As a non-racer, racing is well worth a go.
It's worth it just for the shared experience, for appreciating what other people get from and have put into it.
To really sort the wheat from the chaff, ask people if they'd still ride if every 20 miles had the same health implications as smoking a fag.
You bastard!
(and I'm not sure - but I'd probably go for hillier more MTB rides)
All my riding is for fun, it just happens that I have to work in between bouts of fun in the week.
I've never entered a bike race in my life, it'd be like a sportive, only I couldn't pretend I was possibly one of if not the fastest.
Especially in summer days.
That has got me thinking. I see myself as riding 100% for fun yet still ride in January when it is 0 degrees and I am dressed up like I am going skiing. Is that fun or am I more obsessed with going out on my bike that I am admitting?
Riding bikes is more fun than not riding bikes.
I really have no idea how to express this more simply.
A couple of posts have raised the "if your not going faster, further, quicker, then I can't see the point".
Riding for fun isn't just bimbling along. I ride with some properly quick riders, some very skillful riders, riders who struggle to ride because of the size of their balls. The ultra competative, miles of training, and recovery rides, rider, still can't get his head round just going out for a ride for the sake of the ride.
I'm not as fast, skillful, or as brave as some of my riding group. But I can guarantee I have as much fun.
100% fun. Never competed in an event though I do quite fancy having a go at some kind of low key enduro thing. The only training ish I do is running and weights as I find it makes more of a difference to my fitness and leaves the riding purely as a giggle.
I think some of it comes from loving hardtails as well. I know that a modern full suspension bike is realistically faster and more capable and more competitive but I love the childlike mucking about feeling that a good hardtail has.