The Simple Things.............

[CorsairMac]

We've all written about the wonderful things cycling has done for us and how spiritual, inspirational, etc it can be.....but I realized this morning - sometimes it's the little simple things I like about riding that keep me going like:


I Love the sound of my cleat snapping into my pedal on the first try! :D






what simple thing do You like about riding?

[mimitabby]

I like feeling like a kid!
sailing along with the greatest of ease... after a hard climb.

:D

[SadieKate]

Realizing I haven't thought about work the entire ride.

[Tuckervill]

My favorite part is even when I stop pedaling, there's still a breeze in my face.

Karen

[DrBee]

I love the breeze and gentle sweeping turns.

[Cassandra_Cain]

I like feeling like a kid!
sailing along with the greatest of ease... after a hard climb.

:D

Exactly what you said!! ;)

[Selkie]

Dropping men on hills, especially while I'm riding my pink Luna and wearing a pink jersey. ;)

While there is a lot that I love about riding, having the trail to myself, except for the bunnies and racoons, of course---just as the sun is rising---is heaven. The color of the sky and the way the light changes is well worth getting out of bed early.

[GLC1968]

When I realize that while I might be busting my butt, I'm actually grinning from ear to ear while I'm doing it! :D

[Trekhawk]

Answering twenty questions with my sons after my ride.
Sounds a bit like this.
Did you see any cool animals? Did you see any squished animals? How far did you go? How fast did you go? Did you see any other bikes? Did you eat your Gu? Did you...........:D

[Deanna]

Noticing things I wouldn't notice in a car, for example or smells of flowering trees, or critters rustling on the side of the road, the "This is not a winery" signs at the foot of some driveways around here (this makes me laugh as I picture crazed wine tasters pulling into every driveway they come across)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I feel like a kid again too! And though I have thoroughly enjoyed so many wonderful things over the decades, I realized that I haven't FELT LIKE A KID since back then, 37 years ago, when I WAS a kid, riding my bike!

I love the little clicking sound the bike makes when you walk it along some sidewalk.

I love cruising slowly down a shady tree lined street.

I love sitting outside with my latte at our town's little cafe, and seeing my gleaming bike machine patiently waiting for me.

I love when people ask me about my bike and when we part they say something like "Wow, I'm going to get my bike out this week and ride it again!"

I love pulling off my helmet and my gloves when I get to my destination. -How sexy!

I love when people smile and nod at me when I ride by.

I love feeling that burn in my thighs when I get home, knowing that in the morning my legs will be just a tiny bit stronger and more shapely!

I love coming up behind joggers and giving my cheery Ching-Ching!! bell well ahead of time so they won't get startled when I pass them. They always look back and smile at me.

I love the sound of my bell Ching-Ching! just like in those old 1940's movies set in Europe where the villagers are all on bicycles chinging their little bells, their bread baguettes sticking out of their bike baskets. (how many b's in that sentence?)

I love talking bikes over morning coffee with my wonderful husband, who UNDERSTANDS and feels the same as me. We love making bike plans together.

I love peeling off my sweaty biking clothes and getting into a COOL shower afterwards!!

[Dogmama]

I Love the sound of my cleat snapping into my pedal on the first try! :D


Me too! I also love the sound of the idlers on my bike. They sound like whispers.

I love the early morning sunrises and the cool air. And knowing that this is IT for the day - in another couple of hours it will be hotter than a pistol. But, I'm out here now.

[ACG]

I love the fact that when I pull my gloves off, my hands are white and my arms are tan.

I love that kids wave at me as I pass them.

I love that my RHR is 49

I love that my hair gets caked to my head after a long ride

I love watching the sun come up as I ride

I love the other riders I meet

I love passing the 20 year old in my group and telling him I'm old enough to be your mother

I love that little grease mark I get on the back of my calf

I love that I could write something great about my bike everyday

[chickwhorips]

i love that i get to enjoy the last frontier everytime i'm out.

i love that i'm the only one out there.

i love that the people that drive by me are jealous that i work out and look good. :D

[Bikingmomof3]

Feeling free, like a young kid.

