Stupid is as stupid does?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...
There's a fine line between hard and stupid. My buddy Robert is the impetus for this post. He gave me mad props for my treading of the aforementioned line.

Sure, sometimes I ride my bike in shitty weather and/or conditions just so I can say that I did it. It's the 'why does a dog lick his balls?' theory. Does it mean I'm hard? Sure...a little. Does it mean I'm stupid? See the previous answer...

The main reason I go out solo in the soup/cold/wind/hail/meteors/frogs? I like to ride a bike. Doesn't matter what bike...doesn't matter where. As I've grown older, I've gotten back to the base enjoyment of riding. It's about the little things...the experience. You never know just what you'll see. or run into, while out on the bike. Could be a boring ass loop of Fort Jackson, or an adventure, or a comedy of errors.

I've seen things from the saddle of a bicycle that 99% of the people in the World may never get to experience. Hell, not just ME...we've all seen these things.

Sunrises, sunsets, wildlife, epic (yes, I used that word) weather, anger, fistfights, love, hate...

I'm not as fast as I once was...who cares? Hell, the fastest guy in this town has an injury that has effectively ended his racing career. Does he care? Sure, a little. Is it eating him from the inside out? Nope. He's probably fitter NOW than he was when he was breaking our collective legs. His exercise of choice has evolved.

I'm a married, nearly 42 year old father of 3. There are no pro teams watching me. Well, BMC and Omega Pharma/Quick Step might be, but that's just because I know both of their social media directors, and they want to make sure I'm not TOO harsh on their boys!

Now don't get me wrong, I still like to taste the pain once in a while, but it's not the point for me anymore. If I want to ride hard, I still can. I still know the location of the Pain Cave. The hieroglyphs are burned into my memory.

I'm also confident in both the size, and efficacy, of my male appendage. There's no need to pull it out every time I throw a leg over the top tube. Sometimes you can be social AND ride hard. If the point of your ride is to leave someone out in the country, then, well...

My point? Love your bike! Well, don't LOVE your bike...that's just sick! Enjoy the ride and the moment, because that's EXACTLY what it's about.

Conversely, if you wake up in the morning, swing your legs over the side of the bed, and sigh mightily about the fact that you HAVE to get dressed and go ride...re-assess.

Everyone has moments of pissing and moaning on any ride. I do it. It's okay in small doses. If the pissing and moaning begins to control the where/when/who/why/how you ride...re-assess.

Notice I didn't mention 'what'? Yeah, what you ride is pretty immaterial...as long as it keeps you happy and relatively sane.

Ride and smile peeps...ride and smile.