I was asked this question by a gentleman at work the other day and I told him: Riding for me is such a personal thing. It gives me confidence, it relieves stress, satisfies my desire for adventure and new experiences. In a way it allows me to show the world and the people in it that I'm my own person, I am capable and intelligent. I am an adventurous rider, and I pride myself on being able to fix my own machine (to a point, but I'm learning). It's my independence. Riding also very much saved my life. I started riding in the middle of a very dark time. It gave me something to focus on. Riding requires so much of your mental energy that there was no room for all the awful stuff and while I was on the bike, I found my real un-sick self. It flipped the switch that made me realize there is so much to live for. To this day, while I am getting better, it is still an escape for me. You can't help but feel happy and excited when those painted lines are rushing beneath you. The feeling that I'm sure is the closest you can get to flying. There's also the "zone". The one where you're so in tune with the machine beneath you, you feel the rhythm of the corners, your body reacts without thinking and at that moment nothing else in the world exists or matters. That's why I ride.