[mimitabby]

I love walking out of my office in my bike shorts while all the men I work with (who are all younger than me and most of them are out of shape) watch me.

hehehe that's when i feel REALLY hot.

[light_sabe_r]

I love the little kids who Ring their bells at me. So I ring back

I love listening to the birds!

I love feeling like a kid

I LOVE it when I pass cars!

I love being able to keep the same distance away from the cyclist in front without having to push myself... That is until I turn.

I actually love being pushed off the footpath and onto the grass/gravel because of roadworks. All those BUMPS and holes and Divits... ^_^ My bike loves it so I love it too! (maybe I should start moutain biking...)

[Bad JuJu]

I love it when I see my students at organized rides and that look on their faces, like, "You ride a bike?"

I love that I have my own bike tools--and know how to use them.

I love that I'm 53, but when I'm on my bike, I feel like I'm in my 20s again. (Only it's even better now, because I have money and a cooler bike!)

[Cassandra_Cain]

I love walking out of my office in my bike shorts while all the men I work with (who are all younger than me and most of them are out of shape) watch me.

hehehe that's when i feel REALLY hot.

You are sooooo bad - perfect :D

[Veronica]

I love that I can come home and eat the rest of the Ben and Jerry's out of the container and have absolutely no remorse. :D

I love thinking about how I've grown as a rider. I can fix just about anything on my bike, if I have the tools and the time. I can eat and drink with ease and take off my bolero (although YOU should stay far away when I do that). I've gotten faster and stronger on the local hills/mountains.

I love when my bike is working just right. Right now I'm thoroughly enjoying clicking in and out and using my rear derailleur. Two things that went wonky on my bike trip.

V.

[DrBee]

I have another one...

I love it when I come back in from a ride and my 2 yr old son runs over to me and insists on removing my RoadID from my ankle and takes my shoes off. I think it's all about the velcro for him ;)

[tamara_69]

I love early morning sunrises and the conversations with my girlfriends, who are also stay-at-home moms.

I love riding around the lake when the mist is rising off the water.

I love telling my 5 year old all about the horses and bunnies I saw while I was out.

I just love my bike, and the freedom it gives me to have just a little time to myself each week.

[betagirl]

Definitely the things you don't notice when you're in a car.

I also love that I can get across downtown faster than any car during rush hour.

[Flatlander]

I love cleaning my gears and chain.

I love the feeling I get when I first get on the bike--it feels like it is a part of me.

I love the burn in my glutes when I stand up in my pedals on a hard climb.

I love seeing my shadow on the road beside me.

[DebW]

I love standing to climb a hill and feeling my body weight shift up over the front wheel.

I love that "chunk" sound you get when shifting to a higher gear.

I love packing my hubs with new grease and getting them adjusted just right.

[Geonz]

I luv luv luv luv going up a long, slow, gradual hill and just gradually getting faster and faster until it's "Toast at the top."
I love arriving at work awake and full of ENDORPHINS.
I love people calling out "Love the Xtracycle!" "Cool lights!"
I love the little ego strokes... I love being good at something sportsy, it was my Cinderella fantasy all those LONG years being the Hard Working Good SPort.
I love that little card on the fridge with my cholesterol and triglycerides and blood pressure.

I will love having my online course done so I am LEAVING NOW.

[latelatebloomer]

I love being the only moving thing on a gorgeous country road.

I love when a horse looks up and watches me pass.

I love when the lawnmower men give me smiles and thumbs up.

I love when something that used to be hard is suddenly easy.

I love it when I realize that I'm brave and beautiful.

[Lise]

Feeling again the moments of freedom, summer mornings, not too hot yet, riding away from home, no one could reach me or stop me, the wind in my face, some of my happiest childhood memories.

The sound of the gears shifting when I really push it hard and fly.

Yeah, clipping in just right the first time, and the strength of my leg when I pull the pedal up.

