Fitness. The rhythm, the feeling of precision in our movement, the sensations of The Ride. The temptation of knowing we might in some way control our suffering even as we push harder in spite of the searing pain in our legs and lungs. The notion that through suffering, we might learn something rudimentary about ourselves – that we might find a kind of salvation.
Cycling, like Art, is based on the elementary notion that through focussed study, we might better understand ourselves. But to describe Cycling as a an Art does it an injustice. An artist, they say, suffers because they must. A Cyclist, I suggest, suffers because we choose to.
This element of choice, what psychologists refer to as the locus of control, is part of what allows us to feel pleasure through suffering. Through this choice unfolds an avenue of personal discovery by which we uncover the very nature of ourselves. Like Michelangelo wielding his hammer to chip away fragments of stone that obscure a great sculpture, we turn our pedals to chip away at our form, eventually revealing our true selves as a manifestation of hard work, determination, and dedication to our craft.
Having chosen this path, we quickly find that riding a bicycle on warm, dry roads through sunny boulevards is the realm of the recreational cyclist. As winter approaches, the days get shorter and the weather worse. Form tempts us to greater things, but leaves us quickly despite our best intentions. Its taste lingers long upon the tongue and urges us to gain more. Even as life gets in the way, we cannot afford many days away from our craft before we find ourselves struggling to reclaim lost fitness.
To find form in the first place, and to maintain it in the second, is a simple matter of riding your bicycle a lot. This simple task asks of us, however, a year-round commitment to throwing our leg over a toptube in heat, cold, wind, rain, or sleet, lest we spend months fighting to reclaim last year’s lost condition.
But with riding in bad weather is revealed a hidden secret. It is in the rain and the cold, when all the seductive elements of riding a bicycle have vanished, that we are truly able to ensconce ourselves in the elemental qualities of riding a bicycle. Good weather and beautiful scenery, after all, are distractions from the work. Without them, we have only those elements that we ourselves bring to The Ride: the rhythm, harmony between rider and machine, our suffering, and our thoughts. As the rain pours down and all but the most devoted stay indoors, we pull on extra clothing and submit into the deluge.
We are the Few, we are the Committed. We are those who understand that riding in bad weather means you’re a badass, period.
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@Steampunk
Sold over here as a Hummer xtreme.
@Chris
Yep. Montague had an initial contract with the US Marines to build a MTB that could be made compact for paratroopers (stress on MTB that folded rather than folding MTB) and subsequently hooked up with Hummer on some other contract. It's an interesting bike"”which, to take it back to where this conversation started"”is an important criteria for me. Also, it fit in a closet in a claustrophobic apartment in Center City Philly when I lived there.
@scaler911
Recumbants suck. That's a fact. However, for those who are less fortunate and lacking legs or other important appendages, exceptions can be made. For instance: my bro lost his leg in Iraq and just completed a tour with other amputees going through Normandy and GB using bikes (and in his case a hand bike). 23-30 mile days = laying down a special V.
Not all bikes (unis, trikes, recomes, handies, etc) are the chosen steed, but they all have their place and should be respected under the right circumstances.
A-Merckx.
@Tartan1749
Hand bike is a whole new level of Rule 5. It's for guys who aren't going to let anything get in the way of riding.
If someone's riding one of those, they don't need my respect, or anyone else's, but they certainly have it.
@Chris
Objective bar might have spilled over from the double entendre thread: "my objective bar hangs low". fnarfnar.
@Buck Rogers
Yes, but you are no longer Schwartz.
I don't know if any of you VM used to be runners (distance). I was, and one of my hero's was Steve Prefontaine. Eddy Merckx of the running world. This dude reminds me of him (plus, this guy is riding a bike):
file:///Users/donjoling/Desktop/Men's%20A:A%20Masters:Women's%20A%20%7C%20Flickr%20-%20Photo%20Sharing!.webarchive
@Tartan1749
Ya. It's pretty easy to label a whole group of folk because of their choices. Occasionally, exceptions are made, for myself as well. No harm intended.
@J.Michael
Of course you don't understand. You're mostly a tri athlete (as far as I can garner from your posts).
I don't think anyone here feels they're above other forms of cycling (except for hipster fixie, skinny jean wearing, asshats and most recumbent riders. The point I think you're missing here, is our love for the history and beauty that is road riding and racing.
Ask a NFL fan what they think of rugby, and vice versa. Both will think the other sucks, and be passionate about their respective sport. But they are both really about getting an oblong ball across a line to score.
You love your version and I'll love mine.
@J.Michael
Thanks for stopping by and adding your insight. Truth be told, though, I'm not sure if you're agreeing or disagreeing with us because most of your assertions are in support of what is commonly said here, but your tone gives the impression that you're disagreeing with the spirit of the site.
I think any of us delve into any other disciplines of cycling. Most of us ride mountain bikes, many ride track or commute. For us, the passion comes from riding a bike, period. The fascination comes from the rich history and culture that exists in road cycling that simple doesn't exist in the other disciplines of cycling.
As for your use of the word "epic" - and this is nitpicking - assuming you're not comparing cycling to a long, narrative poem, I have to assume you're using it as being of a grand scale or character.
I think to say any time you ride a bike is epic is devaluing to the truly epic rides. Going out and doing, for instance, the 200 on 100 verses riding to the market on a sunny Sunday afternoon are both great undertaking but only one is worthy of the description "epic".
@Tartan1749
Respect. Massive respect.
Haven't been on here for a long time and just wanted to say one thing:
"... we pull on extra clothing..."
Why would you do that. It's only more weight. If you feel cold, you're not riding hard enough.