I think it was somewhere around 8am on January 1st when I decided that I was going to ride every day of 2017. The weather was warm(ish), the sun was out and the itch struck. I could wax poetic with some deep reasoning as to why I chose to ride every day for a year, but the fact of it is that I just really like to ride my bike. Do we really need any more reason than that?
OK fine, I’ll relent and give a couple of reasons that have run through my head:
1 – I want to be a better rider. I rode for a few years back when I was younger, but then life happened. I got poor, I sold the bike and I never really had the chance to get back on two wheels until this past year. So even though I’ve logged tens of thousands of miles, I feel like a brand new rider because it’s been 20 years since I rode regularly. Riding every day, through conditions that I might otherwise avoid, will force me out of my comfort zone. Along with specific practice, I think that’s an important thing for all of us to do.
2 – Riding forces me to clear my head. Years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD. For me, riding has been the best medication my doctor never prescribed. Some days are better than others, but at any given time my brain is moving a thousand directions at once. Riding forces me to focus on what I’m doing and the world around me. It’s an odd thing, but riding is a slow down for me. It’s like a mental vacation from the constant buzzing in my head. It feels nice to have something that helps me set that aside, even if only for a moment.
3 – I live for the sound. Whether it’s the growl of the pipes as I hit the power band or the fabled “thunk” of the Harley transmission, there’s just something about the sounds of riding that are new and exciting to me every single time. I’m an audio junkie. I have been for years. As a long-time DJ, music snob and production nerd, riding is a visceral pleasure that doesn’t really exist anywhere else.
So there you have it. Like I said, it’s hardly poetic, but everyone should ride their ride and this one is mine. Tag along with me on Instagram if you’d like. It should be interesting to see what sort of pictures pop up as the year moves on. Though hopefully I’ll not have to deal with another one like this…
