Why are cyclists so fond of “loops?”

[XXtwindad]

I know I am.

I’ve been mapping out some possible routes in the South of Italy and France (Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, Puglia, Calabria) and good loops are very often hard to come by.

The routes I’ve been considering are mostly out-and-backs. Mildly disappointing. I wonder why many cyclists are so pre-conditioned to favor loops. Maybe it’s a sense of completion, or the expectation of seeing something new.

That particular fetish won’t fly for many climbs I want to do in Italy and France. Apparently, what goes up must come down…the same way.