
Getting better and finding happiness through cycling - cancan
http://duruk.net/progress-of-happiness/
======
jpatokal
Great story. Here's my variant.

I never learned to ride a bike as kid. At age 33, I realized I was about to
move to a city where biking is close to mandatory (Melbourne), so I sucked it
up and went for a couple of one-on-one adult bike lessons. Despite a first
lesson that was so painfully fumbling and awkward I almost gave up, I showed
up once more and figured out the key: when you start to fall over to the left,
steer to the left, and you will suddenly no longer be falling. Rinse and
repeat. We did a little cruise around the neighborhood, and hey, I was biking!
Although I did have my ceremonial first fall when I crashed into a bollard at
the end of a bridge (at very slow speed, fortunately).

Then I started commuting to my new workplace by bike. 15 minutes, a nice and
easy ride, mostly on bike paths separated from road traffic -- but it was
still scary as hell initially, and I walked the route a few times, trying to
figure out exactly what I'd need to do to cross every road and turn every
corner. The first morning was freaky, but I still remember the feeling of
adrenaline rush when I arrived at the office the first time: Whoo! I survived!
And then on the way back later that day, my shoelace gets caught up in the
gears and I do a slow-motion crash onto the bike path. No real damage, but my
nerves were sufficiently shot that I had to walk the bike home and skip the
next day. Two days later I was at it again.

Next I attempted to learn curb hopping. My spectacularly mistimed 2nd attempt
saw the wheel hit the curb full on, so I flew head over heels and shredded one
knee to bits on gravel. Turns out you can keep biking just fine with a bloody
knee, it only starts to hurt once the blood gets a chance to congeal.

And now I commute by bike every single day, rain or shine, 0 or 40 degrees. I
wouldn't give it up for the world and am considering upgrading from my current
trusty but heavy mountain bike into a zippier road model.

~~~
jacquesm
Push your laces into your shoe and put your sock (a long one!) over your pant
leg on the chain side. That'll save you at some point in the future. You got
pretty lucky, falls can be quite nasty. Another safety tip: on any turn that
is a bit sharper stop pedalling and keep the inner pedal highest. That way you
increase ground clearance (pedal strike on ground or kerb becomes next to
impossible) where you need it most. And if you're going for a tenspeed style
racing bike (or 27 speed these days ;) ) or something like that please don't
use toeclips until you're a very confident rider.

~~~
cturner
I'm not sure if there's a way to avoid problems learning toeclips. I cycled
since childhood but was terrified by stories of "death clips", and decided not
to get them.

But at a race prep meetup for a long triathlon I was the only one without
them, and got mollycoddled by the organisers. They gave strong advice to get
them.

So I got them and took it easy - riding around a park, slow rides. I still had
several bad falls when I got onto the roads though. And I need to go through
busy roads to get to the country (no car).

I found that you need to be very deliberately transactional in the way you
cycling when you have clips. For example - as you approach lights, once you
get a certain distance out of it's still read then that's it - you just start
start unclipping. You don't want to play the game of edging up to the lights,
because a car might do something confusing and then you're screwed. You need
to position yourself in traffic much more carefully, and hold off on some
situations you wouldn't have thought twice about when you had pedals.

~~~
slajax
I agree. You can't learn to use death clips without a little pain. I'm all for
them on road riding or mellow XC rides, but some of my buddies started using
them on full down hill tracks like in whistler BC. They swear by them and yes
a lot of world cup racers now use them, but I think it's few and far between
because of the learning curve. I don't think I could ever do it, I'm not fully
comfortable on a full suspension bike unless I can eject quickly. It's bad
enough getting tied up in your handlebars, let alone not getting your feet out
as you endo a cliff drop.

------
chunkyslink
I've found happiness through Ultrarunning. I can relate to many of things that
the author mentions but one thing is particularly poignant:

> I distinctly remember the first time I actually made it up that hill, I
> remember feeling that if I could do something that I sucked at so bad couple
> weeks ago now, I could do apply that to anything.

Once I found I could run for 3 hours non stop it felt amazing, then 4 hours, 5
and so on. It was the first time in life that I really got the feeling that
hard work could bring massive benefits to areas that I had no previous
experience in. And no one had to show me. I could just go out and do it.

Anything really is possible.

