#39 - Where to go next?
Above and beyond would be the most philosophical answer to the question the title suggests. And in a way that is my goal of course. I started out at level 0 and if I take kilometers as levels, I could say I’m at level 200 already. At least for single day rides. But that would paint a simplified picture,.That would leave some struggles I still have for granted. Unnoticed maybe even. And unsolved for sure.
There’s more than one way to look at the future. More than one goal I could try and achieve. The first one is making my rides a daily routine. More or less at least. And that’s something where motivation plays a role. I could imagine that when I would live in a dryer climate, I wouldn’t be held back by the weather as much as I feel now. With on average between 140 and 150 days with at least rain somewhere in the country, I don’t feel the climate motivates us too much for an impromptu ride. Of course, some of that rain falls overnight, and sometimes it’s just a short shower, maybe even on the other side of the country, but still. The South of France sounds amazing to live as a cyclist when it comes to the weather.
BATTLING THE ELEMENTS
Changing weather conditions will always offer a challenge or demand for a change in plans. That sometimes makes planning ahead difficult and it can be a real factor in long distance riding. It often calls for a last minute decision and that doesn’t always motivate me to go when I can.
And then there’s the sort of rides I would like to make. Over the past half year, I have been exploring my extended area quite well. I’ve ridden short trips, and multiday travels. Sometimes I stayed on the paved sections of the node-to-node network, while on other occasions I specifically looked for the most rugged terrain I could find. To that extend that I even tipped over the trike when I beached it taking a small crater in a forestry road. Riding a pure touring beast of a trike, I’d say it may not be build for such demanding terrain. AZUB has a great solution for that kind of rides in their TiFly X. A big wheeled beast of a recumbent trike with titanium leaf springs and even a powerful electro motor if you so choose. I opted for the more basic TriCon 26 and I didn’t take any electrical assistance. I felt - and still feel - that for me it’s important to reach my goals purely on my own merit. No help. No support. Just me, battling wind, hills, rollingresistance or exhaustion. And while this strategy most definitely has thrown me the odd curveball already, it also confirmed my feeling I would benefit from it in the end.
My style of riding has always been the same. As a youngster, I rode half the country on my dad’s old racing bike, and I’ve always been a kilometer beast. In that aspect, I always was what we call a “Barroudeur” in Belgium. Someone who rides on power more then on technique. Brute force if all else fails. Back in those days, I could push a small to medium sized car away by stretching my legs. Over the years that force has diminished slightly for two reasons. First of all, you will understand I’m not an 18 year old boy any more. But most importanty, I learned to listen to my body, instead of noticing the signals and choosing to ignore them. Taking those signals in to account makes that I can do what I do today. It may take a little longer to rebuild what once was, but I’ll get there safe and in good health.
While it’s clear to me that my motivation comes in no small part from milestones I reach, the question remains on how to reach those milestones. At the moment, I have the freedom to work out any time I feel like it. But in the future, I’m sure that won’t be the case. But that’s a whole different story. And part of it, will come down to planning and new priorities. A change in lifestyle has brought me where I stand today and I don’t see why further change wouldn’t be possible.
While the drug of the milestone can be taken pretty literally, if only for the sudden release of endorfines, it also has a longer lasting effect. Looking back, it shows the progress I made since I started riding again. Whether it’s a distance, weight loss or muscles gained. Whether it’s a place visited or a number of days I went for a ride in one steak. All those milestones tell me i’m in a much better place health wise then where I was in Januari. That’s why I would love riding to be a substantial part of my life, no matter what my life will look like in the future.
No matter what shape or form the riding will take in the future, adventure should be part of it. The adventure of just watching seasons change the surroundings on my local rides. But also the adventure of riding beyond my achievements. Going on long roadtrips. Building my gear myself, or at least parts of it. Meeting people along the way and if possible, motivating them to reach their personal goals in a way that fits them. I’m just dreaming out loud now of course. In the first place, I ride for myself. My health. My pleasure. I ride because I want to ride.
DREAMING AS BIG AS MY LEGS WILL ALLOW ME TO
Part of a possible future, is riding completely self-supported. Pulling around everything I need. Just to survive, or possibly live in some basic comfort for a while.
Photocredit: Le Nomade du Futur
As things look now, my riding will keep evolving for a while. Maybe it will keep evolving with the years to come and the adaptations I will be forced to make because of experience or age for example. But it seems certain to me now, that goals will always remain part of my motivation. Riding may become part of my daily transport more and more where possible, but I feel striving to reach goals will remain an important part of my continued riding. Failing will be part of that of course. But wins will be as well. As things stand today, I feel my riding will become more and more a story of power. Both mental and physical.
I’m dreaming up new goals continuously and I’m even doing feasibility research for some builds in the vicinity of my riding my trike. And none of those dreams and projects are small.
While just months ago, I was unsure I could ride 100 km in a single day, or ride for days on end, Today I’m dreaming of crossing entire countries and pulling my home away from home behind the trike. Maybe you read about that particular dream in my previous post. To what extend those dreams will come trough remains to be seen. But for now, I would very much like them to be at least part of my cycling future.
