Cycling Psychology.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Paul Graham
Anybody have any views on the psychological aspects of cycling. Reason for training, affects of training good or bad?

Personally I find training for biking mostly psychological mainly because you have to force yourself to do it, yet afterwards it feels good. Like for instance when I ride I want to at first and then it gets hard and then I start going and those long uphills start to melt away into nothing even thought at first I wanted to quit the ride and go back to the car.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by trekrider4315
Personally I find training for biking mostly psychological mainly because you have to force yourself to do it, yet afterwards it feels good. Like for instance when I ride I want to at first and then it gets hard and then I start going and those long uphills start to melt away into nothing even thought at first I wanted to quit the ride and go back to the car.

I think we're on the same thought train.. I train most days, some days I actually look forward to it, some days not. As you have said though, once into a ride (or training session) things start to turn around. It's these 'turn-arounds' that get me started on 'bad' days.

I'd say cycling/training keeps me sane in a purely endorphin -chemical way. I feel quite grey when I haven't been out.

Are there any others that are hooked on cycling/training in this way?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Paul Graham
I think we're on the same thought train.. I train most days, some days I actually look forward to it, some days not. As you have said though, once into a ride (or training session) things start to turn around. It's these 'turn-arounds' that get me started on 'bad' days.

I'd say cycling/training keeps me sane in a purely endorphin -chemical way. I feel quite grey when I haven't been out.

Are there any others that are hooked on cycling/training in this way?

What type of biking you do I think can change the style of training you do. For instance I love to cross country ride with some jumps so mostly I'll start riding for a good few hours and then when I'm sort of tired I'll go and work on some jumps before heading back home. Anybody else like that?

i dont train, just ride for pleasure, and doing so relaxes me and makes me forget the bad things that happen from day to day.Like when this site refuses to load, grrrr!
Ooh, wheres me bike.....

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Dawnrider
i dont train, just ride for pleasure, and doing so relaxes me and makes me forget the bad things that happen from day to day.Like when this site refuses to load, grrrr!
Ooh, wheres me bike.....

On bad days I try to hit the hills early on.. just dawned on me, gravity plays a big role in sanity 🙂

Gawd.. me front tyres got a puncture!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by trekrider4315
What type of biking you do I think can change the style of training you do. For instance I love to cross country ride with some jumps so mostly I'll start riding for a good few hours and then when I'm sort of tired I'll go and work on some jumps before heading back home. Anybody else like that?

I ride the road, although I did go through a phase of MTB'ing. Got fed up with colliding with trees though 🙂

That said I reckon the chemical 'thing' must be the same for all.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Paul Graham
I ride the road, although I did go through a phase of MTB'ing. Got fed up with colliding with trees though 🙂

That said I reckon the chemical 'thing' must be the same for all.

Don't you hate it when trees attack mtb'ers?? It should be illegal for what they can do to us!!
As for road training I'd say look into cross country running methods. Find out where a local running club(high school maybe) runs and do that on a bike(my school does a road circuit twice a week) find that out and then do it quite a few times. The last time try to do 1 1/3 your normal speed(if possible)

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by trekrider4315
Don't you hate it when trees attack mtb'ers?? It should be illegal for what they can do to us!!
As for road training I'd say look into cross country running methods. Find out where a local running club(high school maybe) runs and do that on a bike(my school does a road circuit twice a week) find that out and then do it quite a few times. The last time try to do 1 1/3 your normal speed(if possible)

Just around the corner from my place of residence is a squirrel reserve. It's a fantastic place, plenty of sandy hills, long up and downhill ramps and of course.. trees, loads of 'em.

MTB dudes go hurtling through the area at breakneck speeds.
Couple or three times a week they met to dice with death. One week I joined them.. holy *&%$*.. frightening, I'd say so.

Gave me healthy respect for those 'nutcases' 🙂

And there must lay another psychological question.. the adrenalin
rush. I've been on a few fairground rides but nothing compared to following a bunch of riders down a 200m 3-in-1 tree-lined sand bank. The feeling of speed increased by the trees being only inches away from the ears!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Paul Graham
Just around the corner from my place of residence is a squirrel reserve. It's a fantastic place, plenty of sandy hills, long up and downhill ramps and of course.. trees, loads of 'em.

MTB dudes go hurtling through the area at breakneck speeds.
Couple or three times a week they met to dice with death. One week I joined them.. holy *&%$*.. frightening, I'd say so.

Gave me healthy respect for those 'nutcases' 🙂

And there must lay another psychological question.. the adrenalin
rush. I've been on a few fairground rides but nothing compared to following a bunch of riders down a 200m 3-in-1 tree-lined sand bank. The feeling of speed increased by the trees being only inches away from the ears!

God I love adrenaline rush. I think that training yourself to appreciate more parts of a course that are more exciting greatly improve training. If I do a few hard laps and then go do some fun stuff, it usually lets me do one or two more laps if I'm up to it.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Paul Graham
Anybody have any views on the psychological aspects of cycling. Reason for training, affects of training good or bad?

I'm not a clinical psychologist or anything, but I get really [censored] when I haven't exercised in over 2 days. I get snappy and irritable. Hmmm... maybe I need help...

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jmcmillanut
I'm not a clinical psychologist or anything, but I get really [censored] when I haven't exercised in over 2 days. I get snappy and irritable. Hmmm... maybe I need help...

I've done a bit of research on the effects of exercise on psychological health. Seems exercise does cause the brain to produce certain chemicals that give a feeling of well-being.

As with 'external' chemical stimulation, the brain goes into withdrawal after a couple of days or so.

The research I've been following has yet to prove it's results but I know in my case the findings seem to hold. I get very 'grey' on non-exercise days, I'd say that your feedback reinforces my belief and their findings.

There has to be something in the 'psychological training' point?

WE ARE ALL CRAZY .

roses are red ,
violets are blue ,
I´m schizophenic ,
and so am I .

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by el Inglés
WE ARE ALL CRAZY .

Erm.. that's for sure 🙂