Eric, this is (for me) simultaneously accurate and inspirational. Reflecting back on accomplishments in any sphere, achieved in the face of real difficulty, is one of the great satisfactions of life. Thanks for summing it up so well.
And, +1 for Bill's comment. "Gearly." That, I suppose, makes your PBP 2011 a "gearly-man" ride? From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Eric Norris Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 7:32 PM To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Cc: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: [RBW] Why all the miles? I have to believe that Manny was being facetious about "no buddy" (or "nobody") liking randonneuring. I've been riding long distances for 30 years now (first double century was in 1983), and I know it's not true at all that nobody likes riding long distances. I, for one, like it. I've done many, many hard rides that were at times very unpleasant. Many times I've asked myself just what the heck I'm doing out here in the (pick one or more) rain, heat, cold, dark, or middle of nowhere. But at the end of the day, there is a tremendous sense of satisfaction (for me, and for many others, if not for everyone) to be had from overcoming the discomfort and reaching a difficult goal. PBP in 2007--in the rain, on a fixed gear--was the hardest ride I ever hope to do, but it's also one of my proudest accomplishments. And while finishing that event was bought at the price of a lot of discomfort and a lot of effort, it was totally worth it. Not everyone approaches cycling this way. There is much to be said for the fun of a 2-mile ride with your spouse or kids. But it's not accurate to say that "nobody" likes randonneuring or any other brand of ultra-distance riding. --Eric Norris PBP 2007 (fixed gear) PBP 2011 (gearly) Santa Rosa to Seattle (40-pound singlespeed) California to Kansas (fixed gear) www.CampyOnly.com<http://www.CampyOnly.com> CampyOnlyGuy.blogspot.com<http://CampyOnlyGuy.blogspot.com> Twitter: @CampyOnlyGuy On Dec 9, 2012, at 11:38 PM, Manuel Acosta <manueljohnaco...@hotmail.com<mailto:manueljohnaco...@hotmail.com>> wrote: Got to tag along with some SF Randonndeurs, Ely from Ruth Bags, Ray from Mission Bags and David on their Jittery Jaunt 200k Permanent that took us to the small town of Valley Ford. I'm not too fond of doing this much mileage but was pretty curious about exploring around the Petaluma area so I figured it would be good to explore with people that knew how to get around and answer that dying question, Why all the miles? Those randonneur guys, you would think that would enjoy riding all those miles, but the ugly truth is that they don't. Apparently no buddy does. So what's the big deal? Why would anyone want to put their body through that much suffering? I went along searching for this answer. And finally got it after a day of recovering. When you have been riding your bike for the whole day and your whole body is telling you this is a stupid idea. The only thing that pushes you along, sometimes literary, is the other stupid people that is suffering with you. You learn a lot about yourself and others when you're cramping and riding up a steep grade in the middle of the night and the only thing that pushes you on is that there are other people waiting for you with more food. That sense of finishing something you set your mind to and doing it in the company of great people and amazing scenery with plenty of food breaks makes the whole experience a little less painful. Pictures prove that miles really don't matter but riding with amazingly supportive and friendly people do: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjD9oML9 -Manny "Oh the wonderful healing properties of snickers." Acosta -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/341QWFBPejAJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com<mailto:rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com>. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com<mailto:rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com>. 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