Does Riding Make You Happy, Or Does Being Good At Riding Make You Happ

[Matt Vandart]

"Does riding make you happy, or does being good at riding make you happy?"

I spotted that in that mental vid thread and thought that is a very good question so I made a poll.

I thought of putting it in chit chat or the bike forum but decided as its a trials forum and I am talking about trials biking I would put it here.

I added another question just to see a possible co-relation between different styles of trial riding.

Feel free to discuss but please don't argue pointlessly

My answer is riding makes me happy.

Edited October 14, 2011 by Matt Vandart

[WIGAN ??]

the actual act of riding, no

but being around my mates having a good atmosphere and having a good laugh while riding, yes

i find it quite boring on my own

Edited October 14, 2011 by WIGAN ??

[dann2707]

DEffo a bit of both. Like last night, was out with just 4 of us. I have no brakes so im shite and was just enjoying riding about doing not alot but loved every min of just being out with friends, watching and chatting.

But on the other hand when you do a gap or sidehop you have been trying for ages you just want to jump around with glee. so happy.

[Wingerz]

Doing something thats good for my standard of riding does and riding with mates.

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

Definitely a bit of both. I started riding because it was fun, challenging, something different and something to do. After a couple of years of riding by myself (being the only person within a 30 mile radius who actually rode trials) I met some other riders and realised that I was actually pretty good. Once I had others to gauge my level on I still loved riding but also got pleasure in being able to do bigger and better stuff. I guess now I ride as much because it makes me happy as because I'm reasonably good and enjoy the feeling of getting things right. If I'd never progressed and was still hammering bashrings on 2 foot high walls I don't think I'd be getting the same enjoyment as knowing that I have progressed to where I am.

[Pete.M]

I enjoy being on a bike, but what makes me truly happy is when I see an improvement in my riding.

I'm not really sure what your second question is asking. I occasionally ride a bike with a seat.

[aener]

If you're trying to determine the answer "Street trials is all about the fun, and trials trials is more about trying to be better than others," or the vice versa, it won't work with this poll.

You have no way of determining if the people who answer "riding makes me happy" are the SAME people that answered "my bike has a seat".

If I've totally mis-read this and that's utterly unrelated to what you want to know, then just ignore me - that's just how I read it

Also gotta agree with Dan. I enjoy being out on the bike regardless, but get grumpy when I can't do stuff on one day that is normally easy. Doing something you know has raised my personal best is when I enjoy riding the most - but I still enjoy riding if I'm only doing 50% effort lines/moves.

[Andeee]

It makes me happy yes mainly the fact when me n the guys are just having a good time and a laugh with some banter aswell. Thats the main reason why i enjoy riding.

Go big or go home...

[WIGAN ??]

But on the other hand when you do a gap or sidehop you have been trying for ages you just want to jump around with glee. so happy.

yeah that is true i suppose

[Matt Vandart]

I don't think anything concrete can be determined from this poll, Aener, unless of course the result becomes massively balanced towards one or the other.

It is just a poll to see what the outcome of those questions is.

I would have liked to have added the bit about laughs with friends but I took that as a given, I see no other way it could be.

this decision was made to focus it more on the act of biking.

Edited October 14, 2011 by Matt Vandart

[Greetings]

Riding is more of an addiction to me so I feel unhappy if I don't ride for a longer period of time. When out on the bike I don't feel unusualy happy.

It's a different story up in the mountains. The obstacles are much more challenging in a way I like (not to go big but to be accurate and smooth) and this year a few factors like weather, people, a feeling of power and the perfect obstacles turned a few riding sessions into the most amount of fun I've had on my bike in many years. It was more of an "I appreciate the awesomeness of this moment" kind of happiness than smiling at everything around me.

Edited October 14, 2011 by Greetings

[Mark W]

I really hate the word "biking", but "the act of biking" does make me happy. Any sort of bike really, I just enjoy riding any of them. There was f**k all to do in the town I grew up in, literally nothing aimed at younger people. Riding a bike was the only sort of escapism I had, so I think because of that I just still really enjoying being on even something as apparently boring as a road bike just pedalling around. Riding my 24 is still the prefered option just because it adds a lot more dimensions to it all (just cranking around from place to place doing skids, tyre slides, hopping up curbs and stuff is awesome), but yeah, any bike does it for me really. I do get times where I get annoyed with it, but that's mainly due to me just having a bad day riding. I think that's sort of natural though in that whatever you do you'll have good points and bad points. If that bad starts outweighing the good then that'd be the time to reconsider things, but at the moment riding bikes wins.

