, I need to finish my degree & quit being so driven on the bike that I'm lazy out of the saddle, and even with these small changes I feel less and less connected to the bike. I still ride 4-5 times a week, with two days off for some healthy cross-training (soccer).
I know I'll only have more commitments, and a real job (my friends tell me being a teaching assistant isn't "real") and likely children. I don't know how many of you pull it off.
My one saving grace is that I feel my connection to cycling, the rhythms of turning the cranks when on the bike, and dreaming about my next ride when off the bike are so firmly rooted deep inside my spirit that I'll be okay, even when I'm not able to ride as much as I'd like. Vive la vie Velominatus.
That catch 22 is where I have been for a while. I started school over 2 months ago and between that and holding down a part time job I find my self with such little time to do anything else. I get to ride a couple of hours every Saturday and sleep in every 5 weeks. I really look forward to winter break so I can ride just about every day.
Rob - some of us have to buy fancy bits for our dogs too! We've had a pound dog for about a year, then this summer she started acting off. Hmm, then she got really bad a few weeks ago, could hardly walk or stand. Turns out she has Addison's disease, which is a malfunctioning of her adrenal glands.
The initial vet visit & work cost something along the lines of a very nice new bike, though I'm not sure full carbon or an Al/carbon mixture because I told the VMH to NOT tell me the actual bill. Now she'll need a monthly shot at the cost of $175 each time.
I love the dog & I love pets but when I total that up over her lifetime I wonder what the hell is going on. That's more than I pay for my own health insurance each month! Between the two cats & the dog, our grad school incomes are in rough shape.
I guess maybe this is a sign to get my arse in gear, finish, and get a decent job. But lordy, $2000 a year on shots?!