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

[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!

[Zen]

'upright and forward'

[malkin]

I remember Robert Pursig in ZatAoMM saying "good good good good..." on a run and I do that sometimes.

When I'm out of breath I inhale on nnnnnn (my tongue cuddles around my left front tooth, because it gets sensitive to the air going by) and exhale on wwwoooooo.

When I'm on the rollers and I get mad thinking about work, I recite Psalm 23, because the "preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies" part always cracks me up to picture a conference room table with annoying work people. I'm never sure how the 'still waters' part fits in my life at all, but the "restoreth my soul" part is spot on for riding.

[GraysonKelly]

Alright, I'm a goober and can't believe I'm gonna confess this...I don't have a mantra other than "don't get hit, don't get hit" when trucks pass me. When I'm climbing hills, I start singing (very softly) the theme song from that old TV show "The Greatest American Hero". If i can sing it then I'm staying pretty much in the right heart rate zone and it helps maintain my cadence. It's corny, I know but that's what I do. Sometimes when I'm on a flat or relatively flat section, I get bored and start reciting either the Gettysburg Address or O Captain, My Captain or some other poem. My body doesn't like when my brain goes unengaged for too long.
Gray
PS I really like the "Ride it Like You Stole It" thing. I'm thinking of making a plaque with that on it to hang up in the living room.

[shootingstar]

For hills: Just go around and around on that granny gear if you need to.

[deedolce]

I'd love a black cycling tank with that written on it in hot pink 'Toughen Up Princess' Although at almost 50, I'm much to old to be a Princess, but I sure like how it sounds, when I my inner whiner starts complaining!

[DebTX]

For hills: Just go around and around on that granny gear if you need to.

When I first looked for help learning to climb, experienced riders would tell me that all the time (just use the granny gear).

But as an out of shape newbie, I'm already in the granny gear on most hills. And it's not like I'm spinning my way up with a cadence of 120. I'm lucky to maintain a cadence of 40-50 on my 6% grade nemesis hill. For me, if the mantra doesn't work to keep my feet peddling, I'm gonna have to hop off the bike and walk it.

But progress is progress: During season 1, I walked every hill.
Last season I rode them all (not elegantly, mind you) - but I made it to the top "upright and on the bike", which was glorious

My goal for next season is a climbing cadence of 50-60.

"I am strong and gettting stronger all the time..."

[martaw]

When I first looked for help learning to climb, experienced riders would tell me that all the time (just use the granny gear).

But as an out of shape newbie, I'm already in the granny gear on most hills. And it's not like I'm spinning my way up with a cadence of 120. I'm lucky to maintain a cadence of 40-50 on my 6% grade nemesis hill. For me, if the mantra doesn't work to keep my feet peddling, I'm gonna have to hop off the bike and walk it.

But progress is progress: During season 1, I walked every hill.
Last season I rode them all (not elegantly, mind you) - but I made it to the top "upright and on the bike", which was glorious

My goal for next season is a climbing cadence of 50-60.



"I am strong and gettting stronger all the time..."

I am so much like you I just started and so far I walk most hills up!

[channlluv]

Okay, I'm not a big hill rider, but when I'm doing my version of hammer, I've got Salt n' Pepa in my head: "Ooo, baby, baby, b-b-b-baby, baby, push it, push it real good, doop-di-doop-do-doop-di-dooby-dooby-doop-di-doop..." you get the idea.

And when I'm just cruising, ,my mantra is my goal weight, set to this rap song I heard in a movie once, "One-thirty-fi-i-i-ive, one-thirty-fi-i-i-i-ive, one-thirty-five, yeah, one-thirty-five." Keeps me on point. And sometimes I sing to myself, "I am awesome, I feel great. I am awesome, I feel great. My body is strong and I feel great." Kinda goofy, but it keeps me positive.

Roxy

[kenyonchris]

I want to know where to get a little bracelet that says "HTFU" .... I totally love that. That's my new mantra when I am getting the crap beat out of me in Defensive tactics (my old one was,"Ow!").

I listen to good music in the one bud of my ipod I wear, and start off every ride remembering my personal motto of life in general, "No pain, no palm, no guts, no glory; no thorn, no throne; no cross, no crown." Everything worth doing is hard. Then I hit it. I may tell myself a the beginning that I am going for a nice spin, but I always wind up pushing harder, faster, longer.

Best hill climbing song, "Gangsta's Paradise"

[Chile Pepper]

This cracked me up:

I want to know where to get a little bracelet that says "HTFU" .... I totally love that. That's my new mantra when I am getting the crap beat out of me in Defensive tactics (my old one was,"Ow!").

I tend to fall into PJ Harvey's Victory or Moby's Lift me up. But I definitely like TUP.

[Owlie]

Right now, it's "Ow, my butt...ow...my butt...ooh, a squirrel!"