Is cycling addictive?

You might have seen my recent post considering whether running is addictive.  I concluded that it was and now I find myself wondering if cycling, also, is addictive.  Could I be addicted to both?

This last week I have had the opportunity to do both, in equal measure.  I had my usual Sunday afternoon ride today (we always visit my mother-in-law for a spiffing afternoon tea, whato) and it was suggested to me by Rachel that the most direct route would be politic this afternoon.  That is about 30 minutes.  Now that simply isn’t enough, I was reckoning on at least a 90 minute ride.  Hadn’t she noticed the wonderful clouds piling up in the sky against such a crisp blue sky?  Hasn’t she felt the lovely breeze outside?  How on Earth can anyone resist the temptation or the opportunity of having a ride this afternoon.  It’s May, the most promising month in the year with the message that summer is around the corner, the days are getting longer and warmer and finally, not forgetting the new leaves on the trees, hedgerows.  It’s beyond me how anyone could not want to go for a bike ride!

Anyway, I obliged and sacrificed my 90 minute ride and knowing there’s no way Rachel with B&H would be there on time I succumbed by adding on a few miles.  Not too many but enough to feel I’d had a decent ride and I still beat them!

This brings me around to the title of this blog – is cycling addictive?  While I was riding, I was thinking of little else other than cycling and in particular plotting some more adventurous rides.  I have all kinds of rides mapped out in my mind to different places and most are ridiculously long.  I was trying to figure out how I would get fit enough to do 130 miles in a day, never mind 100.  I was contemplating whether I should invest in some better clothing, now I have a decent bike.  I was thinking that some of the long rides ought to start at 4.00am which brought me on to remembering last June’s ride around the Cotwolds at night.  In fact my friend Wallie and I are considering doing that again.

So there I was cycling in near perfect conditions and plotting more rides.  I was enjoying riding into the stiff wind, I was remembering the fun of riding in the rain, getting drenched and longing to be home and yet reveling in every mile.  I remembered other rides that were long and difficult and it made me smile.  Surely when I’m a grumpy old man, I don’t want to be there in a rocking chair wishing I’d done more while I had the opportunity.

Cycling tends to make me reflect, plot and plan.  Running makes me imaginative and have inspired ideas (which I mostly forget as I get back home).  Both help with the stress and strains of life which I cannot do without.

Yes, cycling is addictive.  Addictive but in a different way.  Anyone else….?