Yesterday, I went cycling with a small group of folks. It was my first long ride this year – 36 miles. It was mostly on the greenways – Raleigh has these fantastic greenways, and I don’t understand how I ever had the chutzpah to ride on roads back in the day…
I got my first road bike in 2012, and that year I rode a 75 mile MS 150 ride. Back then, I did lots of 50+ mile practice rides on the roads. I lived in North Raleigh and I’d go on these long rides on my own, though sometimes on Sundays I’d drive out to a neighboring town, and ride with a big group of cyclists.
Back in my early 20’s, I was even more hard-core. I lived out west, and I’d take my mountain bike out for road rides up steep hills, and I’d ride down fast, sometimes exceeding 40 mph!
These days, I’m not so hard-core. I don’t understand the need of many cyclists to ride 50+ miles in order to call it a “good” ride. My idea of a “good” ride is riding 8-10 miles each way to get food. Enjoy the sun, enjoy the Sunday, but don’t do too much.
Furthermore, I have lower-back pain whenever I ride. I don’t like sitting, and cycling entails sitting for a long time. If I take 2 ibuprofen, I have a lot more flexibility in my lower back and it doesn’t hurt. Should I take 2 ibuprofen every time I ride? That would give me a lot more ability to ride long distances, but I’m probably sacrificing my liver.
The most important thing is enjoying the sunshine, and good bike rides with friends.