Long-distance cycling, what do I get from them?

Having done a couple of long-distance cycling trips, while telling my family and friends about it, I often get asked about this. Why did you do it? Why torture yourself for hours in scorching sun, rain, wind etc. Not to mention the body pain the long ride hours leave you with.

I remember my recent Audax 400 KM around Bali Island, which one third of the journey I was all alone in the middle of the night. I crossed check-point 6 at kilometer 300 pass midnight, alone, and suddenly I felt I was experiencing something new.  I was the only one on the entire road, who’s crazy enough to ride through the forest on a chilling night? I felt total isolation. All I could hear was the sound of my bike.  All I could see was a few meters of the road ahead.  No vehicles, no people, no more city-noises. I felt some kind of happiness in my soul. Solitude and freedom. Yes, that was it. That is why I do the long-distance cycling.

Last weekend I went on a 600 KM trip, from Yogyakarta to Madiun and back to Yogyakarta again with 5 good friends who have done much longer trips before and been cycling everywhere.  As the only amateur in the trip, I think I was the one who suffered more.  I was super exhausted, sleep deprived and mentally exhausted but I remember the gorgeous yellow sky somewhere near Magelang as the sun slowly came up eating up all the darkness. I remember swaying and overtaking one truck after another while shifting my gear. I remember the butt pain whenever I stopped my bike to take a break. Most importantly I remember being in motion; the purpose of life.

As some wise man said that it is not about the destination, it is about the journey taken. It’s an experience. It’s about having a memorable trip with your good friends and enjoying the peace and calm the road provides.

There’s nothing like the feeling of wind passing you by on a gentle cool day when you’re cycling in a forest which stretches as far as your eyes can see. It brings things into perspective.  That work which you have to do so urgently on Monday doesn’t seem very important now.  You live in the moment.

So, for me, long-distance cycling is equivalent to meditation and it liberates you and it makes you humbler because you know it takes a lot of pain to do something amazing. I don’t know if this helps those who question understand, I don’t even know if this makes sense.  All I know is that you should try it once. You might fall in love with it, or you might hate it. But if you don’t try, how will you know?

Need I say more?

PS: Mas Bob, Mas Yayak, Mas Agus, Mas Salman, Oom Jaya and Nick, thank you!!!