The Stoic Cyclist: Lessons from the Road and the Ancients

Most days when I’m riding 60, 70, or even 100 miles, I’m not chasing a finish line—I’m chasing clarity. It’s on the long, quiet roads where my thoughts get stripped down to the essentials, where discomfort becomes a teacher, and solitude becomes a companion. That’s where I realized something strange: the road had turned me into a Stoic.

No, I don’t mean I’m emotionless or stone-faced on my bike. I mean the ancient philosophy of Stoicism—the stuff guys like Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus wrote about—is alive and well out there on two wheels.

“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Marcus Aurelius wrote that 2,000 years ago. But every cyclist knows the truth of it. You can’t control the wind turning against you 20 miles into a ride. You can’t control the heat radiating off Texas asphalt, or the flat tire five minutes from nowhere. But you can control your reaction. You can keep pedaling.

That’s what Stoicism is—meeting discomfort with discipline. Meeting setbacks with perspective.

One time, riding into Hondo, Texas, during the height of the 2020 pandemic, I was overheated and desperate for a break. I rolled up to a McDonald's dreaming of cold air and salty fries, only to be told I couldn’t come inside. Pandemic policy. I sat on the curb in the shade, eating with sweat dripping off my chin. It was humbling. Frustrating. But in that moment, I remembered: this wasn’t a disaster. It was just a moment. And moments pass.

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” — Seneca
On a long ride, your mind tries to psych you out. “You’ll never make it.” “You should’ve stayed home.” But after the first 10 miles, then 20, then 40, those voices fade. They’re just mental static. The reality is usually less dramatic than the fear.

The Stoic Way = The Cycling Way

• Accept discomfort. It’s part of growth.

• Control what you can. Your pacing, your hydration, your mindset.

• Let go of what you can’t. Weather, traffic, hills you didn’t expect.

• Stay present. The next mile matters more than the last one.

So maybe this post is unexpected. Maybe blending Stoic wisdom and bicycle touring seems like an odd combo. But out on the open road, with nothing but the hum of your tires and the beating of your heart, philosophy becomes very real.

You don’t need a scroll or a toga. You just need a bike, a little grit, and the willingness to keep going.

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