Why We Ride

If you ask a biker why they ride they may say things like, I ride to exercise and stay healthy or I ride to challenge myself or some may even say they ride for find inner peace. I recently caught up with Michael and got a copy of his book. In it he describes some of the reasons why we ride including exploring new places, finding scenic views, and the joy of riding with a group of friends. These are all good reasons to ride and they are all true but they are also mostly zen bullshit.

Ask any biker to talk about their last few rides, like my ride to Delicious Orchards or Milford. Almost all of them will not only tell you about the roads they were on but will spend a lot of time talking about the places they stopped for food. Whether it was that cup of coffee or that great muffin they will describe it like it was their best friend.

Today as I was fighting a nasty headwind by myself on the way home. The thing that kept me going wasn't thinking about the scenic views of the turning leaves or the struggle of man versus nature or how pushing into the headwind was going to help me be stronger. I was thinking about that perfect cream fill doughnut that awaited me at home. I was thinking how good it would taste and how good it would feel to be off the bike eating it.

 So why to do we ride. We ride so we don't feel guilty about eating. End of story.