Music Which Gets Me Pumped to Ride

April 19th, 2009 • Cycling/Fitness, Motocross Tips

Both motocross and cycling are very intense adrenaline pumping sports. As a result, music is a great motivational factor for both activities. While “good” music is obviously a very subjective thing, everyone is always looking for good music, and because of this, my favorite motivational music for riding is listed below. Feel free to check out the artists and leave your comments/recomendations at the end of the article.

Immortal Technique

Immortal Technique is a revolutionary Hip Hop artist with striking lyrics, awesome flow and insane freestyle skills. His music has gone more mainstream lately, however he continues to produce great music.

While most of IT’s work is riddled with strong political or social critique, it is a good motivator for motocross and cycling due to his punching lyrics and innovative beats. I find his rap to be some of the most inspiring and motivational music out there and it is a great way to get the adrenaline pumping before a long ride or an important moto.

That being said, i must also note that some of his lyrics are very “strong.” His music is not for the sensitive or the weak of heart. If you are looking for something to listen to around young children, Immortal Technique is definitely not a good option. I’m not going to get into the specifics of his lyrics, but it would be worth reading the lyrics to some of his songs before buying a $20 album which you may find offensive.

Clipse

Staying with the Hip Hop theme, Clipse are another group who are very motivational. Their lyrics are much less politicall and socially “deep” than Immortal Techniques, however, this does not reduce the quality of their work. They match good beats with interesting and well written lyrics.

Clipse may not be one of the most popular rap groups, but they definitely do some great work, and are worth a serious look if you are looking for some new beats to listen to for motivation.

While Clipse do not have as gut wrenching lyrics as Immortal Technique, they may still be found offense to certain audiences, so listen with caution around sensitive ears.

Lil Wayne

Out of the three Hip Hop artists on this list, Lil Wayne is definitely the most mainstream. He has taken the hip hop world by storm recently and has a ton of great songs. He has a great mix of fast and slower songs to match any occasion where you need a motivational pickup.

Lil Wayne (aka Weezy) is a great rapper who has great ryhmes and great beats conbined with an incredibly unique sound. His fast paced songs are great for your motivation and are an enjoyable listen for Hip Hop Fans.

Lil Wayne’s lyrics are not nearly as “hard core” as Immortal Technique or even Clipse and many younger audiences are familiar with at least some of his songs, meaning his music is much more suitable for virgin ears.

Scary Kids Scaring Kids

Photo by Natalia balcerska

Switching gears to a more rock focused group, Scary Kids Scaring Kids are one of my favorite groups. Despite the “scary” name, they are a a great alternative group with a fast paced and motivational sound.

Scary Kids may not be the most innovative group, but they have a number of absolute hits and their song “Faces” is one of my all time favorite tunes. If you are looking for a great alternative rock group with some fast paced tracks and a unique sound, then Scary Kids Scaring Kids is a great group.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Photo by Upshaw Imagery

Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) are a long stay in the music world, and for good reason. While they are not as hard as Scary Kids, they have a very unique sound which lies somewhere between funk and rock. Almost every track is a hit single and I struggle to find a bad track on any of their albums.

RHCP are a great group to get your blood flowing and your motivation up. Their fast paced beats and funky lyrics make them a great early morning listen before you begin preparation for a long day of motocross racing. Their music has a pretty light message and listening to a few of their songs almost always puts me in a good mood.

System of a Down

Photo by Anirudh Koul

System of a Down is a very innovative alternative rock group. They highlight awesome music with some “funky” lyrics. Their lyrics do not feature the strong message of Immortal Technique, but they are fun and the fast sound is motivating for a good day of riding - either cycling or motocross.

While some alternative groups have albums full of forgettable tracks, System of a Down is not one of these. Something about their incredibly unique and interesting sound makes their songs shockingly catchy. I will often find myself with their songs stuck in my head hours after listening to them, and their songs play through my head during long summer motos.

Disturbed

Disturbed is another alternative rock group with a heavier sound and some darker lyrics. While none of their stuff is as serious as Immortal Techniques, they definitely feature some lyrics which are a little darker than Scary Kids or RHCP. However, their fast and hard tracks are an extremely motivating sound which gets me very pumped up to ride aggressive motocross all day long.

Disturbed has a number of albums currently available for purchase, however, I find their oldest stuff to be my favorite. “The Sickness” is an incredible album with a number of awesome tracks which keep my andrenaline pumping all day long. I was not as happy with 10,00 Fists or Believe, but their latest album, Indestructible is a great mis of hard hitting songs and is analogous to their older work.

If you are looking for a fast hard hitting rock group, then Disturbed is a great option and they have a ton of albums out right now so you can choose which is best for you.

Your Suggestions

While writing this article I sent out a tweet asking my Twitter followers who their favorite motivational bands were. A number of my great followers replied with some excellent suggestions…here they are.

• @Dekkerd “@mike868y None needed. Although this Gaslight Anthem 59 Sound album I’m playing would do it. #bikechat”
• @TG183 “@mike868y hmm.. definetly some kind of rock or rap song.. some thing that gets you pumped to ride..”
• @LPmotocross “@mike868y anything from terrafirma 2 and queens of the stone age”
• @LPmotocross“@mike868y No problem man. Pennywise, Face to Face, Corrosion of Conformity, Down by Law, and Sprung Monkey. Classic 2 stroke music!”

There are some great suggestions here and some which I will definitely check out in the near future to supplement my stable of motocross and cycling music.

What do you listen to?

Photo by ktylerconk

As I noted earlier, everyone has their own preferences for motivational music. The above artists are only a sampling of my favorite groups in addition to a few of yours. So, what else do you enjoy listening to? Anything from classic rock to alternative and Hip Hop/Funk. I open to any suggestions and would love to see what you guys enjoy listening to. Leave your recommendations in the comment field below.

Tags: Clipse, cycling, Cycling/Fitness, Disturbed, Immortal Technique, Lil Wayne, motivation, motocross, music, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, System of a Down

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