i think cycling can be quite philosophical, many principles and ideas of philosophy can be seen in cycling, and i think mountain biking is a fantastic metaphor for religious beliefs as well.
mountian biking, be it in north carolina, california, arizona, or in japan, seems to follow a pattern: pedal up a steep ass hill for a really really really long time, possibly stopping to puke here and there, at top ride a super sweet wonderful trail that is beautiful and thrilling and fun, and swoop down the mountain climatically on a sweet fast and fun trail. and that, to me, smacks of religion.
many group rides are on a sunday, sort of like church. you must atone and suffer, painfully climbing up that steep and rocky hill, occasionally falling, each pedal stroke a prayer asking for mercy. there is sweat and blood, you are burdened with whatever you carry on your back. but you climb and climb, heavenward, because once you make it, it is heaven. at the top is redemption, you are reborn and given a reward. the trail is effortless, you laugh and are giddy, ecstatic. the view is spectacular. you must work hard to get to a good trail, and it seems the amount of work you put into it is directly proportional to the coolness of the trail. the really spectacular special and secret trails are well hidden and take lots lots of work to get to.
sure, there are fun trails that are easily accessible, but the really really really fun stuff requires effort. nothing worth anything comes easy, and this is totally true for mountain biking. work, reward. work hard, get bigger reward. quite often, the harder you work, the better the view, and the more sweet the single track.
there is an existential side to it all. when you ride, really really ride, you are living authentically. when you are out there, pedaling, sweating, you forget about appearances, you forget about putting on airs, you are so consumed with the trail and the ride that you become, if only for a brief moment, the total you, the true you. when you are tired and hungry, possibly lost, the weather is crap, you reveal yourself, you see who you are and what you are made of. riding tends to break you down into your most simplest form. i've seen cool awesome guys lose their shit when faced with a sketchy trail, i've seen guys who i thought were not much show their true strong awesome selves.
there is a buddhist bent to it. to really really mountain bike well, you must be present, in the moment. have you ever been riding along, and suddenly BAM you are on the ground? nine times out of ten your mind was wandering to other things, you lost focus, you suddenly were thinking of something else, not the trail. being on a trail, especially a technical trail, forces you to live in the moment, again, you forget your worries, cares, who you are, what bills you have to pay, what that jerk on the forum said, and you are consumed with that moment. you and your bike moving as one. it's a special time, because everything starts to flow, you are "on" and it all comes together, you forget there is a you, all you feel is the movement through air, the trail beneath you. it's a meditation of sorts, and pretty fucking close to enlightenment, as far as i'm concerned.
there is truth, simple truth, real truth, in mountain biking. when you are out there, riding a bike, there is no faking it, no lying to yourself or others. you either climb the hill or you don't. you clean that rocky section or you don't. you can have a badass $5,000 bike, look like a pro, talk like a pro, and act like a pro, but on the trail, none of that matters. your bike doesn't matter, your clothes don't matter, your tattoo and soul patch and hemp bracelet doesn't matter. if you can't ride a bike, it shows, and all that bravado and smack talking and chest puffing is gone like rice paper in boiling water.
cycling, especially mountain biking, to me, is philosophical, bordering on religious, and is wonderful.
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