I’ve been connecting with so many cyclists around the globe since I started my Instagram account in late 2020. A couple of years ago, I started realizing that a lot of you came from, surrounded by, or stimulated by the racing side of cycling. It’s not at all surprising. After all, cycling is a sport, among other things.
Some of you probably trained hard since childhood. Some of you who discovered the world of “serious cycling” later in life (like me), probably got into the performance-focused side of cycling and then competed or participated in events. Perhaps to challenge yourself.
One of my friends who spent most of his childhood training at a velodrome and raced around the world said to me a couple of months ago that he’s fascinated whenever he meets people who didn’t come from a similar cycling background as him. I was invested in that topic since I fit into the demographic. As I suspected, he (and some people) asked me about my future participation in ultra-cycling events such as Bentang Jawa or any Audax. I never said yes or no. I then noticed that that question keeps coming up because participating in such events is a matter of “when” instead of “will you”.
I take it as a compliment because some people assume that I’m qualified to enter that realm of intense physical and mental challenges.
For years, I noticed how things like indoor cycling, watching the Tour de France, power meter, heart rate monitor, FTP, to name a few —are a part of the world of cycling, a lot of my friends use/do them, and I can’t relate to a lot of them. I have never watched Tour de France, not even a minute of it. When people mention Cavendish, my mind immediately goes to a type of banana first instead of the dude who holds the record for most stage wins at the TdF.
Any form of cycling competition isn’t in my DNA. I've never looked at people who make the podium and thought to myself: "Someday, that'll be me". Instead, I'm often happy to see people triumph when they achieve something because of their hard work and training.
For me, cycling is merely a form of transportation and I see it as a ticket to enjoy life. Surely, if you want to tackle more and more distance, you have to be a better cyclist. This was the kind of question that popped up when I opened a Q&A on the Wheels to Waves account during the 600-kilometer ride around Lombok: “How to build stamina for this trip?”. I turned to my friends to answer this question properly and we simultaneously agreed that the best way is to “just ride your damn bike”.
I like making stops when necessary. Stopping when your body’s asking for it is an obvious one. But stopping when the view hits the spot, especially when I’m exploring a new territory is equally essential.
I like taking photos. I’m not even comfortable calling myself a photographer, but I’m fascinated by photography and I think it’s an amazing medium to tell stories. I like to breathe the air just for the sake of smelling the flowers. With that, I sometimes have to sacrifice certain amounts of riding time. Some people don’t like that and I understand why.
Yet I like riding with ultra-cyclists because it often humbles and challenges me. I didn't feel pressured because I knew that not all of us were equal. When it comes to cycling, I don’t suffer from an inferiority complex and I don’t think I ever will because it’s silly. Some people are faster maybe because they train harder, some people have the advantage of using the most advanced tech because they can afford it; so be it. None of that matters as long as you can connect with your riding partners.
In my experience, finding a perfect riding crew is like forming a band —the drummer can be a jazz connoisseur, the guitarist can be a metalhead, the bassist can be a classical music expert; everyone can be into different genres yet when there's openness involved, sooner or later, the band will sync and find its rhythm. The differences can even spark something new that's never been done or heard before; we witnessed such phenomenon throughout history.
As for the possibility of me participating in any kind of cycling event, short or long distance, I guess it has to be a gravel one. Nothing is on the horizon yet, but I’m very open to getting involved in the future. And honestly? I think I’ll enjoy it too.