~~~
cturner
How do you manage food and water for long runs?

~~~
chunkyslink
Organised races are easy as they are provided at aid stations. My normal
saturday run is usually my longest and is the one where calorie intake is
needed. I've tried different solutions including carrying it all with me. Now
I tend to park the car 'in the middle' of my run. Then I'll just do 2 hour
loops from the car. The main item needed is water as its easily possible to
carry enough calorie and electrolytes with you. I'm also currently living in
Western Australia where is normally just hot and there isnt much water on the
trails.

If you are interested in running nutrition (or any endurance nutrition) I
wrote about a presentation I went on a few months ago
[http://justrunning.net/2012/09/the-steve-born-
seminar-15-sim...](http://justrunning.net/2012/09/the-steve-born-
seminar-15-simple-ways-to-improve-your-athletic-performance-right-now/)

------
wallflower
When I meet successful people in business from time to time, I more often than
not find that having conquered the business world - physical challenge brings
them more happiness than another business success could. Especially if it just
a 5k that some average athlete shrugs off; all challenges are personal.
Sometimes, if running a profitable business, building and managing people
effectively is not a challenge, a 40 min 5-k can very well be.

Book recommendation, not just about cycling: The Rider, by Tim Krabbé

"The greater the suffering, the greater the pleasure. That is nature’s payback
to riders for the homage they pay her by suffering. Velvet pillows, safari
parks, sunglasses; people have become woolly mice. They still have bodies that
can walk for five days and four nights through a desert of snow, without food,
but they accept praise for having taken a one-hour bicycle ride. ‘Good for
you’. Instead of expressing their gratitude for the rain by getting wet,
people walk around with umbrellas. Nature is an old lady with few friends
these days, and those who wish to make use of her charms, she rewards
passionately.”

[http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/01/tim-krabbes-the-
ri...](http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/01/tim-krabbes-the-rider.html)

<http://www.amazon.com/Rider-Tim-Krabbe/dp/1582342903>

------
jiggy2011
Cycling is great, I highly recommend it. Don't think of it as a cheap hobby
though, once you get into it you are almost guaranteed to start breaking
things on a cheap bike and want better gear.

As a side note, if you do get a bike on a shoestring budget get an older bike
as those things were built to last; modern cheap bikes have gimmicky
suspension setups (suspension is great but there are vast differences between
cheap elastomers and a plush oil based setup) that don't help and add weight
(and parts to go wrong) to the bike.

Also if you are finding it difficult to get into, try different styles of
cycling. Fast road riding, cross country mountain biking, long distance cycle
touring , downhill mountain biking and BMX riding are all _vastly_ different
experiences that use completely different skills and muscles.

On another note, if you get serious I do highly recommend so called "clipless"
(a cleat in the shoe locks into the pedal) pedals for most styles of riding.

These things seem so scary and dangerous to start with, but I can virtually
guarantee that once you are used to them you will not want to go back even for
technical offroad riding. The extra efficiency and control you gain is
astonishing, toe clips don't even come close. Of course make sure you practise
on a grassy area first and get the feel for them and make sure you are
confident with them before heading into traffic.

Falling off your bike when you stop for a red light is at best embarrassing
and at worst really dangerous.

Also Sheldon Brown's page (RIP) on cycle maintenance though heavily outdated
unless you have an older bike is probably one of my favorite parts of the "old
internet".

<http://sheldonbrown.com/>

~~~
brnstz
Agree on Sheldon Brown's site. Amazing old internet site.

I can't get into clipless riding though. I tried toe clips and found it
incredibly dangerous riding in the city (New York City). I don't feel safe
unless I can bail off the bike in an instant. It also seems the clips
discourage cyclists from stopping at red lights.

Maybe it's a good idea for more rural riding, but I pretty much never do that.

~~~
jiggy2011
Toe clips are way scarier than clipless once you get used to clipless.

With toeclips there is something physical that is stopping your feet from
moving and you have to get your foot completely clear of the strap before it
is safe to put it down.

With clipless on the other hand, if you have your pedals set right (spring
tension) it becomes an automatic reaction when you know you are about to stop
or about to go down. You also get much more freedom of foot movement without
destabilising the bike. I got into a few hairy situations riding some
technical trails but ejecting feet from pedals was never an issue.

Nowadays I actually find it more hairy riding with flats since I have to worry
about my feet falling off the pedals accidently if I hit something too hard.

