Why would I do it?
As a cycling enthusiast with my YouTube algorithm tuned into all kinds of cycling, I regularly get served documentaries and vlogs of people doing some pretty crazy ultra distance events. I was thinking for myself, what if I did something like that? What would be appealing about it? There are four things that came to mind.
To push my limits – I’ve never spent more than a several hours on a bike at a time. What would it be like to ride literally all day, and do that several days in a row?
For the adventure – I like venturing out into the unknown as testing my abilities and preparation. I like to improvise and it feels like there would be plenty of that on the way.
To feel free – I really enjoy camping and the sense of self-reliance and freedom it gives. I would be enhanced by the ability to cover a lot of distance.
For the sense of accomplishment – I know that overcoming challenges and hard things always gave me more confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Doing a multi-day adventure on a bike would certainly accomplish that.
Over time, I collected a lot of interesting reasons for why professional riders and regular people with regular jobs do it. I will share some of my favorites here and you can compare them with mine or yours.
The joy of being outside
“We push our limits. There is discomfort and sometimes pain. But the end goal is not to suffer. Most of the time there is joy, there is pleasure. These adventures can’t be reduced to the suffering. What we seek and what we find is the joy of being outside. The pride of achieving the seemingly unachievable.” – Sofiane Sehili (@sofianeshl)
Not knowing what’s around the corner
“It’s about being outside, seeing real places, not knowing what’s around the next corner. As soon as I wake up, I want to get outside and be on my bike; that’s an incredible feeling. It serves so many functions in my life; fitness, fun, transportation, competition, travel.” – Lael Wilcox (@laelwilcox) in an Interview for the Expedition Portal.
It simplifies your life
“I love being out there on the road on my own with the one objective being to keep riding. It’s a way of simplifying your life for the period of time you’re in the race. It brings out the best in you.” – Emily Chappell (@emilyofchappell) for the Outside Magazine.
Relying on yourself
“It’s just me solving of all the problems and also coping with all the mental difficulties. Whether you reach the finish or not, and in what condition depends entirely on you. I really like to arrive knowing I did all of this by myself.” – Jana Kesenheimer (@jananas.banjana)
You can be a hero
“I race to challenge myself. I learn the most about myself out on the road. You can be a normal person and live a normal life, but for two weeks you get to live the extraordinary. You can be a hero. You suffer. You ride. Then, when you come back to ordinary life, you become mentally stronger and tougher in handling the day-to-day problems because you know you can face any difficulties and surpass them.” – Steffen Streich (@steffen_streich) for the Outside Magazine.
The low moments
“Initially, I would have very high highs and very low lows. In the lows, I would get myself worked up, question why I was there. The big lightbulb moment for me was realizing that’s what you’re there for. If you don’t want to have a bad moment, don’t go and ride your bike for 24 hours.” – Lachlan Morton (@lachlanmorton) for The Sunday Times.
