Do you have a 'Mantra' while on your bike?

[Sarabeth]

"Ride It Like You Stole It"

I saw this on a bumper sticker yesterday when I was coming home. As I come into this new year, I thought, this is what I am going to keep repeating to myself on all my bike rides! I'm going to give it my all on every ride.

What is your mantra when you are out riding?

I took a photo of this bumper sticker on the vehicle in front of me while I sat at the traffic light . .
http://bycycletrips.blogspot.com/200...-stole-it.html

[7rider]

[CENTER][SIZE="5"]
What is your mantra when you are out riding?

(on hills, in particular)
"If this don't make your booty move, your booty must be dead."
while humming the music in this video - an oldie but a goodie - in my head...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJErrp4eOw

[bmccasland]

Considering I have EIA, after a while it's "breathe in, breathe out". Not very sexy, but if I'm trying to keep up with a paceline or just trying to ride fast, my breathing tends to get out of control. As one of the older, and dammed fast guys said, "one minute you're breathing, the next minute you're not."

So for me, it's "breathe in, breathe out".

[Biciclista]

on tuesday I rode 30 miles and what was in MY head was
"It ain't gonna rain no more no more, it ain't gonna rain no more; how in the heck can i wash my neck 'cause it ain't gonna rain no more"

it worked, it didn't rain on us

[kermit]

"suck it up...drink water". That came from one of my husbands army buddies we used to trail ride/run with. Super hard core.

[mudmucker]

I usually don't need or use a mantra for motivation. But I do continually through about every ride keep saying to myself "I'm sooo happy to be on my bike". "I'm sooo happy to have this time to be on my bike". "I'm so happy that I'm healthy enough to be riding my bike".

[maillotpois]

On long climbs I try to get a good rhythmic song going through my head.

[RoadRaven]

"Ride It Like You Stole It"

I love this quote, and one of my goals this year is to make some cycling jerseys for myself... I want to put interesting quotes on them, and this is one of them...


My mantra though?
It tends to be no Zen moment but rather telling myself off.

*Raven assumes best 'growly' voice*
C'mon, you can do it. Cmon legs, you can do this! You are NOT tired...

etc etc

[DebTX]

I love "Ride it like you stole it" too!

I only use a mantra when riding up hills - and it's always one of these two:

1) "Pull, pull, pull" (which reminds me to use a full stroke and truly engage the upstroke). I'm waiting for the day when a full stroke becomes intuitive, no mantra needed

2) "I am strong and getting stronger all the time" (really goofy , but when the hill is steep and my speed/cadence had slowed to that "yeesh, any slower and you'll fall over" point, I remind myself that I've got strength i don't even know about yet.

[Aquila]

No mantra, but sometimes I sing to my bike "Talking 'bout my bike, my bike!" I can never remember the words so I have to keep making up new ones... My bike doesn't seem to mind, though.

[mudmucker]

I only use a mantra when riding up hills

Well, again I usually don't use a mantra. Going up hills though, I just sort of get my head into the rhythm and motion of my body - a regulated in-tune cadence that is comfortable. If or when it becomes painful, I sort of do a visualization of getting myself to the top..well, then, I do sort of say things like "it will feel so much better when I'm at the top"...."another mile and it will be over"... "when I get to the top I'll be going down, not too much longer"... "this pain isn't too bad"...

[GLC1968]

I also don't really have a mantra, per se...but I have often thought the following two phrases while riding.

"Just keep pedaling" repeated in the same tune as "just keep swiming" from Finding Nemo. This usually comes to mind near the end of long climbs...

I also often think to msyelf "THIS is why I ride"...when something is particularly good (smooth road, fun downhill, gorgeous view, perfect weather, bright sunlight, etc.).

[pinkbikes]

Well I guess I have a couple....

My motto for mountain biking is "Black side down, blood on the inside!"

I have learnt a few good mantras from the guys I ride mountain bikes with though...

HTFU (as in Harden The F*** Up) and I wear one of those little rubber wristbands with this on it when I race. Sometimes I look at the wristband and say it to myself up really big hills.

TUP (as in Toughen Up Princess) - a little less effective!

But back in wholesome "Mother mode" there's just about nothing that beats singing "one little, two little, three little indians...." or "10 little ducks went out one day..." They've helped me through a few half marathons but I don't use them so much on the bike - maybe I should! And you can always add to the number of ducks that went out for those really long hills!

[five one]

My hill climbing mantra is singing the song "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat & Tears in my head. It's about the right rhythm for a slow climb and reminds me to keep spinning.

[Fujichants]

When climbing, I repeat to myself: kill, kill, kill the hill.

That, and "it's ok, just breathe, you'll be there soon", even if i'm not!