EDIT: I think that's what made me get bored of riding TGS back in the day - it just felt so frustrating not being able to really ride a TGSy mod because of the gear ratio and massive tyres. The actual 'serious' side of it was still alright, but not being able to cruise around was dick.

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

It makes me happy yes mainly the fact when me n the guys are just having a good time and a laugh with some banter aswell. Thats the main reason why i enjoy riding.

Go big or go home...

Without wanting to start an argument (honest!) those lines seem to totally contradict one another.

[Matt Vandart]

Yes, for me it is about the act of riding bikes, any type of bike will do pretty much, but not really a road bike, but that is more of a comfort issue, bombing down hills is ace.

[Mark W]

Yes, for me it is about the act of riding bikes, any type of bike will do pretty much, but not really a road bike, but that is more of a comfort issue, bombing down hills is ace.

If you get a decent one they don't have to be that bad. When Ali was borrowing my road bike and I rode his fixie while he was recuperating it was awesome - his fixie's got a pretty relaxed riding position and has some nicely swept back risers and it was so good to just ride around on. Went to go and check out spots along the sea front on it a few times (and just rode it too) and it was really, really good. I do sort of like the feeling of riding fixies too, although I dislike the connotations of riding one

[Matt Vandart]

These connotations?

[Mark W]

Pretty much. Fortunately I'm not really part of the Shoreditch scene so I should be able to avoid most of them...

[onzatrip]

Riding for me is just an escape it puts a massive smile on my face whenever whereever I am even if its playing on curbs alone or on a big ride, riding in its self has helped me with so much.

Also with the seat, wasnt sure weather to put yes or not as i have a Ashton.

[aener]

not being able to cruise around was dick.

100%

I was seriously eyeing up one of these:

And thinking to make the Marino vertical dropouts with fixed front cog, but:

1) Me and mech's have a bad history.

2) Two teeth difference wouldn't be enough to warrant the effort.

3) Lot of money for the experiment.

4) Heavy.

5) 36ep.

Shame. Been trying a lot of lines recently where the reason I can't make it is lack of speed.

[Mark W]

Depending on your gear ratio it wouldn't "only" be 36 clicks though if it's on the rear, but it wouldn't really make a huge difference. You could maybe try switching to a Profile or something and running a 10 or 11t driver, perhaps? If you're sticking with brakeless it sort of feels to me that you can almost get away with it being a little harder gear-wise as it seems like you have to ride your bike a lot differently.

[aener]

Depending on your gear ratio it wouldn't "only" be 36 clicks though if it's on the rear, but it wouldn't really make a huge difference. You could maybe try switching to a Profile or something and running a 10 or 11t driver, perhaps? If you're sticking with brakeless it sort of feels to me that you can almost get away with it being a little harder gear-wise as it seems like you have to ride your bike a lot differently.

Not with the TGS whore I am

It'd be 22:18, so it'd still only be 44. Also the option of 135mming it and ProII ahoy, but heeeeaaavy.

I'm on 18:13, and like to sidehop/gap up, so anything more is just unthinkable for me

Edit: That's not an option any more, 'cause I've already had it made 116. Heh. ONE WEEK OF HELL REMAINS.

Edited October 14, 2011 by aener

[Mark W]

18:13? Get some real legs It ain't a mod unless it's 18:12

22:18 would be super light too - substantially lighter than what you've got now. Your current 18:13 setup is equivalent to around 24:18, so yeah, 22:18 would be super easy to pedal.

Interesting that you run a gear that light though, always sort of assumed you'd have a reasonably hard gear ratio from seeing your riding.

[Revolver]

I enjoy the social aspect of riding.

I do like the sense of accomplishment of nailing something though, especially some cool line.

And I do get miserable when I can't do stuff. Spose it's a bit of both.

[aener]

22:18 would be super light too - substantially lighter than what you've got now.

Interesting that you run a gear that light though, always sort of assumed you'd have a reasonably hard gear ratio from seeing your riding.

Was thinking stocks... My bad! Heh.

I'm far too girly - need a light ratio.

Still - rather cheat my way through life on 18:13 than go to the gym to get the extra size Edit: power. Too many jokes than is healthy otherwise.

Edited October 14, 2011 by aener

[Mark W]

Haha, fair enough. Waaaay back in the day I had to use a 22:14 gear ratio to try out some stuff for Onza and I think from having to heft that b*****d around it meant that I just got used to using ratios like 18:12, so anything else feels really light. In fairness, for a higher BB frame that extra power doesn't really help much so if you're running something in the +70 and above range 18:13 should be reet...