Science confirms what many of us know – cycling is good for you. It helps you lose weight and makes you fitter. When you ride, you get a spike in neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin that helps you relieve stress and improve your mood. But it turns out, cycling can also be addictive.
The line between dedication and addiction can be ultra-fine. While we agree that cycling is good for you, it can quickly turn into negative when addiction is concerned.
How do you know your cycling habit has become an addiction? Here are 8 signs you are addicted to cycling.
You feel sad when you don’t ride your bike
Cycling is your happy place. Just like any other physical exercise, cycling makes you feel more awake, more content, and happier. It gives your body and mind an extra energy boost. Plus, it helps reduce your stress levels.
You know you’re addicted when you feel sad, frustrated, irritated or anxious when you’re unable to ride your bike for whatever reason. Also, you look forward to your next biking session even before finishing the current one.
The local bike staff knows your name
You spend more money on cycling parts and accessories than the everyday things you actually need. In fact, most of your weekends are spent on a local bike shop. You frequent the bike shop that the staff already knows your name. He already knows what you need and has it ready for you.
Your holiday involves cycling
You see vacation as an opportunity to get away on your bike. While everyone is busy researching for things to do and local foods to try, you’re counting the cost of taking your bike overseas. You have already researched the best bike destinations and you’re eager to start a new bike adventure.
You no longer go out on Saturday nights
Before you took on cycling, you go out and drink heavily on Friday and Saturday nights. Since you learned about the effect alcohol has on your riding performance, you try to avoid it as much as possible.
Now, improving your cycling performance is your number one priority. You no longer go out on Saturday nights because you want to be as prepared as possible for Sunday morning ride with your buddies.
Cycling, bike components, tubes, and wheels are your favorite topic of conversation
When chatting with your friends and colleagues, all you talk about is your cycling habit, bike, and bike parts. You have no problem talking about them for hours. You even brag about how many more kilometers you must cover to reach 10,000 kilometers.
Your legs are smoother than Ru Paul’s
Male cyclists have always been teased by their non-cycling friends for keeping their legs hair-free.
As an avid cyclist, you know it’s not just about vanity. Having shaved legs is part of the cycling culture. With no hair on your legs, you feel like you’re a part of the cycling community. Since cyclists are prone to crashes and accidents, shaved legs are actually an advantage. They are easier to dress and bandage. Plus, it helps speed up healing of road rash. Most importantly, shaved legs are more aerodynamic; hence, providing you with a killer performance increase.
It doesn’t matter what other people think. What matters is that it helps improve your cycling performance and you’re proud to be a part of the cycling community.
You have razor sharp tan lines
Race-fit Lycra creates some of the most well-defined borders between melanin-deprived skin and sun-kissed skin. You know you are addicted to cycling when you have razor sharp tan lines that are not only limited to your upper arms and quads. The real giveaways are the tan lines burned into your skin from helmet straps.
You own a few bikes
You just bought your fourth bike and you stopped even trying to explain to your partner why you need a new one.
You know you’re addicted to cycling when one of your bike is even worth more than your car. When asked how much you spent on your bike, you tell your partner it costs $2,000 less than it actually did. Despite your wife’s protest, your bike has a place of honor inside your home.
Your Facebook cover includes your bike or your favorite bike spot
You absolutely love your bike. Your phone is filled with photos of trails, mountains, fields, etc. Cycling makes you happy and you want to share this with everyone else.
You don’t mind cycling in winter
Your bike has more miles than your car’s odometer. You ride the bike to work every morning. Your ride with your buddies during the weekend. You even go out on your bike during the winter months.
Nothing can stop you from riding your bike, not even the subzero temperatures or the icy roads. You have no intentions of hanging your bike during the winter months. You bundle up and have a blast in the snow.
Your family and friends tease you about your obsessive cycling habit
More often than not, cyclists do not even realize that they are addicted to the sport, until their family and friends begins to make noise about it. If your spouse or any of your friends are teasing you about being addicted to cycling, then you probably are.