What I have learned from cycling

What I have learned

This is a list, with no particular order, of things I have learned by using my bikes quite a lot.

For several years now I'm cycling to work all year round, which results in 4000+ kilometers per year. Here are things I've learned, so that you don't have to.

0. No one wants to talk to you about bikes as much as you'd like them to. Trust me. No one.

1. Owning a bike might be frustrating. It has a lot of parts that can break, and eventually they will. So be prepared and try not to be overdramatic about it.

2. Bikes are subtly different from each other and I hate it. Let alone derailleur hangers, which are frame-specific and can be hard to find. Even fenders can work on your bike or not! And if you want to have a saddle bag, well, too bad - now you can't mount a rear lamp. And so on.

3. Road rage is real. When riding in the city you will encounter some less bright drivers and pedestrians (and even other cyclists). And given that your blood pulse is higher than normal you might easily get angry with them. I could have said that I've learned to stay calm, ignore them and meditate while cycling, but it will be untrue and I will be a liar.

4. Some people say stuff like "there's no bad weather, there's just bad gear". And they are only half right - there is some bad gear. Like, if you're riding in jeans and a cotton t-shirt, expect problems. But bad weather exists as well for sure - imagine riding in the strong wind with wet snow in -1C. Don't pretend that it's fine, it's not.

5. Something positive for a change: good bits don't get old. Really, I have cycled the same route (that you can see here) but there are parts of it that I still enjoy like the first time or maybe even more. The same goes for mountain biking - I know local trails pretty well, but keep enjoying them.

6. Group rides are more about groups than they are about rides. Meaning that if you don't like people you're going to ride with, you won't like the whole thing either. And that's totally fine to go solo - no need to plan a route, adjust your pace, just bliss.

7. Cycling will influence the way you think, and not exactly in a good way. For instance, I've realized that I hate walking - it's slow, boring and you can't coast, need to move your feet constantly. Disgusting.

8. Clipless pedals. You can say what you want, but they are just better. More confidence, more power and as a result more comfort. Yes, you're going to fall a couple of times, but you'll get over it at some point. The biggest issue is that you need special shoes - but if you stick with mtb ones, you'll be fine.

9. If you're cycling, you're my friend. With some rare exceptions, I think that cyclists are just good people in general - even if you're not fast, or your bike is cheap no-name one: if you're riding it, you're already better than all those who don't.