Rouleur Magazine – Issue 116: The Mind Issue

Cycling culture for cultured cyclists

The finest cycling journal in the world, published eight times a year. Each issue is classic and collectable, bringing together the very best cycling writers and photographers to convey the essence, passion and beauty of road racing.

The Mind Issue

Cycling is always seen as a physical activity, but it is inextricably linked to the mind. The difference in bike races, unlike in running or swimming events, is often made by strategic and tactical superiority and good decision-making. The strongest runner always wins a marathon; in a bike race, a clever rider can always beat a stronger rival. The act of cycling itself broadens the mind, because it mostly takes place out there in the real world - it forces us to learn about geography, politics, culture, meteorology and more. It takes us to new places. And bike riding time is excellent reflection time. New ideas come to us when we lose ourselves in pedalling; or sometimes cycling helps us to stop thinking. There’s nothing like a long ride to quieten the noise of overthinking.

We’ve explored the relationship between cycling and the mind in this edition of Rouleur. Cycling is a physical activity, but even more than that, it is a cerebral activity. Of course, there is a certain zen charm in reducing cycling to its physical processes: pedalling, breathing, steering… But all of this physical activity is hugely enriched and made more meaningful by how it relates to what goes on inside our heads.

Language: English