When motivation fades and your legs feel heavy, sometimes all you need are the right words. Here are 30 cycling quotes to get you pedaling.
Quotes on Overcoming Pain
1. “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” — Lance Armstrong
2. “Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” — Eddy Merckx
3. “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” — Greg LeMond
4. “When my legs hurt, I say: ‘Shut up legs! Do what I tell you to do!’” — Jens Voigt
5. “The race is won by the rider who can suffer the most.” — Eddy Merckx
On Mental Toughness
6. “Cycling is 90% mental, and the other half is physical.” — Unknown
7. “The person who says they cannot do something should not interrupt the person doing it.” — Chinese Proverb
8. “You are one ride away from a good mood.” — Sarah Bentley
9. “I have always struggled to achieve excellence. One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle, it’s not going to be satisfying.” — Greg LeMond
10. “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” — Unknown
Freedom and Joy
11. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
12. “Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.” — John F. Kennedy
13. “Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds.” — Louis J. Helle Jr.
14. “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.” — H.G. Wells
15. “Ride more, worry less.” — Unknown
On Training and Improvement
16. “Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades.” — Eddy Merckx
17. “Champions are made when no one is watching.” — Unknown
18. “The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine.” — John Howard
19. “Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.” — Fausto Coppi
20. “Getting fit is a political act—you are taking charge of your life.” — Bill Clinton
Pushing Limits
21. “To me, it doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or the sun is shining or whatever: as long as I’m riding a bike, I know I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” — Mark Cavendish
22. “Mountain biking is the bicycle’s equivalent of taking the red pill.” — Unknown
23. “The steeper the mountain, the harder the climb, the better the view from the finishing line.” — Unknown
24. “Cycling isn’t a game, it’s a sport. Tough, hard, and unpitying.” — Jean de Gribaldy
25. “A bad day on the bike is better than a good day in the office.” — Unknown
Mindset and Philosophy
26. “It’s not about the bike.” — Lance Armstrong
27. “Cyclists see considerably more of this beautiful world than any other class of citizens.” — Dr. K.K. Doty
28. “When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin.” — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
29. “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring.” — Desmond Tutu
30. “The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man.” — Iris Murdoch
Use These to Fuel Your Ride
Pick your favorite quotes and write them where you’ll see them daily. Set one as your phone wallpaper, tape another to your handlebars, or let CyclingTab rotate them automatically in your browser.
The right words at the right moment can be the difference between staying on the couch and getting out for that ride. Which quote resonates with you today?
