Why do I ride?

Why do I ride? This is a question I've asked myself far more times than I can count. Over the last 6 years, I've ridden a lot. Tens of thousands of miles. Hundreds upon hundreds of hours. And in my wake, I've left my fair share of tubes, tires, grips, chains, and bottles. And in the last half decade, do you know what I've found? I honestly don't know what motivates me to put on the spandex, fill my bottles, and go out and pedal. I'm not sure what the driving force is.

Or, at least, I don't know what motivates me to do it day in and day out. I do know, however, what it feels like when I'm dong it, and once I'm done. It's freedom. Pure and simple. It's joy, and relaxation, and the ability to get away from everything in the world, and just be at peace. And all it takes is a little bit of your time. That's a pretty great investment, if you ask me.

Needless to say, I can feel it when I don't ride. I feel worn down, stressed out, and just frustrated in general. And that's not including when I kick myself for not riding. But man, oh man. Those days that I do ride? Well, to quote the little kid from the YouTube video "Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll," "I feel, I feel, I feel happy of myself!" Today's ride was something that I needed, on an almost subconscious level. I needed to get away from the world for a while. To get outside, and physically and mentally work through everything. And I think it's something that too few of us get: a chance to work our stuff out. Really, really work it out.