~~~
sinkhole
Agreed. To properly get out of a toe clip pedal, you have to 1\. take your
hand off the handlebar 2\. crouch down 3\. catch your thumb on the strap
tightener 4\. pull it away from you 5\. remove your foot fully from your cage

with clipless:

1\. kick your heel out so that your foot is more than 13.5 degrees with your
toes pointed towards the bike.

2\. there is no step 2.

------
davidw
Cycling is the perfect hacker sport:

* You can go out riding by yourself, or with groups.

* You can geek out about the tech involved if you want.

* It gets you outdoors in a context very different from sitting on your ass in front of a computer. Great for clearing the head.

The biggest drawback is that it's tough to find the time for a good ride (at
least 2 hours), whereas something like running takes less time.

If anyone ever makes it over to the Padova area with their bike, I'd be happy
to take you out on a ride and show you the area. The Colli Euganei and Colli
Berici are both pleasant and attractive areas to ride.

~~~
frrp
Great. I love mountainbiking and was serious about it for more than ten years
now. I agree with all you are saying. I would add that there are still
opportunities to improve and build better bicycles. Especially the recumbent
bikes community is very actively hacking better machines. I have some friends
involved and was able to try several prototypes - if I have the extra money to
invest I would definitely support this. It is innovative, useful and fun! I
have also used a bicycle for commuting in every city I've ever lived. It is
probably the best way to explore the surroundings and get to know the city
map. Just note: I have experience only from Europe and Eastern Asia. David, I
would be happy to visit you someday with my bike in Padova.

------
rickdale
I always wanted to be an amazing jump roper. As a kid I couldnt ever play with
others jumping rope, I just couldn't do it. When I would jump rope solo, I had
to double jump each time because I was so physically out of rhythm.

Last year my new years resolution was to get in shape. In the summer I jumped
rope almost everyday. There becomes a moment when you are jumping, where you
stop jumping and you feel like you are floating. Your legs are moving the
rope, and as you continue your mind flourishes and floats. I love this
feeling; jumping rope is my cycling.

Last time I went to the gym I was doing double revolution jumps and this guy
looked at me and was like "I haven't seen anyone do that since Rocky". ADRIAN.

------
contingencies
You can get massive endorphin high from cycling hard and up hills. It's really
hard to describe unless you've done it. I believe this is the same rush some
runners get. Road bikers tend to go for this sort of high, mountain bikers
often get in to the downhill. I am a bit weird in that I prefer uphill to down
and usually ride a mountain bike.

One thing I would recommend is, once you're out of traffic or are confident of
staying on the edge of the road and not being hit by passing traffic, try
playing some trance or other high energy music through headphones. You don't
need a special iPod or expensive headphones, just a regular smartphone in your
pocket (if like me you remain unconvinced about doing the lycra thing) and in-
ear headphones threaded through your shirt will do it. This isn't just a
random recommendation: by adding high energy music, I find that my
subconscious regulation of breathing changes and I am able to more accelerate
my metabolism both more quickly and to a further point.

Source: During my first startup in southwest China I used to leave the office
about 4 or 5pm and cycle up a Himalayan mountain at high speed before retiring
to social drinking. Through the wonders of cycling I managed to lose a lot of
weight and maintain high energy despite heavy drinking :) Also used to do
whole day group or solo rides on the weekends, sometimes both days, usually
with more off-road.

I've also done (usually month long) cycle tours around southwest China,
France, Romania, and Taiwan.

A couple of years back, while living in the Hollywood hills of LA for a year,
I got a bit in to road biking .. the mountains north of eastern LA are
fantastic for weekend rides. Unfortunately I'm living in Bangkok now, no
chance to cycle but a huge private pool to enjoy, and plan to hit southwest
China on a regular basis to visit the squirrels in my favoured cycling
environment: high altitude Himalayan pine forest. Ahh, nature and exercise are
so life affirming :)

