5 Reasons Why Sitting Down Doesn’t Make Cycling Any Less of a Sport

Photo by Rikki Chan on Unsplash

I was rolling along on my bike, 5:00 a.m. sharp, the kind of hour that smells like madness and insomnia. The world’s still asleep, save for the rare freak show of pedestrians, the early risers who’ve got a point to prove or, more likely, the ones just hoping to keep their hearts beating. As I’m pedaling past this set of stairs that some people use to “get fit,” I see him. The guy.

This dude, jeans too tight and shirt tucked in like he just walked out of a corporate meeting, with a pink hat slapped on his head. It’s 2025, people, and some folks still think this hat is a badge of honor. He sees me coming, mid-ride, mid-commute, and decides he’s got something to say. He stops dead in his tracks, looks at me, and yells, “It’s not a sport if you do it sitting down.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I must have said something clever back, something calm, something composed. But no, I didn’t. Instead, I yelled, “I **** your mom sitting down.” And I don’t regret it. In fact, it felt damn good.

So here’s the thing. I asked myself: Am I the asshole? My wife certainly thought so, but what does she know? She doesn’t get it. People like that guy—those assholes who don’t get it—don’t get cycling either. They look at the bike and think, “You’re sitting, therefore, you’re not working.” What a crock of shit. Let me break it down for you.

1. The Pedal Doesn’t Stop Moving Just Because Your Ass Is Sitting Down

What does that guy think? That cycling is some kind of lazy stroll? That your legs aren’t working overtime?

Here’s the truth: the second you get on that bike, your body’s working in ways he could never understand.

My legs, my lungs—they’re all doing their best to keep up with the road. And it’s not just about the pedaling.

Oh no. It’s about the balance. The coordination. You sit down, but your whole body’s alive, connected to the machine beneath you in a way that doesn’t stop.

Hell, it doesn’t even stop when you’re coasting downhill. That guy in the pink hat probably thinks I’m not working just because I’m not standing up like a fool. I dare him to keep up.

ActivityCalories Burned (Per Hour)
Cycling400 – 1000
Walking240 – 320
Running600 – 1,200

See that? I’m burning more calories than a lot of people walking or running, sitting down. There’s no comparison. So, don’t tell me cycling isn’t a sport because I’m not standing. Get real.

2. Mental Strength, My Friend, Mental Strength

Cycling doesn’t just test your body. It tests your mind, too. You ever try riding through 20-mile-an-hour winds?

Or up a mountain pass with your legs screaming for mercy? Sitting down doesn’t make it easier; it makes it harder to ignore the burn. It’s not just physical. It’s mental. That asshole in his tight jeans thinks cycling is easy because he can’t see the struggle. He can’t see the small victories in every pedal stroke when the legs want to give out, but you force them to keep going.

But what does he know?

Maybe he’s never been 50 miles out in the middle of nowhere, with a flat tire and the sun beating down. Maybe he’s never had to push through when every muscle tells you to quit.

The kind of strength that gets you through those moments? That’s mental strength. It’s just as important as the physical kind. And it’s the backbone of any sport. Try arguing with that.

3. The Technical Side, You Fool

If you want to tell me cycling isn’t a sport, I’ve got a couple of words for you: shifting gears. You want to talk about technicality? Try handling your bike through all the gears, managing your speed, adjusting for terrain, the weather, the traffic.

All while not wiping out or getting hit by some distracted asshole with a pink hat. Cycling isn’t just about pedaling. It’s about mastery over the machine, your body, and the road. And that takes precision. It takes focus. It takes the kind of skill that people like this guy could never understand.

SkillDescription
Shifting GearsAdjusting to terrain for optimal power.
Bike HandlingKeeping control over the bike, balancing it at all times.
Power OutputGenerating energy through the pedal strokes, especially in challenging conditions.

You don’t get that just by sitting down. You get that by understanding the intricacies of the bike, the environment, and your own body. It’s an art, a dance with a machine that requires more than just sitting there like a lump.

4. It’s About Endurance, Not Just Position

Here’s another thing: try riding 100 miles on flat land or through the hills, your back hurting, your legs cramping, your heart pumping harder than it has all day.

Now, I don’t know about you, but sitting down doesn’t make that any easier. It doesn’t make the pain go away. It doesn’t stop you from sweating through your kit. It doesn’t stop you from feeling the burn in places you didn’t know existed. Endurance, my friend, is the name of the game. Sitting down or standing up, it’s the same struggle. Try a century ride and tell me I’m wrong.

5. Biking is Just as Dangerous as Any Other Sport

Ever tried to ride through heavy traffic? Ever tried to keep your balance while flying downhill at 30 miles per hour with only your two wheels to stop you?

Sitting down doesn’t make you any less at risk. Cycling has its dangers—more than most sports, I’d argue. You’re out there, exposed. The risks don’t care if you’re sitting or standing. They’re just as real. Just as deadly.

You don’t get to dismiss it as not a sport because there’s no blood on the field, no tackling, no hard hits. You get to dismiss it when you’ve been thrown off your bike, scraped your knees on the pavement, and still got up to ride home. Only then, only when you’ve felt that kind of risk, can you call cycling a mere activity.

And to that guy with the pink hat, I say: Come and ride with me. Just once. Try me.

If he survives, maybe I’ll even buy him a beer.

Danny G.


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