Finding Bike Zen

[Catrin]

Wonderful story, hoping tomorrow won't be a total washout so I can head out for a nice long ride myself

[emily_in_nc]

Wonderful post, SheFly...you illustrated just one of the many reasons we ride.

I rode by myself after work last night. Thought I'd be riding with DH, but he did a long ride earlier and wanted to take Paisley to doggie play time in our apt. complex, so I rode for an hour and 10 mins. all around by myself and just felt so free. I like riding with DH and others too, but sometimes solo is so rewarding. I can go slower when I need to, and push hard when I want, never having to worry about pushing to keep up with someone or slow up if they're lagging. I can turn down different roads just to explore, and I can look at flowers, birds, houses, and other things along the way.

It's a very zen experience indeed.

[Crankin]

I had one of my most difficult sessions with a client on Thursday at noon. I was kind of numb afterwards. I left as soon as I could, and went on a ride around 3:00. Usually when I ride after work, it's short, and usually nothing special. But Thursday, DH put me through a bit of pain and suffering. Even though I was kind of cursing during the ride and quite a few things hurt, I knew I had achieved my fastest speed in quite a while.
And I felt much better and calmer, even though I didn't quite forget what had happened.

[owlice]

I became one with the bike

This. Sometimes my legs are machines, working independently all by themselves, the bike an extension of them; this machine powers the non-machine -- my head (!) -- along the trail so I can enjoy the trail without thinking about moving along it, because the moving along just happens, vim vim vim.

[westtexas]

That's where I was this morning - zen. It was cold (it was 42F out, I don't know how you northerners do it) and even though I stretched beforehand, my muscles took a bit to warm up. But as the sun came up and I was cruising down the shoulder of the highway, all the green spring growth and the bluebonnets and the indian paintbrush blowing gently in the wind... it was amazing. I'm sure all the endorphins in my bloodstream after completing 15 miles doesn't hurt either