~~~
joshwa
Where in SW china were you doing your cycling? And what kind of startup were
you doing that allowed you to be there? (NB I just moved back to SF after a
year and half in Kunming)

~~~
contingencies
Cycling: all around Yunnan. <http://pratyeka.org/bike/southern-yunnan.html> is
my original trip. I mostly lived in Jinghong (Xishuangbanna) and Kunming.

Startup: My own, since there was nobody doing anything there that required my
skills I simply made my own project. China-focused multilingual hotel
reservation system, with integrated global SMS, digital fax, from-scratch
diskless Linux-based VOIP call center.

------
truebosko
Cycling to work was one of the reasons I lost 50lbs. I biked about 10km each
way from my apartment in Kitchener to my office in Waterloo (Ontario). Now
live in Toronto where, outside of winter I cycle on a daily basis. Sold my car
last year too, which is a nice cost saver.

If you know how to get around safely, I can't think of any reason why you
wouldn't want to cycle. Most people are worried about sweating, but is easily
solved by not riding like some Tour De France wanna-be and enjoying a nice
casual ride.

~~~
amackera
I live right in downtown Toronto, and frankly I'm terrified out of my mind to
try cycling around!

~~~
truebosko
It's definitely not perfect not the most pleasurable experience but if you
find the right streets for your route it can become quite a relaxing ride. :)

------
meaty
I had a light weight Dawes galaxy touring bike (more comfortable than road
bikes) and tried cycling for about 2 years. Problem is I live in London where
there are actually no pleasant cycling experiences to be had. I gave up after
the third attempt by psychotic drivers to take my life and bits of what I can
only describe as cycling routes worse than an outback road in Afghanistan. Oh
and dog owners - the scum of the earth: either end up rolling through shit or
having them out of control jumping at you.

Plus it was awful being sopping wet and covered in 'london shit' that you
can't clean off without resorting to rubbing yourself with swarfega.

Horrible experience. Even a picadilly line tube train (known as the tandoor)
is better in the middle of summer with sweltering 32oC and no air.

~~~
dirtyaura
My experience is quite contrary. I've lived (and actively cycled) in three
cities: San Francisco, London and Helsinki and although London is absolutely
the worst of these three to cycle from the safety perspective, I nevertheless
learned to enjoy cycling in traffic. I've rarely been more alert and present
in the moment as during my morning rides to work. It gave me quite an
adrenaline rush and I felt great afterwards.

~~~
meaty
That rapidly changes the moment you get knocked off. Someone pulled out on me
in Clapham and clipped my panniers and nearly knocked me off. Scared the shit
out of me.

Humans are just sacks of jam in an accident. No thanks.

------
napoleond
I too can vouch for the changing power of cycling (and long distance running,
which I discovered around the same time). It replaced a nicotine addiction for
me, alleviated mood problems and continues to help me think clearly. I'm the
sort of person who requires regular solitude--long runs or bike rides give me
that (they can be deeply meditative) and force me to get some fresh air.

Arranging their life in such a way that regular commutes can be accomplished
on a bicycle or by foot is one of the most valuable lifestyle changes anyone
with a desk job can make.

------
marknutter
I recently got into road biking myself, but one thing I disagree with in this
post is that you should buy an expensive road bike to start. I bought a $400
road bike off bikesdirect.com and another $120 on step-in pedals/shoes and
outside of a few more cheap accessories I've not spent more than $700 on the
whole package. It's the best bike I've ever personally ridden and I have
really gotten into the sport (I'm training for a triathlon next summer).

It reminds me of when I bought my first new car, a 2007 VW Rabbit. I knew what
I wanted - the four-door non-sport edition, but the dealer asked me if I
wanted to test drive the GTI which I didn't know came in a 4-door. I was very
tempted but resisted because I knew as soon as I test drove the GTI, the
Rabbit would feel sluggish in comparison. The point is, if you start out by
test driving something expensive, whether it be a bike or a car, your
expectations will rise from zero to very-high and it will taint the well of
cheaper options.

It's much more economical to buy a cheaper bike when you have zero
expectations, especially if you don't know whether or not you will commit to
the sport long-term. You can always sell it and upgrade to a nice $1000+ road
bike in the future if you end up loving the sport. I might even recommend
going cheaper than I did and buying a used road bike on craigslist for far
less than the $400 I spent on a new bike (however cheap $400 is for a new road
bike). As others have mentioned here, half the fun of owning a bike is
learning how to maintain, repair, and upgrade it over time.

