No matter where you go, there you are. (Buckaroo Banzai)

Last year we rode most of our bike miles by ourselves. This year we have been riding more with other people. Sometimes in groups, sometimes just a line of three or four of us pedaling down the road. What I have learned is this: many people are unaware that what they do and say during the ride determines their perceptions of the ride.

What does that mean? It means if you yell and complain about "stupid car drivers" and your mind focuses on that, that will be how you remember and experience the ride. Ditto about complaining about the weather or your sore butt or legs. Ditto about focusing on the mood or behavior of a fellow rider.

Consider how much better a ride seems, no matter the weather or the traffic or the length of the ride, when your mind flows with the rhythm of the ride. Scanning traffic, shifting gears, monitoring speed and exertion, shifting your weight as you turn and corner. Sometimes you and your riding companions can have a conversation. Sometimes you focus on the route, and sometimes you spot things you didn't notice on other rides down the same road.

You are a mirror. Chris Robinson, singer with the Black Crowes once said, “What I had to learn was, that I’m responsible for my perception of things.”

Good point.