As beta said, I get there faster on my bike, and don't have to find or pay for a place to park!

Navigating the city streets like a superhero -- Go Team Danger!

Riding the beautiful bike I bought with the money I earned after proving to myself over three years that I really am a triathlete.

[Cindyloo]

I love holding on for dear life while sailing downhill at a high rate of speed!

I love taking curves and not feathering the brakes.

I love stretching my muscles after a ride.

[snowtulip]

I love rocks!:D

[Fredwina]

I always like the look I get when I tell how far I ride and how long it takes (or doesn't ) take me.... People usually think I'm pulling their leg

[crazybikinchic]

I love the sound of the tires on the road. There is just something therapeutic about it.

Also, the feeling that I get when I look down and I am going my fastest speed and knowing that I alone am doing that.

[margo49]

1. tan lines
2. feeling like the bike and I are one unit
3. seeing things that other people haven't/don't and telling them about it
4. being solo

[betagirl]

I agree with Fredwina....

I love that look of "what are you nuts?" from non-cyclists when I tell them how far I ride, or that I just commuted to school in a downpour. Fantabulous.

[extra-vert]

bike lanes!:D

[Bicyclette]

I love the way it feels when I take a corner just right

I love the feeling of accomplishment when I get up a hill

I love,love,love shopping for bike stuff (which is totally bizarre because I absolutely HATE to shop! )

I love feeling that I can be an athlete

but mostly...

I love the feeling of freedom I get from riding my bike - knowing that I can take myself anywhere on my own power - what an incredible feeling!

[crazycanuck]

NOt in any order...So many too...

I love passing kangaroos, western bob tail lizards, etc on my mtn bike rides.

I love the fact that i can go anywhere on my bike in Perth and somtimes not have to share the road.

I love being able to get up hills-no matter how slow i am.

It's great when i get the "you got up at what time to go biking? look "from my workmates

I like it when i'm able to get through deep pea gravel without wiping out.

I love having a man who's in shape and will always ride faster than me.

c

[Kimmyt]

I mentioned this in the Commuter forum, but my mind is still stuck on the thought.

Ever notice when you're on the perfect road, going the perfect speed, your bike is silent and all you can hear/feel is that hummmmmm under your tires and through your bones? I love that sound/feeling.

The big ****-eating grin I wear when I zip past the cars waiting in stopped traffic to merge onto the highway in the morning while I head down to the bike trail.

Those random moments when I'm cycling and I look down and I'm like, "Oh my God, those are MY legs!!!" :)

[SouthernBelle]

There's a soft sound, when you are going good, and the wind hums through your spokes.

[MomOnBike]

I love bombing down a good downhill, preferably with a just-right turn at the bottom. At night.

I love evening rides.

I love looking up and seeing bats eating mosquitos.

I love watching big bugs bounce off the fairing. The sound is cool, too.

I love the comments my bike gets from people half my age and younger - "Cool bike!" "Ah' Riiiiiight" - "Like your bike!" - as I ride past.

I love the impromptu sidewalk converstions with older people about the benefits of recumbency - though I know they'll never buy one.

I love knowing that while I'm not a world-class wrench, I can cobble something together good enough to get me home.

I actually like to change tires and patch tubes.

I like doing errands and riding past all the gas stations.

I love the knowledge that I can roll William out the front door and ride all the way to Vancouver or Key West or anywhere else on the continent if I want to.

I love the knowledge that I probably will, someday.

[Bicyclette]

I have one more - and it really is the best of all...

I love to hear the pride in my husband's voice when he tells people "my wife is an avid cyclist" - he tells everybody that now :D

[Veronica]

My husband proudly tells people that I'm insane. :D

V.

[Tater]

I love the sound of a ratcheting freewheel.

I love watching the sunrise over the mountains.

I love having the knowledge to fix my own flats and not having to rely on anyone else to do it for me.

I love riding through western Idaho and smelling the onions, the mint and other things that would usually go un-noticed in a vehicle.

