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WHY WE RIDE: I RIDE BECAUSE IT TAKES ME TO PLACES LIKE THIS
Road Bike Action
December 14, 2009
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I ride because it take me to places like this, Windmills Beach, North Shore Maui. There is nothing like enjoying a vacation, taking in the sights and visiting places while riding. Aloha.
—Martin Hengst, Newhall, CA
Because of the passion invoked by the high mountains, the grit of the classics, and the pure solitude of training. I ride to feel that elusive “I have no chain.” I mostly ride because of the freedom I feel when I swing my leg over the top tube of my bike. From the high-tech carbon road machine to the cross bike with the trail-a-bike and one of my sons behind me, I get the exhilaration I felt when I was a child. The wonder of cycling is truly remarkable. Like you guys said, we are part of a strange cult that can only be explained by joining!
—David C. Larsen
I ride to give bugs a home in my mouth. Even when I’m not riding, I watch the road to see who is. I dissect them; do I know them? How is their form? Do they have a nicer bike than mine? I wonder how far they’ve come. How fast they’ve ridden. Are they the fastest or slowest in their group? Do they have a group? Can I join their group? If I did, could I keep up? When rounding a turn into a long climb, will they wait for me? Would I wait for them? Will they buy my excuses; that I’m older than they are, that I didn’t have a chance to ride all week. Will they ride no matter the weather? Will they be helpful when I’ve torn up a tire? Will they stop to help a stranger who ‘s stuck no matter if that stranger is riding a Wal-Mart bike or a Cervelo? I do. But most importantly, I ride because my wife lets me!
—Bruce Ticknor; Stevenson Ranch, CA
I ride to show my happy face. Sofia, my 9-year-old daughter and official cycling photographer, always tells me that my happy face is always on when I’m riding.
—Joey Gatchalian; Gen Trias, Cavite, Philippines
I ride because my father had gotten sick one year ago. A military man and hard as nails, he cried when I walked into his hospital room, and right then and there he vowed that when he got better, his lack of diet and exercise would change. Since then, we ride on the weekends, and it has been such an amazing experience to meet great people along the roads, sharing stories about finding the best rides—like a surfer waiting for the perfect wave. Cycling has become part of our lives. We need it, enjoy it, and crave it with each passing day as we commute back and forth to our jobs—calling each other when we get home to discuss our daily ride. Cycling has brought us even closer than we were before. If close has another meaning, we found it. With my father being 61 years old, we are enjoying the best of his glory years and logging in the memories.
—Sidney Stafford Jr.; North Las Vegas, NV
Drop us an email and tell us why you ride your bike to whyweride@roadbikeaction.com.
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