What's in it for me?

Two years on into faithfully pursuing the joys of cycling, I can say for sure, at least for me, a therapeutic effect on my overall well-being. Not a day goes by without me thinking about what is my next cycling destination or challenge. I look forward to the weekends and my 2-3hr time that I spend on the saddle.

I love waking up early, taking my time to prepare for a ride and once my butt is on the saddle, do a final 'cockpit check' (only to sometimes realize that I forgot my water bottle or HR monitor, amongst other things!). Sometimes I forget to take a dump prior to leaving. This is an absolute priority for me. No dump, No ride.

Once the legs start to move on the pedals, and my balance immediately adjusts itself to bike-riding mode, the mind narrows down. Cycling tunnel vision I call it, and I love it. On the saddle, I'm in MY space, like a mobile bubble. I don't really care what goes on around me, unless its something that will somehow put me in a spot or danger. Cycling with a friend or two is great and its nice to ride down a quiet lane or road, just chatting and catching up for the week. Its not long until we decide to go faster thus catching up is something I like to do while warming up to the ride ahead as well as post-ride.

Cycling takes my mind off the usual things. Not to say that the 'usual things' are bad but it always good to transport one's mind to another place once in a while, regardless of how good or bad the 'usual things' are. It gives your mind a different view, time to rest, recharge and go back for the next round, be it to settle some personal issues or to continue the good work you've been putting in your career path. I used to be engrossed with films back in the days for the same reason. The celluloid world, takes me to that 'other place' from title to end-credits, and while there, the mind relaxes itself and allows the story, plots, sub-plots (a good film is like a nice big onion, with layers after layer of texture, colour and slightly different 'taste') and the direction of the director to give it that 'mental massage'. Cycling is better. It provides me with both mental massage and physical exertion!

On the saddle, the mind is here, now and maybe, slightly ahead, I don't think back of my last few pedaling motions. What matter is the present and the immediate future. Which makes sense because if one pay close attention and do well in the present and some slight planning for the immediate future, what it the point of looking back in time? My mind can only be in so many places at a time; The lesser the places, the better the resolution. Riding bicycle long enough made me realize this. Its one thing to understand something, its totally another to embrace it. Many people do not realize this suffice to say, they stop short of truly knowing something beyond of what its called or named. Richard P. Feynman, Nobel Laureate, told me this too, in his great lectures (book, wished I attended though but I'm not that old!).

All aspect of cycling is therapeutic. I enjoyed the 'journey' of building my fixed gear, which is one of the first things (in a long time) that I did from scratch. The research, acquiring parts with good prices, predicting the look and the final labour involved in building up the bike itself. I pride in the fact that I did not go to a one-stop-shop and bought something. Its unique because I chose my parts and got them from all over the world, not from one or two sources. Its unique because there was no guy with vested interest telling me what to buy and how it should be built. It is unique because I used my own two hands to build it (legs too, when I tried to install the BB! BB and Headset was installed at a shop, its virtually impossible to press in a headset with conventional tools!).

I've been spending a lot of money preparing for an upcoming trip. It has gotta stop for now. I got everything that I need. The wants are not important.

Time to ride.