the world of cycling .

Last summer I got really into cycling. I have been a mountain rider for quite some time, but decided to eat the cost and treat myself to a road bike last summer. Since then I have ridden often with my roommate while at school (or at least, as often as work and classes would allow). This is no small task usually, as he is a professional and has not only incredible endurance but climbing ability. Though he is quite understanding when it comes to my skill level, and rides at a pace that I can keep up with.


Last summer I closely followed the Tour de France, and while it is very probably that that race is the biggest race in the sport, it's still one of the most exciting things I've witnessed (if only on television). The best part is that it is almost a month long! I've found a new love in road riding and it can really take your mind off things, encourage you to get better and better, and it's a great form of exercise! Like many sports, I've found it to be incredibly mental -- you really need to push yourself and you need to be able to just suck up the pain and keep pushing. Being that I'm pretty heavy (by cycling standards) I certainly need a good bit of will power to keep my rpms up and my legs moving. But I love it all the same.

I managed to get in 50+ miles today, which given that I haven't been riding too much, is pretty damn good I think. There are several routes that I have that run around various towns in my area (you'd be surprised how far you can go when you don't do laps and instead do just one big loop), that are various lengths with anything from a mild 15 miles to a whopping 100 miles. I've now completed the 50 (with a little bit of difficulty) and there is also a 62 and the elusive 100. My goal is to be able to do that by the end of the summer. I know I also talked to one of my buddies down at school about riding from Greenville to Charleston in South Carolina; a 200 mile journey that we would do in 2 days. Again, no small feat. But the great thing about road biking is that as long as there is pavement in front of you, you can keep going. I love it. One of my favorite things to say is that when I'm on my bike, I'm getting unlimited miles per gallon! (Certainly better than my 15mpg truck...)

There's something awesome about watching a ton of cyclists all racing towards the yellow jersey. The Tour is just something unreal; people persevere through mountains, sprints, injuries, crashes, everything you can imagine. And even cooler? The riders work in teams. It truly is a team sport.

If you never have before, I recommend checking out the race this summer. It should start in mid to late July (though don't worry, I'm sure I'll be posting about it again when the time comes). It is unbelievable to watch the riders just keep going; they look almost superhuman.

And on that note, if you haven't ever dabbled in it before, welcome to the world of cycling. And I'm proud to be a part of it.


Also, random note -- anyone know if you can get email notifications for replies to your comments? I get emails for everything posted on my blog, but if I post a comment on someone else's and they reply, I don't get an email, but I'd love to so I don't have to go back and check... anyways, if you guys know... drop some knowledge champ. Have yourselves a lovely weekend.