Why cycling makes you closer friends

If you ride with a best friend or significant other, you certainly know how the sport has made you much closer. From the endurance ride chats to pushing each other’s limits and the tough-love approach on a bailing bud, cycling is the recipe for a tight bond. Plenty of cyclists have a story of how riding has led to life-long friendship. Here’s why:

1. Your rides are too long for small talk

Sure, you’ll agree to start riding with someone you don’t know very well. Small talk won’t fill the hours you are riding together though. If you ride together, the too-polite conversation doesn’t last too long and then you’re swapping stories on family, dating, embarrassing moments and frustrations from the week.

2. Riding just makes opening up easier

Even if you’re a cards-close-to-the-chest kind of person, as the endorphins of riding get flowing, you loosen up. Whatever is on your mind comes out. After a half an hour on the bike, the tight-lipped cyclists will start opening up and before too long a friendship is made.

3. Your rituals become sacred

It wouldn’t be a complete day in the saddle without that favourite coffee stop where you’ll refuel and enjoy a moment off the bike. Neither of you would dare change it.

4. Cycling friends get really comfortable really fast

Cycling friends have seen it all. You change sweaty kit in front of each other, you pee in forests together, and you know all of each other’s embarassing habits. There’s no judgement with your riding friends.

5. That amazing feeling you get riding on the open road gets associated your their pal

Few things in life are more enjoyable than pedalling through the countryside on a beautiful day. You get into a rhythm. The feeling is incredible. You can give credit to exercise for that happy feeling but since you’re always in high spirits around each other, the relationship stays a positive one.

6. You see each other at your worst

Bonked and craving a whole assortment of gluttonous foods, impatient to get home, sweaty and complaining about your fitness, cycling friends have seen each other at their worst. You like each other anyway. That’s real friendship.

7. Cycling turns into travel

You start by picking your fitness up so you can ride 100 km. That turns into signing up for a local event. After that, you find yourselves planning a road trip to a bigger event or you decide to plan a cycling vacation in a dream destination together.

8. No one else will nerd out about cycling with you

Your other friends don’t care you’ve increased your FTP by 5 watts. They don’t understand when you talk about your new deep dish carbon wheels and they still don’t understand why you spend so much time on the weekend riding. Your cycling partners are fascinated. This is why you’re friends.

9. Your cycling friends hold you accountable

You’re other friends are impressed when you tell them you ran rode 30 km. Your running friends call you out on being lazy.

10. You have someone to share indulgences with afterwards

It’s always fun to go out for beer, pizza or poutine with the regular crowd. But when you do it with the person you just rode all day with, both of you can revel in having put in the work for the day and consume the junk food mostly guilt-free.