If you’ve been following our Jaguar ‘Why I Ride’ competition you’ll have seen the diverse and fascinating stories that people have to tell about what inspires their passion for cycling. Whether it’s for the simple pleasure of the ride, or something more profound, we’re all bound by this common indulgence.
Removing the chainring first requires removing the plug inside the Torx nut for the chainring hole behind the crankarm. Photo: Lennard Zinn | VeloNews.com
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If you’ve been following our Jaguar ‘Why I Ride’ competition you’ll have seen the diverse and fascinating stories that people have to tell about what inspires their passion for cycling. Whether it’s for the simple pleasure of the ride, or something more profound, we’re all bound by this common indulgence.
We were overwhelmed with the entries we received and the level of detail you went into when sharing your stories with us. Sadly we could only select six winners to attend the luxury cycling weekend in the Cathedral Ranges, Victoria along with WorldTour guest, Chris ‘CJ’ Sutton of Team Sky. Make sure you head to the competition page to see the full gallery of all the entries.
Here are the six winners and one judges pick that was too good to pass up.
Winner 1:
“I ride because it keeps me sane. Because when the heart rate increases and the only sounds are the wind in my ears and the buzz of the tarmac beneath my wheels nothing else matters. Bills, deadlines and quarrels become insignificant. Problems that seemed insurmountable before become trivial. Nothing in the world matters more than chasing that white line towards the horizon. And in that moment of focus, there’s a clarity that helps to reshape everything. By the time I roll back to where I began everything makes sense, and the world is right again. #jaguarcycling” – Leemo
Winner 2:
“What motivates me to ride? To experience a life I otherwise wouldn’t; roads and suburbs that would not have been explored, friendships which would not have formed, kgs which would have remained, a comfort zone which would not have been routinely challenged and life stresses that would have burdened. That being said, I probably would still have worn the same amount of pink, eaten two breakfasts and blunted my wife’s shaving razors…. ?? #jaguarcycling” – Dustin
Winner 3:
“To explore new places and cultures in the non-confrontational way that only a bike allows. People the world over ‘get’ bikes. It’s a leveller.” – Matt
Winner 4:
“Wobbly legs, fingers stinging from the cold, my heart beating through my chest, snot (everywhere), cool air filling my lungs; me, my bike and the climb… And then, when our reps are done, we gather in silence (too breathless to speak) as the sun starts to rise, in a quiet suburban street. There’s just enough energy left to snap a cheeky selfie. All this before thousands of people have woken up. They’ve got no idea what they’re missing… #JaguarCycling #whyiride” – Bridge
Winner 5:
“When I was a kid, getting a bike was the best present I ever got. It opened up a whole new world to explore with the freedom of not being strapped in the car. On a bike I was able to push the boundaries, riding further and faster, jumping higher and skidding longer. Weekends back then were all about hanging out with all my mates on their bikes where the days would turn into epic rides to places we’d never been.Many years later the reasons I ride haven’t changed much, it’s still all about getting away from it all with mates on bikes, riding the roads less ridden, pushing my limits and laying down a sweet skid every now and then. Plus it’s now also about passing on my love of riding to my kids, letting them explore the world under their own power, getting to a fork in the path and deciding which direction looks the most interesting. #JaguarCycling #whyiride” – Craig
Winner 6:
“I ride to catch up with my mates, get outdoors, spend some quality time in the sun, go new places and take lots of pics of my bike” – Charli
Judges pick:
“Why do I ride? I have riden a bike for about 30 years so the answer to that question has changed. At first it was because my mates all rode bikes to get around as a teenager. Then it was to train for a triathlon. Riding a bike was fun. So then it was to train and race road races. This was it, racing a bike was great fun. You could inflict pain onto your friends when you were fit or suffer like a dog if you weren’t. Even have a win here and there if you were lucky. You had to get up early to train in the dark before work, but we all did it so that was ok. Racing gave you that nervous excited feeling that was good and bad. Balancing family, work and cycling sometimes meant that cycling took a back seat but never forgotten. Recently I was stuck in this hospital bed diagnosed with cancer. Cancer took away my cycling for about 6 months. But it wasn’t going to win that battle. From that bed I remember looking out the window one Saturday morning, it was sunny but still early. I could see guys riding down St Kilda road heading off on their rides. I was gutted. Now, a bit of cold, bit of rain, bit of wind, no drama it’s better than being in that bed. So now I ride again. I suppose the real reason why I ride a bike is because, I LOVE IT and I CAN!” – Peter
[ct_highlight_box_start]Head over to Jaguar Cycling competition page to see the a full gallery of all the entries.[ct_highlight_box_end]
