Why We Do What We Do

Bicycle touring isn’t always fun, but that’s kind of the point.

- Beth Puliti

Fun is a relative concept. What some-one finds enjoyable—say spending two weeks on a cruise ship—can cause someone else to run, bike over shoulder, for the hills. Likewise, a long term bike tour will have loads of people researching ports of call faster than you can say Royal Caribbean.

Two summers ago I was laboring my overloaded touring bike up a steep ascent in Croatia on a brutally hot day when a guy called out to me from his car, “This is fun?”

Nope, I thought. “Why do you do this?” he insisted. I opened my mouth to answer, but couldn’t find the words to articulate a response— especially to a person who so clearly couldn’t comprehend why someone would choose to “suffer” if they didn’t have to. I continued up the climb in silence.