You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
For a number of reasons (mostly work commitments), time on the bike has been limited for the last 8 weeks.
After a particularly difficult week at work, today was my first ride for a while. The bike was a bit dirty and creaky. I was was a bit creaky myself. The weather was nothing special. The trails weren’t particularly epic and it was altogether quite an average ride by most standards.
However……
Within 100 metres of home I started smiling and within a mile all of the events of the last few weeks evaporated and I had what was one of my best rides ever.
Maybe it’s the endorphins, maybe it’s just acting like a kid and forgetting all of the grown up responsibilities for a few hours. Frankly I don’t care, but I just wanted to share (with a forum of people who are likely to say ‘duh, of course mountain biking is brilliant!’) just how incredible this activity is and what a difference a bit of exercise can have on your soul.
It might not be the panacea for everything and it won’t cure climate change, inflation or world hunger. But it definitely helps on the personal mental health front. Highly recommended!!!!
Amen, cut away all the overthinking, bickering and extraneous nonsense that gets thrown around on here and the core truth remains:
Bikes is gud
There are five basic qualities we need in our lives for our wellbeing. They are:
- Connecting
- Being active
- Experiencing the world
- Learning
- Giving back
On a good day, mountain biking can hit all five, and most rides hits at least two. At the same time it’s something that can induce a flow state and can keep us completely in the moment.
It’s no wonder that so many of us get so much from it.
And to think I could have been writing my weekly report instead.
Its great because nobody else can bother you when you're doing it, and if you're doing something challenging enough you don't have time to overthink anything yourself either.
I have never regretted going for a ride. Even those I dithered, prevaricated and almost CBA to do beforehand. In fact, especially those. I never cease to be amazed that such a simple activity can have such a profound effect on my mental health. Great post 👍
I'm very envious of that ability...I love riding my bike, but it never allows me to escape my thoughts, they just get amplified, so I never seem to get that feeling of total bliss of just being out riding my bike.
Had 2 weeks of feeling properly tired and went out for a pedal just now - heart rate through the roof, lungs and legs seriously objecting to the effort and I'm just thinking how uncomfy that was - and it didn't last 3 miles due to the physical effort!
it never allows me to escape my thoughts, they just get amplified, so I never seem to get that feeling of total bliss of just being out riding my bike.it never allows me to escape my thoughts, they just get amplified, so I never seem to get that feeling of total bliss of just being out riding my bike.
My trick is being a very mediocre mountain biker so anything vaguely technical requires every ounce of my focus and concentration. Which leaves no room in my head for anything else. It's proper living in the moment mindfulness. If I was pootling along a bridleway, whilst it might be enjoyable, my mind would wander.
What tyre pressures for pure cycling bliss?
anything vaguely technical requires every ounce of my focus and concentration. Which leaves no room in my head for anything else. It’s proper living in the moment mindfulness.
Agreed. Fear of death or serious injury tends to focus the mind somewhat.
What tyre pressures for pure cycling bliss?
42
It’s been said many times, by many people, and they’re correct of course, ‘The hardest part of any bike ride is the walk to the shed*’
* other storage options are available *
My youth was spent on a bike, I raced, toured, it broadened my horizons. A bike remained a part of my life but then stopped for a year in Barcelona and another in Nottingham where walking took over. Then I found myself in Nancy which is as good an area as any to ride a bike and bought a second-hand roadie. I reglued the tubs and rode the classic Nancy-Metz time trial route - euphoria.
My most recent rides were an organised rando yesterday with a hundred or so other MTBers racing through the local woods, and the Col de Marie Blanque followed by the Aubisque a few days earlier. When suffering is joy.
MTB, road or gravel, all works. Just ride what takes my fancy. Commuting by bike is another good way of waking up, and drawing the line after work.
there’s a quote that goes along the lines of, every bike ride is like a little holiday.
it’s very true.
@redthunder thank you, but I can’t claim original ownership, they actually came from a book about economics.
Just back from a 2.5 hr ride. Started with a bit of warm up/climb. Then 20 mins on some skills - a bit of fear, but made some progress. A couple of miles riding, followed by working on more skills. A few more miles riding through some great cloudscapes. Then into a a lungbuster of a climb. Got a good view of a couple of kestrels. Then home via a fast little descent for a bit of adrenaline.
There can't be many other sports that can give you so many different experiences - fear, challenge, accomplishment and excitement, and keep you fit and get you out into nature, all at the same time.
Not only that, but cleared my head after a stressful couple of days at work.
I love mountain biking.
I love it, regardless of what ride I'm doing. I've only space in the shed for one so I use it for everything. Whether I'm going on an XC ride, or just a pootle about locally on the cinder tracks, or up the woods going down the sketchy technical stuff or even at a trail centre it doesn't matter what the riding is as long as I'm out on my bike.
Felt miserable yesterday, slightly hungover, big food shop done, dog walk done, all chores done by 3pm and as I'm still somewhat recovering from covid I was nackered and grumpy but desperate to get out on the bike, I really CBA but I dragged myself out anyway. Once I got going I no longer felt tired and achey and grumpy, I felt good. Turned what would have been a gravel and bridleway ride into a trail ride by detouring up the woods and throwing myself down some of the trails and what a massive grin it slapped on my face, it was one of those rides where everything just links up and had enough of everything. Adrenaline, speed, fun factor, excercise endorphins, stress release, followed by a clear run back down out of the woods going as fast as I possibly could with a speed tuck for extra fun factor.
This hobby really has a bit of everything, and the magic is that all you need is a bike and it doesn't matter what bike, if you want a certain type of ride you can just get out and do it. Adrenaline filled - check, nature adventure - check, excercise focused - check, exploration - check, speed - check, testing bike skills - check. It's literally what you make of it and that's why it's so enjoyable.
Felt miserable yesterday, slightly hungover, big food shop done,
The same here. I also had stiff legs after a week of riding. I grabbed a pair of binoculars, rode to a local nature reserve, spent an hour looking for interesting stuff, then rode home just in time for food. I felt much better, despite only riding for 8 miles. I need new bins though. And who knows what the difference between a Reed Warbler and a Marsh Warbler is?
Had 2 weeks of feeling properly tired and went out for a pedal just now – heart rate through the roof, lungs and legs seriously objecting to the effort and I’m just thinking how uncomfy that was – and it didn’t last 3 miles due to the physical effort!
@DickBarton, are you ok? (I don't tend to get concerned by the welfare of people on the internet but that doesn't sound like you're in a good place at all.)
I thought that as well 🙁
@DickBarton, are you ok? (I don’t tend to get concerned by the welfare of people on the internet but that doesn’t sound like you’re in a good place at all.)