Simon Richardson: Those of us who are into cycling are always banging
on to those who aren't about just how good bike riding is
at relieving stress, taking the sting out of the end of a busy day, or manic week.
It's because we get to go out in the warm summer sun or the crisp cool of winter, spin our legs,
clear our minds, or push ourselves really hard. Manon Lloyd: It's well-documented that cycling is
good for mental and physical health. It's even being prescribed by doctors as a cure for many
illnesses. Something that we all suffer from is stress, and in small doses, it's healthy,
but it can be damaging long-term if it's not managed properly.
We were thinking the other day when we were arguing over our favorite types of riding,
what is actually better, more effective at relieving stress? A fast ride, or a slow ride?
We're here to find out. Before we get into it, we want to know from you, how do you ride to relieve
stress? Head over to the GCN app, get voting. For me, I always know I feel so much better
after doing some sort of exercise. A steady ride works perfectly for me if I need to de-stress.
Sometimes the hardest part can be getting my kit on and getting out the door, but I've ever
got back from a ride feeling worse than I've left. Simon: Steady ride, you said, Manon? No, thank you
very much. In fact, the mere thought of going out for a gentle ride actually I find quite stressful.
For me, the part of cycling that I enjoy the most is going fast and riding as hard as I possibly
can. That is effectively what I do every time I go out the door. The question is though, is it the
most effective way of relieving stress? To find out, we're going to do a bit of an experiment and
change things up a little bit, which means, that I am about to go for a very, very, very slow bike
ride, to see whether it actually makes me feel better at the end of it than I normally would do.
Manon: I'm going to take Si's approach, a hard ride. I'm sure if I've drawn the short straw here.
At least it's not a turbo session this time. Simon: Right then, I'm going to get my helmet
on and well, go out for what? 6 kilometers or something, maybe take an hour over it.
Manon: I've chosen my loop, it's around an hour-long, it's got a good few climbs in it,
so that'll keep me working nice and hard. My average heart rate for
60 minutes is actually 192 beats per minute but that was in a race back in 2018.
I doubt I'll be anywhere that today. I'm going to look hold 165
to 180 beats per minute within the hour. I've got a few traffic lights and a few junctions in there,
so I'll have to take that into consideration as well. Let's get started, smash this ride out.
Simon: Here we go then. I'm not going to lie, I'm not terribly excited at this but then that isn't
the point. This is not about pleasure, this is about stress-busting. I've got a vague idea of
a route in mind. How much of it I'm going to be able to do in my allotted time, I don't know.
The only thing that I'm going to do differently to normal other than my speed, I guess, is taking my
Wahoo off the bike because I don't need to look at how fast I'm going and how far I'm going,
how much power I'm putting out, all of that kind of jazz. Although I will be recording
it and saving it for later, of course, because, well, otherwise, it doesn't count.
Manon: I've just started one of the climbs on the ride,
just trying to find a good rhythm. I feel like this is a really good way to distract yourself.
If you're really stressed about something or you're quite angry,
doing a really hard ride, you can just take all your anger out on the bike and go really fast.
Simon: First impressions then, I'd love to say how far I've gone and how fast I've gone but
obviously, I don't know because my Wahoo's in my pocket. I did just overtake another cyclist,
so I'm going to change out my big chainring and hope that that prevents that from happening again.
I suppose the thing I'm noticing at the moment is just how stressful it is riding slowly in traffic
compared to going at the same speed as the cars normally. I'm going to change my route and try
and find a bike path as soon as possible because I could do without this if I'm totally honest.
The only slight problem is it's going to take me ages to get there. It's only a kilometer away
but anyway nevertheless, hopefully, my one-man traffic jam will not cause me too many problems.
Manon: When you're going this hard on the bike, you're always just thinking about what's coming up
or if you need to brake for a corner. Because you're going so fast and you haven't got that
time to daydream then you have to be concentrating on your speed, and all sorts of tiring things. You
haven't got room in your head to think about anything else. Well, I haven't, and my brain's
quite small. Yes, just so much to think about when you're putting all this effort in. Jesus Christ.
Simon: Thank goodness for segregated bike paths. A savior of all cyclists actually slow or fast.
It's not the most exciting bit of segregated bike path you've ever seen,
but nevertheless, there's no cars.
I do feel like I'm in quite a good mood actually, I'm enjoying this.
Manon: Even though I've stopped at traffic lights now for a nice little breather which
I'm quite glad of because I was getting quite out of breath, but I'm still just thinking about
setting off and getting my heart rate back up to speed. I still don't really have
any time to think about anything else because I'm just thinking about
going really hard again. Simon: This is odd, I'm riding up a hill,
quite a steep one at that, and I'm not out of breath, not at all. It's unheard of,
quite enjoyable. I could have a conversation if I could have tempted anyone out to join me
or I can just actually think about stuff as opposed to just searing pain and oxygen debt.
