Habit

Habit. We are creatures of habit. In some sense habit and route make our lives make sense. We understand our surroundings just a little better with these two things. If things do not go according to this route/habit, then our day seems off. Seems wrong.

What if you do not get your morning cup of coffee? And if you do get it, you have to stop somewhere or get it from somewhere else? Your morning may feel different. Ever forgot to brush your teeth in the morning?

We feel comfortable in our habits. Aristotle believed our ethical virtues arise from our habit. Who we are, ethical; is determined through our habits. Our habits are acquired by our own choosing. Our habits determine who we are. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” –Aristotle.

Want to change who you are? Change your habits. Change your route.

The problem with this…it gets us out of our comfort zone. The habits that we have acquired so far become comfortable to us. However; if we expect any change, we must change our habits. If we want to become anything else, then we must step outside of our comfort zone.

This applies to cycling as well. Want to be a better cyclist, then step outside your comfort zone. As we do this, we begin to push our limitations. Taking your cross bike onto a mtn bike trail. Your skills will increase exponentially after repeated habit. Without your mtn bike you do not have the luxury of wide tires or suspension to get you over/through rocky sections, roots, going down bumpy hills. If you take these luxuries away you are forced to think about the trail more. Think about the line. Think about how to get through a tricky section. Instead of just ‘jamming’ through it without thought. To just ‘float’ over the objects.

This goes the same for riding a single speed or fixed gear bike.

Know that hill that you always have trouble with, even with gears? Hit it with a single speed. See what happens. I’m sure the first few times will be horrible. They always are as we move outside of the comfort zone. But as you continue to ride on the single speed/fixed you will notice improvements in your overall general riding.

Now try this practice on a local mtn bike trail with a SSCX... ;)

What I have noticed from this practice, is that I started getting PR on some of the local Strava segments; either on my single speed or geared bikes.

Maybe in some way we understand the greater complexness of it all when we really take the time and understand the simplicity of it all…

And remember; who you are is determined by what you do…

Amithaba...

Mara

The mind itself is the realm of Mara.

Mara is the demon in Buddhism that tempted the Buddha with material things of this world to try and keep him from achieving enlightenment.  Mara personifies unwholesomeness. Death of the spirit.

In today’s cycling world there is a lot out there.  From 11 gears, lighter bits & parts, carbon this and that, suspension out the wazoo; and what does all of these do? It takes away from the spirit of the ride. By that I mean things are getting and have gotten a little too easy. They are presented to you on a nice silver platter, and you just enjoy.  Think you’re taking the ‘hard way’ and building up a bike from scratch? What groupo do you want? Slap it on there…done. Enjoy.

Have you recently taken a look at the mtn bike categories? So many different genres that I could make your head spin. Do you remember a time when you just picked up something with knobby tires, pointed down (or up) a hill and went? I do. We were happy back then to just be on a bike in the woods. Not worrying about this angle, or how many inches of travel we had. We just went.

Do I have enough gears? Mara. Do I have the right suspension set up? Mara. What about this wheel size thing? Mara. I would have cleared that spot better if I would have had…Mara!

Doubt. Temptation. Mara. You begin to doubt yourself and your own ability to ride a bike with any kind of confidence. Sorry your dad/mom isn’t holding your saddle anymore.

As we are able to reject Mara, we are able to reject the temptation and doubt that comes along with. 

If we ride a single speed we have no doubt. No temptation. All we have is one fucking gear. As we trudge up a hill, doubt may creep in about gear choice on that day (if we have the insanity to have such an option); but often those thoughts are quickly erased, and we have to focus on the task at hand…get up the fucking hill.

We find a gearing that is a well-rounded gearing for the riding that we will be doing most of the time, and the other time…well; we just deal with it. There is a piece called the “Tao of Single Speed”, and I will refer to it often in these pieces; in it, it states, “Accept difficulty willingly.”  This is a struggle with the single speed. It is often difficult; but we didn’t pick the single speed because it was easy, and no one said that riding your bike up and down a mountain was going to be easy.  But it sure is fun. This will teach us acceptance. Acceptance of the gearing. Acceptance of the terrain. Acceptance of the ride…itself.

Let go of the troubling mind & accept what is; not what could be.

Amitabha…