~~~
taeric
I think what you have would count as an expensive bike. Since you can get a
working bike from a place like Walmart for just about 200.

That said, if you are counting what you have in the not too expensive
department, I agree completely. I got a pretty good deal on craigs list. Is an
older bike, but unless you plan on going competitive, it is hard to go wrong
with a quality bike.

~~~
eshvk
> I think what you have would count as an expensive bike. Since you can get a
> working bike from a place like Walmart for just about 200.

No, that there is a cheap bike. Average bike prices are around $700 or so. An
expensive bike is ~ $4K with carbon fiber/titanium frames. Sure, you can get a
Walmart bike for $200, those things fall apart very soon and encourage bad
posture.

~~~
taeric
I should have clarified, "to many that view bikes as a toy, a 700 bike is an
expensive bike." It is not that I disagree with what you are saying. I just
realize there is a majority that does not want to spend more than 200 on a
bike. And that isn't "before accessories."

Myself... I just wish I biked more. I don't have the courage to bike the full
14 miles to work, and the 3 miles each way using the train just feels sorta
"meh."

I am highly tempted by the bike lights at revolights.com. If anyone has
experience with those, I'm all ears.

------
alexkus
It has worked well for me in the past. I lost 30 lbs when I got back in to
cycling, but it's slowly crept back on[2] so I need a new effort to sort it
out.

My commute is only 8 miles and I do this the vast majority of days in all
weathers (London, UK) even if it's icy or snowy (this weather to come in the
next few months) as I've got a spare pair of wheels with Schwalbe Marathon
Winter studded tyres on them.

Combining my commute (the alternative is to take the train) with a 30 minute
exercise session saves me time and I still get an hour of exercise a day, and
I also get a bit of time to arrange my thoughts for the day.

Yes there are increased risks, but these are greatly outweighed by the health
benefits.

It can get quite addictive, and the distances soon build up. I got back into
cycling about 6 years ago and did a 60 mile charity ride. Those 60 miles
certainly felt like a long way by the time I'd finished, but that led to doing
a 200km Audax[1] in ~10 hours (they're not races) and then progressively
longer rides all the way up to rides lasting multiple days and doing ~300km+
each day. Last year was Paris-Brest-Paris 1200km which has to be done in under
90 hours. That was fun, despite my relative lack of preparation.

1\. Other countries call them Randonnees or Brevets. Which are generally
measured in kilometers hence the swapping of units.

2\. Several reasons; gluttony and apathy mainly. Easily sorted by being less
lazy and keeping an eye on food intake again.

------
brandon272
Cycling is one of my fondest memories from childhood. One of the biggest
drawbacks to living in the city I live in is that it isn't very cyclist-
friendly, so I don't really view biking to work as an option. I live about 6
miles from my office but any reasonable route to/from work would require
riding on congested roads with drivers who don't know how to interact with
cyclists. The possibility of serious injury or death resulting from someone
hitting me with their vehicle at 35mph just isn't worth it. :(

~~~
dmckeon
Car commute routes often have more-or-less parallel routes better suited for
bicycling. If you are pedaling on the same route you would drive on, it is
likely to be well worth spending some time trying to find a more suitable
route. I would prefer a longer route with many stop signs over a congested
multi-lane route with traffic lights. Spend a weekend morning in your car with
a road map looking for smooth pavement.

Disclaimer: Works well in grid layouts (western US), less well in older
cities, depends on local topography, rivers, rail, etc.

------
factorialboy
Moved to Amsterdam few months ago. Love biking to and from work. Average daily
60 minutes on my bike. Helps me a brown man used to tropical weather get over
the cold. ;-)

~~~
jacquesm
A very hearty welcome to my hometown. Enjoy the fireworks tonight!

------
iharris
Yes, yes, yes! This article matches the feeling I had when riding a road bike
for the first time. The sense of speed and freedom is amazing, like
rediscovering the joy of a bike without training wheels. If I can offer one
piece of advice, it is to find a group of like-minded cyclists to ride with.
Nothing builds camaraderie like toiling in the saddle with four other guys on
a Cat-2 climb, and you will learn so much from their experience.

