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Through the combination of punishing physical effort, speed, and contact with the open air and the sights and sounds of the road, the cyclist experiences feelings of happiness and well-being, a balancing of emotions, an improvement of focus, and an increase in vital energy. As Daniele puts it, la bici fa sorridere gli occhi (the bicycle make the eyes smile). Ernesto, a former railroad engineer, says, "it makes you feel good, both physically and mentally. This is no small thing, to feel well with oneself."

Rather than talking about physical pain, the cyclists describe how riding makes one stare bene (be well, in the broadest sense) both immediately afterward and in an enduring way. The physical effort, even if challenging, makes one feel alive, happy, and well.

Federico links the physical activity of bicycling and the way it brings body and spirit together with a greater enjoyment of everything corporal. Echoing a common sentiment among cyclists, he argues that "flavors are more interesting, better, more intense." He describes cycling as a "way to unite the body with the psyche, giving you a somatic/psychological perception a`la Zen." Cycling puts the two in relation, "keeping the intellectual/spiritual capacities together with the corporeality." Instead of this, our society tends to do the opposite, to split them. This "separation is at the root of the disquiet of our society."

Given the active, outdoor way of life humanity practiced until recent times, it is not surprising that the cyclists appreciate the sensations and reflections that occur during their rides. Federico says, "nature, open air, ideal physical surroundings for cycling. It's a pleasure. You see things you wouldn't see otherwise. It's you with yourself. They are intimate voyages; you ask yourself questions, you reflect, you do a little philosophy. It's a whole series of positive values."