Where Do YOU Like to Ride?

• Posted on 20 February 2023
• By KW
• 1

As we get ready for the spring and summer cycling season here at the shop, we are getting projects done around the building - some painting, lots of dusting, computer updates, and all kinds of fun things.  And these fun things, being somewhat... tedious... allow time for thinking about other things.  Like riding OUTSIDE.  In the travels I took in my mind, I got to wondering about where everyone likes to ride, which led me to start thinking about my personal riding preferences.

Those who know me know that I am a dedicated roadie, and that I have been for over 30 years.  It's still true.  Sure, I own and (sometimes) ride a mountain bike and a fat bike, but set me on my road bike or gravel rig and I am happy all day long.  (Literally - my 24-Hour Challenge PR is 240 miles.)

What is it about the roads - paved or not - that attracts me?  The more I think about it, the more it boils down to something akin to self-preservation, though indeed my most serious injury was on the road and I did get hit by a car once (these are unrelated).  But from the perspective of the road, there are no trees.  No roots.  No stumps, no rocks, no skinnys, no bridges.  Just the road.

And you can SEE things on the road!  Fields, rolling hills, farmyards...  Where will the road take you today?  My favorite routes, since I live on the south side of Holland, usually include Allegan County roads.  There are nice wide, paved shoulders, and the roads are mostly very smooth.  The convenience of the layout is helpful, of course, with the entire county basically laid out in half-mile grids.  I also find that the drivers are mostly friendly and patient, and I am seldom honked at (and do not remember ever having someone yell at me from their car).

I will not use this space to disparage or discount other modes of cycling.  I also enjoy a good MTB jaunt (I've done Iceman several times), and once I rode across the channel at the State Park on a frozen February afternoon.  I also commute to the shop by bicycle frequently in the summer.  But to me there is nothing like setting out for a good, long stretch of asphalt (gravel is in second place for sure) and enjoying my day.

What is your favorite mode of cycling?  Let us know in the comments!