I get a kick out of the looks I get in the elevator going home after work. "You ride how far? I could never do that." If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard that, I wouldn't have to work anymore!

I love cycling through the seasons as well. Each has it's own unique feature.

I have to agree with Bicyclette, it is cool when one's SO brags about our accomplishments on two wheels.

[Denise223]

This is really a wonderful topic :D

I love so many things about riding.....

I can't explain the immense joy I feel of riding on the open road. I spent 3 summers riding around in parking lots b/c I was petrified of traffic!

I love the breeze on my face.

I love "kicking it up a couple of notches" & feeling how strong my thighs are.

I love that my breathing is IMPROVING when going up hills :) !

I love being one with nature and enjoying all of God's glorious beauty.

I love riding through picturesque, scenic country roads & farms that have sheep, cows, llama's', horses, pigs, etc.... So much more enjoyable & breathtaking, than riding around in a car!

I love that I saw a beautiful honey colored deer the other day.

I LOVE riding with my husband and exploring new cycling adventures together :D . Being able to ride together is truly a gift.

I love that I don't mind the heat AT ALL anymore.... Everyone that knows me, knows that I used really, really despise the summer.
I love the summer now because it's one extra season that I'll be able to enjoy riding my bike :) .

I just love.....

Have a peaceful day everyone :)

Denise

[tulip]

Freedom
Strength
Independence
Fun

and all the little things you notice

[Bad JuJu]

Thought of a few more:

I love being able to get up a hill without slipping into my granny gear--hey, it happens sometimes!

I love when dh rides his heavy old Walmart special and I can pass him in a headwind :D .

I love that I can tighten and loosen the strap on my toeclip while rolling.

[jsgeneroso]

Hi Ladies. Great thread!
I love riding with my favorite guy and feeling like a little kid!
I love working hard and having the sun and wind in my face.
I love riding with friends and spending quality time with them, yet still having a workout.

[Denise223]

I LOVE that bicycling DOES NOT FEEL LIKE EXERCISE!!! :D

Imagine that?!

[7rider]

I love....
- When the guys on the shop ride tell me that they're going to kick my out of the "B-group" because I'm too fast! :D
- Being the first to the top of the hill (okay, it doesn't happen often, but every so often, boy! It's sweet).
- When the DH brags about my riding in front of the guys.
- When it all just "clicks" - the legs are turning smooth circles and the tires are humming along - when the miles are disappearing behind me and the smiles are stretched out before me.
R

[CorsairMac]

..................and the smiles are stretched out before me.
R


what a Great line!!! I Love it!!

Thanks

[denda]

I love that my husband and I ride together!

[Saxa82]

I love that I made it through 10 miles yesterday clipless and I DID NOT FALL, not even close! Thanks to all the gal here that gave me some good advice and cheering up/reality check that I am not a total klutz, just normal. Yeah!!

Saxa82

[tulip]

the sound of "clacking" my brake levers to alert a squirrel in the road.

[Tuckervill]

I love that cycling makes me feel like whistling a tune, which I do often, and I can even whistle going up the 17% grade near my house!

Karen

[RTP1031]

At this point what to add that hasn't already been said. I love all that - especially when the SO (who doesn't ride) brags about me!

I love taking my bike when we travel and all the adventures we have.
I love the wildlife here, there and everywhere...anyone else almost hit a wild turkey?
I love that I'm not intimidated by hills, even the steep ones. If they can rise relentlessly, I can attack relentlessly.
I love that grease marks mean I that am capable of fixing my own bike on the fly and changing my own tires.
I love the sound of everybody clipping in as the race starts.
I love that at 46 I'm racing with 20-somethings.

[annie]

I love the solitude of my own thoughts when I ride alone.........

I love the comraderie of other riders when I ride with friends. And I have made SO MANY friends through cycling.

I love/need/crave being on my bike and pedaling those awesome circles that take me wherever I want/ need to go.

annie

[chickwhorips]

i love the eagle that flew along side me today. (scared the bejeebers out of me at first, but then it was nice.)