I have done all kinds of sports in my life, and I must be the only one in my family who enjoys these activities. I started to train karate when I was 15, and it is an activity that I still like and practice, but cycling is a different story. I cannot recall a stage of my life not having a bike or riding regularly. I have been riding for 20 years more or less in a serious manner, and chances are that I will grow old on a bike frame. There is something about riding that cannot be explained in mere words, but I will try to give you an idea of what riding means to me. My wife thinks I am a masochist, and she might be right. She keeps asking me, “Why do you like to torture yourself like that?” The fact is that I have no answer to that question no matter how hard I try to come up with a reasonable explanation to somehow justify my long rides over weekends. After a long thinking process, I think I have an answer.
Cycling allows me to be in touch with nature, keep in shape, and travel great distances.
The greenness of the environment creates in me a feeling of well-being. I definitely love being surrounded by trees and not having to speak to anyone. I suppose that my demanding job tends to put me in a situation, where I just feel like not communicating or being the main character of the day. I have had the opportunity to see nature at its best especially in those colorful spring days at the Sierra of Madrid. During every ride, there is time to recover energy and pick a spot with a view to eating one or two delicious homemade sandwiches and a fruit juice. Numerous trails make up a complex network at the Sierra of Madrid; using a map is a must if one doesn’t want to end up in the middle of nowhere because having a sense of where you are going is as important as eating. Throughout the years, I have learned to read the land and have a pretty good idea of the places that must be avoided.
We tend to forget how important it is to be in shape at least for those of us who consider being in shape an asset in life. Cycling is a very complete cardiovascular exercise, which requires a sense of balance and strengthens leg muscles. Most people think that riding only develops the lower part of the body, but that is not entirely true because arms also play an important physical role. High tech bikes offer more comfort and safety. However, things have not changed that much since the invention of this simple, reliable machine: you still have to pedal to make things happen. Swimming and cycling are considered two of the most demanding sports in terms of physical effort. A simple look at the tour of France can give us a pretty good idea of what it takes to be part of that small number of elite professional cyclists.
Unlike jogging, cycling offers riders the possibility of covering great distances in a relatively short period of time. Weekend rides are the longest; therefore, covering distances of 45 or 60 miles is quite common. After long rides, the feeling of accomplishment is always present because I tend to remember reference points on the horizon and see how they are eventually reached and passed. The feeling of covering a lot of ground and riding uphill is no laughing matter, but where there is a hill there is a descent. Advanced riding skills can make the difference as far as traveling is concerned. An able rider is one that takes advantage of every slope to keep his pedaling rhythm, which in the long run means extra miles covered. Even a beginner can cover up to 20 miles on a ride as long as the topography of the terrain allows him to do so.
To conclude, I cannot think of a better way to stay in shape than riding. It is like some kind of therapy. We all need to disconnect from our boring, stressful lives and riding may very well be what you are looking for. You’ll be surprised how easy and pleasant it is to get around while liberating your thoughts. Don’t think about it anymore: put on your riding shoes and hit the road.
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