What makes a human being WANT to ride a bike?
By Chris Alomes
Thats a question that I have been wanting to answer for quite some time now. What is it that makes a cyclist cycle? Does the answer lay within a text book? Is it in your head?
I think the answer is, I just don’t know! Lets examine it for a moment, there are reasons people ride a bike, but is that reason the real answer?
Heres my spin on the question! Hehe, cycling joke, “spin”.. Anyway, lets take a look at myself, I am a 50 year old male (almost) a little overweight at 150kg, and I ride a bike! I don’t ride solely at the track (Nerang Cycle Centre, 1 Hope St, Nerang), nor do I stick to riding along the flats, I do really enjoy riding up those hills, like Springbrook and Beechmont.
This morning I got myself kitted up and left home around 4:45 am and headed off to give Springbrook some attention, its been about a month since I last rode up there, this time with the intention of riding down the goat track (I think its Pine Creek Road), wow, the next time I ride down that road it’s gonna be fun and fast!!!!
The thing that impressed on me the most was the solitude and the peace that I experienced once I got out into the climb itself, instead of beating myself up and smashing my body and bike up the hill to get that KOM, I just took my time and cruised up taking it all in, that fresh air the sounds of nature, that beauty we all seem to miss while we drive off to work somewhere on the Gold Coast, getting stuck in traffic, taking 45 minutes to get from Southport to Nerang.
Peace and quiet, the only thing I missed on this mornings ride was the hustle and bustle, and god it felt nice! Cycling clears my head, or rather fills it with ideas, I seem to get a certain clarity while I am out riding, I guess its just me on a bike for a couple of hours with not much more to do than sweat and push my weight along at a decent speed. Do you have moments or hours where you can get into your own head and solve all the problems of the world? I know I do.
For me, I think just being outside, in the great outdoors taking in that fresh air and nature is what urges me to want to ride a bike! What about you??
