There are many reasons to train and race and ride. And every reason for every person is intensely personal.
But ultimately, it often comes down to this: Riding a bike is FUN. Like, silly fun or grin so big your face hurts fun or beat your friend to the stop sign fun.
No matter how hard or how far I ride or how frustrating it might be, I ride my bike because it makes me smile.
With that, I bring you two fun things that involve cycling.
First, Hazel's first triathlon. Hazel is 5 and she has grown up watching Mom and Dad bike race and ride so she was beyond thrilled to participate in a "practice race" (the real race is September 6). Honestly, I was a little bit reticent. She can't swim 25 yards without assistance and she is one of the few kids around here with training wheels still on her bike.
Guess what? SHE DIDN'T CARE. She wanted to go out, go fast and have fun. And she did. The practice race started with a ride down the "big kid" water slide so her love of triathlon was sealed right then and there.
The grin on her face while she rode the bike portion had to be seen to be believed.
Fun thing #2: Riding singletrack at night. One of our local shop sponsored a night ride, complete with lights. I have commuted in the dark and ridden gravel roads in the dark in preparation for cyclocross but I have NEVER ridden singletrack in the dark. I especially have not ridden singletrack in the dark with cool people with lightening storms lighting up the sky in the distance.
Best mountain bike ride of the month so far. I am still smiling about it.
Riding a bike? It should make you smile. I plan to remind myself of that at mile 5 gazillion after 10 jillion feet of climbing next weekend.
Because dude. IT'S FUN.
