Biking! Whats the fun in it?

This blog is mainly about two things: my love for biking and my journey (or shall I say struggle) to lose weight and and maintain it.

Today, I would like to focus on the fun that got me into biking and left me there to stay. After all, I don't think I could keep running at the Gym for much longer. If you're not really into running but you do it 3-4 times a week like i did, most likely you'll stop sooner than later. Unless off course you enjoy the treadmill torture, the boredom and the unattractive smells around.

I was lucky, thanks to Assi and the gang, I found biking, a sport that although can be super challenging, is it also full of enjoyment. Here's why:

Ladybugs at Purisima creek

Nature. Always loved it. The views,smells, the wildlife. I am lucky enough to live in northern CA where my bikes takes me to places I have never been to and would probably wouldn't get there on my own.
Such an awesome feeling seeing all those beautiful views and visiting all those amazing places that I can later go back to with my family.
Not to mention the little treasures you find while in nature. In one of the rides, near HWY 35, we stumbled upon a Bee guy that was selling local raw honey from his beehives. Another ride we got to a place where the trees were all covered with thousands of ladybugs. It seemed almost unreal.
There are many more little unique, nature related stories that I constantly come back home with (my lovely wife who has to listen to them every time I get back excited from a ride, can testify for that). I'll save some of them for future posts.

The Guys. It is always fun to ride with bunch of great people. There are the ones you already know and happy to see again and there are new ones you meet who share your love for the sport and the fun of it. You are not alone in places and situation you rather have guys around and you learn... you learn a lot! Most of what I know about biking today (and other stuff too but that's for a completely different blog I'm afraid) is thanks to those guys I've been riding with for the past year and half

Dani, Gil, Yishai, Alex and Assi, THE GANG!

The Exercise. Biking is a long aerobic exercise. My fitness keeps improving, my weight stays the same more or less (more when the lovely wife cooks like crazy and less when she's busy) and I can afford eating almost everything I want.
Mountain bikes are a great form of exercise because when you cycle, even slowly, you burn plenty of calories. It is a great way of toning muscles so whether you are trying to lose weight or simply tone up you are bound to be happy with the results.

The Challenge. Mountain biking can be hard. Some trails are easy and allow a more relaxed ride while others are intense with uneven terrain, lots of hills, and obstacles (trees, bushes, rocks, logs, etc.) It requires skills and focus, and it always keeps you alert. Since there are so many places to get to, I am constantly encouraged to improve and make it to the next challenging trail, climb or what have you. I'm the kinda guy who loves a good challenge and biking provides plenty of those :)

The Coffee. Every good story should end with a good cup of coffee, no? No doubt, the best thing after the ride and sometimes a good motivation to go on with rider, especially in wet conditions is the hot latte or cappuccino that is waiting for you in the finish line. Yes, a bunch of us coffee lovers manged to arrange some wonderful rides that just happen to end right at the door of a good coffee place. I believe we deserve it ;).



Biking all around. Biking just brings a lot of interest into my life. I love looking at bikes, talking with other bikers, planning the next trail I'll do, buying accessories for my bikes (this one is not as loved by my bank account though). It's hard to explain, but at the end of the day, for bike freaks like me it's more than just a sport. It's the feeling you get where in the middle of your life (or close to it) you find a new love that does not necessarily gets you in trouble with your wife. how cool is that?! (Stay tuned for the story about my new mountain bikes)

At some point I got into road biking as well. I believe that's a whole different experience and I will tell you about it in my next posts. In the meantime, enjoy the images...


and another one....

Alex in Russian Ridge