Yes, it's all right, almost nice.
What a beautiful flower. [music]
As an exercise addict, I very much rely on my regular endorphin hit for my mental well-being.
I'm pretty sure that today's little spin is not going to provide me with my usual dose
but I'm well aware of the well-documented benefits of gentle exercise in beautiful natural
surroundings. It's called green exercise. There's a lot of research to show that actually just being
out in a natural space like this one, which I'm very fortunate that it's only a few kilometers
from home and just being there, passing through it, and doing a bit of exercise whilst you do it.
It's definitely a different vibe to going full [unintelligible 00:07:37] like normal.
It pains me to say it but I can actually appreciate it far more at this pace
than I normally would do because I normally wouldn't be thinking about it at all.
Now, I have temporarily stopped riding my bike for a moment. That's for a very good reason in that
I'm currently tree bathing or engaging in a bit of Shinrin-yoku, to give it its proper name. That was
a term it was called in Japan in the 1980s after the government there did some scientific research
and showed that spending time immersed in a forest or a woodland would actually lower your
blood pressure, reduce your levels of cortisol, that's like stress hormone, and also improve your
memory and your concentration which is utterly remarkable but actually, it is a proper thing.
I've used my bike as a mode of transport, a very nice one at that, to pedal out of the
city into a local woodland and just be in it for a little bit. It's really very nice. I'm
just going to be mindful for a bit, okay? [music]
Manon: I'm back from my ride. Well, it's not usually how I spend a ride de-stressing,
but I actually feel quite good. I feel like I had a good hour where I didn't have to think
about anything but me on my bike and the power and heart rate I was doing.
My average heart rate was 172, so, probably not as high as I had thought it would be but I had
quite a bit of downhill where my heart rate went down but I was always thinking about keeping on
the power whilst I was riding. I wonder how Si found his ride and if he managed to take it easy.
Simon: Now, something else that the Japanese Government showed is that apparently, trees
have an anti-microbial property. Currently, I'm boosting my immune system as well.
This feels good. I should have done this more when I was a
pro. [music] Simon:
"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass." Stop sniggering.
"No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare."
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the first-ever poem on GCN. I'm 99% sure that our editor is going to
cut it. Travesty. For the record, that's Leisure by W. H. Davies. A banger, I think you'll agree.
Right. I've got a wet arse. I'm going to go home now.
[music] Simon:
Oh yes, I've just stopped again. This time to do a bit of foraging. Yes, sampling nature's bounty,
then sticking it in a pocket, taking it home, and using it to make a crumble later on. In this case,
it's going to be blackberry and apple. Happy days. Not something I would ever, ever,
ever consider on an ordinary bike ride, but it seems fitting right now. Once again,
my theme seems to be coming back to communing with nature. From an exercise perspective,
today hasn't really touched the sides, but from an actually just kind of enjoying where
I am and where my bike has taken me, I can't actually tell you how much it's blown me away.
Maybe slow cycling is not actually about the cycling, it's about where you're cycling.
I'll leave you with that thought. I'm going to pick some blackberries.
[music] Simon:
Here we then, back where I started. Approximately 56 minutes after I set off and an average speed,
wait for it, of 21 kilometers per hour. That's not including stops. In total, I went
12 kilometers but that's okay, that wasn't what it was all about. How do I feel? Genuinely,
actually, I thoroughly enjoyed that. Obviously, I've been vlogging a little bit, but it pains me
to admit it, actually, although I didn't enjoy it as much as I would a super hard ride, from
a stress-busting perspective, right here, right now, I feel an awful lot calmer than I would do
if I'd just gone and flogged myself for an hour. The question is whether or not that buzz is
going to continue into the evening like it ordinarily would do. I don't know.
Yo rude boy, and another one. Whether that buzz will continue-- Hang on a sec. [traffic noise]
Whether that buzz will continue into the evening or not, like it ordinarily would do,
I don't know. Right now, I've got to say, there is a lot to be said for a slow bike ride
with lots of stopping. Well, an apple and blackberry crumble at the end of it--
High five's all around. Manon: I think what we've discovered
is that it's important to do something that you enjoy, and each rider has their own preference.
If you fancy a really hard ride, go out and have a really hard ride. If you fancy a really nice easy,
calm ride, go out and find some really nice views. Likewise, a 20-kilometer ride can be
just as good as a 120-kilometer ride. Just don't beat yourself up if you can't get out or if you
don't want to ride at all. We want to hear from you. How do you deal with stress on the bike?
Please let us know in the Comments section below. [00:14:16] [END OF AUDIO]