Another Ride with Dhani Jones
The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker rides to work on a fixie and spent three weeks getting eco-tutored by Al Gore--but wishes he had more time for the group ride.
By Emily Furia
he first time Bicycling spoke with Dhani Jones, he told us about pedaling his fixed-gear Surly to practice at Paul Brown Stadium and his attempts to become more environmentally conscious with the help of Al Gore. This year, during the National Football League's off-season, Jones worked on the second season of his Travel Channel special, "Dhani Tackles the Globe," a show that explores how sports influence culture worldwide. We caught up with Jones to chat about the show-in which he rides a Gran Fondo in Italy and treks in Nepal-shortly before its April 19 debut.
Bicycling: So do you still ride your bike to practice?
Dhani Jones: I still do but a little less frequently. I have to gauge the cost benefit of everything I do in my life. I have to be fresh for my number-one obligation, which is football, so I don't ride in everyday, but I still do it a lot. A lot of times it depends on the number of plays I had in the prior week's game. If I have fewer plays, I can ride more the following week. Everything is balance. You have to find a way to fit the things you like to do into what you have going on and find that balance.
Bicycling: Tell us about "Dhani Tackles the Globe." How did that come about?
Dhani Jones: It's been going great. Season two starts on April 19. I love to travel as much as I love cycling. Growing up I rode to school, did mountain bike competitions and also traveled to places like Africa and Europe. All these things came together for Dhani Tackles the Globe. In the NFL you have to focus your efforts and establish yourself. Once you have done that, you can start to branch out and try new things. That might be different training options or traveling more. The show has helped me learn about different people and participate in the different sports they play around the world. So it integrates everything I like in life: sports, travel and new experiences.
Bicycling: You were just in Nepal shooting a segment for the show. What was that like?
Dhani Jones: We were there trekking and learning the art of mountain-climbing at one of the base camps on Mt. Everest. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It took me a long time to get acclimated. You get nauseous and your body just shuts down. I had to come down from the base camp several times and then go back up. Sometimes you wake up in the middle night and your mouth is dry and you can't breathe. But you are trying to reach new heights and see how far you can go. Ernest Hemingway said, "Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports. The rest are games." There's some truth to that....... read more at Bicycling
http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Dhani_Jones
Bicycling: So do you still ride your bike to practice?
Dhani Jones: I still do but a little less frequently. I have to gauge the cost benefit of everything I do in my life. I have to be fresh for my number-one obligation, which is football, so I don't ride in everyday, but I still do it a lot. A lot of times it depends on the number of plays I had in the prior week's game. If I have fewer plays, I can ride more the following week. Everything is balance. You have to find a way to fit the things you like to do into what you have going on and find that balance.
Bicycling: Tell us about "Dhani Tackles the Globe." How did that come about?
Dhani Jones: It's been going great. Season two starts on April 19. I love to travel as much as I love cycling. Growing up I rode to school, did mountain bike competitions and also traveled to places like Africa and Europe. All these things came together for Dhani Tackles the Globe. In the NFL you have to focus your efforts and establish yourself. Once you have done that, you can start to branch out and try new things. That might be different training options or traveling more. The show has helped me learn about different people and participate in the different sports they play around the world. So it integrates everything I like in life: sports, travel and new experiences.
Dhani Jones: We were there trekking and learning the art of mountain-climbing at one of the base camps on Mt. Everest. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It took me a long time to get acclimated. You get nauseous and your body just shuts down. I had to come down from the base camp several times and then go back up. Sometimes you wake up in the middle night and your mouth is dry and you can't breathe. But you are trying to reach new heights and see how far you can go. Ernest Hemingway said, "Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports. The rest are games." There's some truth to that....... read more at Bicycling
http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Dhani_Jones
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