------
fixpert
Cycling fundamentally changed my life for the better about 10 years ago. I got
pretty deep into it — became a bike messenger in NYC and later in Richmond,
Virginia. Did a couple of long-distance tours (2,000+ miles). After friends
and family, it's the fabric of my life. I don't own a car, and I ride every
single day, whatever the weather.

Cycling provides a lot of valuable life lessons in the form of metaphors. And
after you reach a baseline of physical fitness, the sport turns out to be
mostly a mental / psychological challenge. For example, when I'm climbing a
hill, I charge at it. I climb all the way through with full effort until
_after_ I crest over the top. I don't stop the effort just shy of the finish.
It's much more gratifying than giving up just before you're done because you
know the pain's about to be over.

Cycling provides a life-long way to push yourself, test your abilities,
traverse the globe, see beautiful places, and find camaraderie, and relive the
joy and freedom of being a kid on two wheels.

------
CKKim
For me this is the bit which really rings true:

"I successfully avoided my picture taken. Not so much consciously, but more
with the knowledge that it would come out not particularly flattering."

It reminds me of a point Tina Fey made in her Google talk that she just had to
learn a particular expression which would make her look good and then bust it
out whenever her radar picked up someone taking a photo. I started mimicking
that idea, along with various body language tricks and found myself pleased
with the results. It makes it much easier to get motivated to work out and
dress stylishly when your starting point is already better than you thought
because of a few powerful little modifiers. In the spirit of the OP, that's
not the end - it's the start of getting better at something!

------
recursive
I took up cycling from similarly un-athletic beginnings out of necessity
because I had no other transportation. That necessity was lucky for me,
because I never would have had the discipline to follow through on it if I had
the option not to. I'm great at thinking of excuses. It's too hot/cold. It's
raining. I'm tired. I'm late. But after a few months, something changed, and I
started looking forward to my rides, and found that they were getting easier.
After that it didn't take much before I was totally hooked. That was 8 years
ago, and the benefits to my health, energy, and general outlook on life have
been large. Group rides can also be a great way to meet people over a common
experience.

Anyway, bikes are great.

------
djhworld
I live and work in London, and while cycling would free me from the shackles
of public transport, I am almost certain I would be killed on the roads within
6 months.

Cycling is dangerous when you share such tight little roads with 20 tonne
trucks, cars and other vehicles.

~~~
m0nty
I've been riding seriously for 18+ months, in rural and urban environments in
the South of England. I get nervous when I think about the accidents I read or
hear about in the news, but I have never had any problems with deliberate
harassment, and only a couple of times when people have been careless and I
had to bellow at them (works incredibly well, bellowing).

Training and hi-viz are everything: I have lights for daylight running and a
fluorescent jacket.

Jacket: [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackrock-Workwear-Highland-
Visibili...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackrock-Workwear-Highland-Visibility-
Detachable/dp/B003G4HT9M/) Headlamp: [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lumen-Cycling-
Bicycle-Light-HeadLigh...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lumen-Cycling-Bicycle-
Light-HeadLight/dp/B007OKE1AO/) Blinkies: [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cateye-HL-
LD130-TL-LD130-Light-Set/d...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cateye-HL-LD130-TL-
LD130-Light-Set/dp/B002HD56JS/)

Also, learning how to ride correctly has made a huge difference, try this
book:

[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyclecraft-complete-enjoyable-
cyclin...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyclecraft-complete-enjoyable-cycling-
children/dp/0117037400/)

If you want the reassurance of a helmet (I have mixed opinions) get a
Specialized since they're made to a higher standard than most other brands.

Try to find quieter routes if you want to try riding. This app can help:

[http://www.transportdirect.info/web2/journeyplanning/findcyc...](http://www.transportdirect.info/web2/journeyplanning/findcycleinput.aspx)

As can scouting your route using street-view, etc.

Try it, you should live :) And as OA says, you'll live well too.

