We have asked our Muckers teammates what cycling means to them and why they are doing about it. So here is his story.

What I like about outdoor cycling.

From the moment I could ride without side wheels, I’ve been in love with riding my bike. The speed you can make, only using your own power, is great. Unless I forget something, there is nothing else you can use to go faster with on a flat surface by using only your own power than with a bike. It’s an engineering marvel. It’s freedom, it cost you nothing and you can cover nice distances. It’s quiet, it’s relaxing, meditating and healthy. I love it.

What I like about bike racing.

I’m competitive, I like sports and reaching my limits. Combined with the love of cycling, makes me a cycling race fan. To watch and to do.

What I like about indoor cycling.

I can do it in all weather conditions, and in winter when it’s dark and cold outside. I can do it in less than an hour, what makes is practical. I can train better by pacing myself or do a heart rate zone 4 training session or go as fast as I can. All much harder on the road. It’s safe. I’m close to my family, I’m not “away”. I can do it while my son is in bed, and my wife is not at home. I can compare my results with previous rides. This all means I ride more often, all winter long, and maintain a good fitness. As a result, I get sick less than I used to.

What I like about Rouvy.

The reason I chose Rouvy is because me and my wife could do it in one account. I also like the idea of riding “real” existing roads, both seeing and “feeling” the road as it is.

What I like about the Mucker races.

I like racing, but it’s not easy to start in races outdoor. It’s expensive, very high level and takes a lot of organizing just to start. Indoor, it’s just one click and you find a race you can start, with racers of varied level. With the Mucker races, they are predictable, so I can have my fixed race nights. There are several people at my level who I can compete with. They follow challenges routes. And I get to know the racers, so I can adjust my in race tactics based on who does what. A much better rider attacks alone? Don’t follow, you can’t stay with him for long. A better sprinter is 15m behind on a hill? Let’s push a little harder so he get’s left behind. I live for these things.

What I like about the Muckers community.

We are all so nice and supportive people. We motivate each other. It’s fun to get to get to know the people behind the avatars, and it makes the avatars more human. It’s not a computer game, it are all humans with there own backstory I race against. Makes it more real. And I like to talk about the races, before and afterwards, with people who did the races. We chat about the tactics, the opponents and who performed exceptionally well.
I like that these are people from all over the world, so many different countries, and yet so alike. Makes you realize that borders are just lines on a map. And so we call ourselves Muckers Worldwide.

I am very happy to be part of this “team”. So thanks Neil, Kyle and all other Muckers for making a fun thing even more fun!

Andy_UP