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Cycling Wednesdays: #7 A top ten list on reasons to ride (and race) a bike…

This week’s installment of cycling verbiage comes as a guest post from a really cool cycling mate. Not only was Brian gifted with competent mitochondria, he also has the yet unidentified gene for crafting incredibly entertaining lists.

Yes, he is gifted for sure, but bikes were clearly not made for traversing sand…

Here is Brian’s beautifully done list of reasons why at least one competitive cyclist keeps clicking in…

Why do I ride a bike?  The reasons why have definitely changed over the years, but the core remains, I guess.

 1. Deep down I’m just competitive, very.  I went to IU where the Little 500 cycling race reigned and someone in my fraternity challenged me to do the race.  He told me I’d help the house a lot more if I quit eating pizza and drinking beer and replaced it with cycling.  I quickly figured out if you bike enough you can eat or drink anything on 5 minute centers.  I’m in!  Ask my close friends, my diet is NOT good. 

 2. So I don’t have to let the hair grow back on my legs.  16 years of my life I have shaved my legs?  That’s ridiculous!  I have a purple freekin womens razor that is 16 years old.  My wife says that she likes it, but if I quit racing I’ll be the guy that shaves his legs and is coaching t-ball, youth soccer, and the swim team?  hmmmm.  Oh, and his arms.

 3.  I have the left knee of a 70 year old man.  See, just winning the baseball game wasn’t enough for me.  It was imperative to win the post game sprint to the concession stands to get the suicide sugar bomb (orange crush, welchs grape, big red, and coke).  Without cycling there is swimming I guess, but that’s about as social as a pre-party without liquid courage. 

 4. 1.5 gigawatts is a lot of fun on a carbon bicycle, unless someone with 1.5 gigawatts is on your wheel. 

 5. Few things in life bring people together from all sides of the tracks, backgrounds, careers, abilities, and cities afar.  Well, beer can do that too….. but beer can’t listen to you complain about your last race, your fitness (which you are lying about anyway), or what races you are doing this weekend (maybe if noone else knows about that race I can win)

 6. I hate chess because I’m impatient.  Cycling allows me to try to discect a race, study peoples moves, and see the light at the end of the tunnel for someone wearing my colors.  Of course afterwards 95% of the time it’s ” I should have” ” I could have” ” why didn’t I” ” but I beat him all the time” ” so and so attacked and I was just lazy” ” back to the drawing board, a g a i n.”

 7. The friends for sure.  There are some down to earth great people I’ve met through cycling.  I know that some of these people in the right moment would save my life.  There are also some funny dudes that ride bikes and I’m not talking about Seneca Park boobie man.  Let’s face it, these guys just don’t change.  If you want some laughs you know which ride to go on.  If you want to play a good game without a bunch of BS you know which ride to go on.  

 8. My kids actually think I’m special for wearing spandex bib tights.  Yes, spandex bib tights.  There is NOTHING better than my 3 year old daughter telling me, ” But daddy you are #1 in our hearts.”

 9. Because I never won the little 500.  I’m seeking some sort of redemtion for a moment I did not get to fulfill.  So, I guess part of me lives in the past a bit; trying to find another moment to replace what I missed.  I still coach my fraternity team to this day.  13 years since I graduated and I just got off the phone with a Sigma Nu fraternity rider in Texas this summer and I got a text from another in Fischer’s Indiana.  I have to stay fit so I can continue to be the OLD GUY that comes up to campus every year and kicks some high school “all american” tennis , swimming, basketball, and football players (SURE BUDDY) a** up Boltinghouse hill.  Ha!

 10.  THE CHALLENGES/ THE BATTLES. My days of bike racing are numbered as I’m facing some challenges, BUT I will not stop riding a bike ever!  There are 12 hour solo MTB “races” to conquer, my kids to ride with and prepare for the neigborhood hill, 29″ bikes to try out, some hill in Waverly I will make it up in my life, the hope that I’ll ride around a tree like Tim Johnson (not in between the trees, just around 1), and the overall CONFIDENCE this sport can provide ones soul.  Like I said, I’m in. 

Thanks, Brian.

Grin.

JMM