This... doesn't really work for me. I do enjoy long bike rides, but unless I specifically take steps to focus my thoughts, I will have just as chatty of a mind during exercise as I will at any other time. Probably more so, if my mind is not otherwise needed to make choices. (And, "keep going" isn't really an active choice that bothers my mind.)

Oh man, i know how that is.

I’m getting back into mountain biking after my surgery, and after an hour or two into my latest ride, if found myself spacing out a lot and letting that chatter take over. Not paying attention during a slow, straight ride I caught my wheel on a root and fell forward over the bike, not fun. I found it much easier to slip into that state while I was exhausted though.

I feel exactly the same as you describe, unless im trying to stay focused, taking in something new every once in a while or making choices, I tend to space out completely.

i mountain bike, and the climb, i have an internal monologue as much as normal. i try to focus on the woods instead but doesn't work.

on the downhill though, silence. while skiing (downhill), silence. rock climbing same deal. those moments are bliss in many ways.

Maybe bike riding isn't really exhausting for you anymore?

I used to cycle to work in the pre-2020 era, but during the first few months I remember how everything in my mind was about the bicycle and the road and forcing myself not to stop. After this first period the body adapted and the usual train of thoughts returned. When I noticed I was thinking of mundane things during the ride was when I considered that my body had adapted

Apologies for the slow response. It isn't the hard or the easy parts, to me. Seems it is more the repetitive versus quickly done parts. A long climb up a hill? I'll be chatting in my head rather quickly. A series of up and down? A hill that varies? I could see those keeping me occupied.

I can still lose my train of thought while mid maximum effort deadlift, or pinned on a chunky downhill MTB section. I think it's less about the effort and more about the familiarity. I tend to have a clear mind when I am taking in new information, like during a ride in new place.

Just to follow up on if it is exhausting nine miles and eight hundred feet is definitely tiring for me, still. :)

Probably different back when I did this daily. But right now... Dead.

Agreed. Other things to do to complement that:

1. Avoid excessive multi-tasking 2. Minimize activities that bring immediate reward signals to your brain like opening social networks 100s time/day. Taken to the extreme do a "dopamine detox" period 3. Try to set a routine for yourself in small steps

A walk, bicycle or motorcycle ride works wonders for me. It keeps me just busy enough to consider my thoughts one by one.

When I go on long motorcycle trips, I come back with this incredible feeling of clarity and inner peace.

Motorcycling is also my go to activity to disconnect my brain from almost all "chatter". It's just the road, the bike and you. As soon as you are an somewhat experienced driver and you can drive "fairly" safe in sailing/flow/cruise mode it's pretty incredible. It's just engaging enough that it feeds the brain with mental work, but does not leave any more room for unimportant "garbage". Took me around three years (around 30.000km) to get to this point.

Works for me. So far rock climbing and fly fishing require 100% of my concentration and voice chatter disappears completely. For me they are my meditation.