~~~
jufo
Thanks very much - that app shows me a quiet way from home (Raynes Park) to
work (Leatherhead); 13.4 miles. It's far enough off the busy roads I know that
I would never have discovered it unaided. On to Street View... then the
forecast is good for New Year's day, so it's a good opportunity for a practice
run.

~~~
m0nty
Looks like the forecast for new year's held out. I'll be able to get back on
my bike for the first time in three weeks (flu + weather).

------
juanre
I had the same experience learning to unicycle in my late thirties. Fall, try
again, repeat. It's hard to actually get hurt (the unicycle just slips from
under your butt and you end up more or less standing) and if you persevere
you'll reach the great moment in which you can actually ride the thing...
first a coupe of meters, then 5 or 10 from time to time, then you don't know
how but you are actually able to ride it. But it still feels it should be a
physical impossibility, and I still feel happy and exhilarated when I do it.

------
slajax
Very inspirational. I fell in love with with mountain biking when I move to
BC. It's the one thing that year after year keeps me balanced and allows me to
live a happy life. There's nothing more satisfying then finally conquering a
drop or technical feature. Especially when your first impression was "that is
not possible".

------
nickdotmulder
I recently wrote a post about this (www.nickmulder.me) I started at 17, raced
professionally till last year when I got a kink / blod clot in my legs.

Cycling is a nice distraction from your passion but for me personally, it
became a passion that cannabalized my other hobbies. Its quite an addiction,
the reason I think is because it is so quantifiable and if your'e a bit of a
numbers guy like me it is a perfectly gamified concept (check out strava.com)

Nonetheless, having commuted each day of my young life through wind, rain,
snow and having put over 100,000 kilometers on my bike I can attest to the
fact that the feeling of accomplishment is unparalleled.

Whatever your reason may be, cycling is an amazing way to channel your energy
and strive to reach your goals.

------
buzzkillr2
I caught the bug last year (2011) got a new bike in February this year and
severely broke my leg in March (non cycling accident). Even with the bad leg I
managed to lose a bunch of weight and feel great.

Thank your for sharing your story.

------
charlieflowers
Great story. Thanks for sharing.

Congrats to you for finding something you're passionate about and sticking
with it, and improving your health.

Can't help but wonder ... how is the weight now? I am sure it is a lot better.

~~~
cancan
Used to be around 185lbs at 5 8. Now I'm at 150ish, probably could go down to
145 or so.

~~~
devb
Do keep in mind that you're replacing fat mass with muscle mass the more you
continue to ride and tone your body. If it seems like you're slowing down in
the weight loss, you might just be building muscle. 5'8" / 150 is pretty
skinny, if I have anything to say about it.

~~~
xiaoma
Just in terms of health recommendations (by the CDC, WHO, ect...) the ideal
range is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. For someone who is 5'8", that would 122 to 166
pounds. Power athletes would be heavier of course, but as a group they don't
have the greatest health outcomes.

------
jacquesm
My personal favourite cycling site:

<http://www.adventuresofgreg.com/HPVMain.html>

My #2 is already mentioned elsewhere (Sheldon Brown).

------
tsieling
This is really awesome. Thanks for sharing it, it's a perfect example of a
fundamental truth about life. Many happy miles ahead.

------
slajax
If you want to see some crazy road biking check out Martyn Ashton:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmJtYaUTa0>

------
lucian303
Mountain bike. It's SF. And Trek makes some of the best.

------
brandonfish
It's amazing how difficult it seems to be to get happy with these things and
it always just lasts for a few moments. Whereas God can make one happy in a
much deeper sense without all the effort. Also it can last much longer (until
you neglect the relationship with him)

~~~
brnstz
Can't tell if you're trolling, but are you suggesting that riding a bike
requires more effort than having a deep relationship with God? I suspect your
local religious leader would disagree.

Exercise is good for your body and your mental health. Any sane religion would
not discourage it.

~~~
brandonfish
Ah right, I should have known that saying something about the effort was going
to be taken like that. What I meant is the effort is completely different. The
story about biking makes it very obvious that it's just a very temporary
happiness that can be achieved by something like that. It's not reliable in
any way. You fight for one moment of happiness and you don't even know if it
will even come. Wonderful.

~~~
brnstz
Existentialists spend their whole lives chasing fleeting moments of earthly
happiness. It's all we got. Don't take it away from us.

If you've managed to find God's love, all the best to you. Still, even if this
is your permanent, reliable source of serenity, it does not mean you shouldn't
seek happiness in this mortal world as well. Your comment is completely
irrelevant.

~~~
brandonfish
>Don't take it away from us.

I wasn't taking anything away from you

>Your comment is completely irrelevant _to me_.

FTFY

