Up until very recently, bikes made it possible for me to make peace with my
larger-than-average-size body. It was hard to feel any self-loathing when
my body got me where I needed to go every day. Things are a lot tougher
now what with the rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, so I'm not exactly
You asked for three?
(1) The bike enables me to take the train, my preferred method of
transportation, to work.
(2) The bike makes exercise fun (and fun… exercise).
(3) And, the bike helps me interact with nature, which keeps me grounded,
helps me keep my head together and keep my
1) Slow down and go on side streets and trails that otherwise I'd pass by.
See cool houses, wild animals, beautiful plants, interesting graffiti;
smell flowers and wet pavement and snow. Highly correlated with #2 below.
2) Stop and chat with people that otherwise wouldn't happen. This happens
Thanks for another thoughtful and inspiring post, Patrick. More years ago
than I care to say, learning to ride a bike helped me to fit into a new
family, a new school, a new life, really. Twenty years ago, bikes made it
possible for me to get back into something that I had enjoyed, but
My bikes make it possible for me to be fit, healthier, happier, and have a
group of friends who share the activity.
My Roadeo allows me to hang with the fast dudes on the club rides in
comfort.
My Sam allows me to go bike camping or touring with ease.
My mountain bike (trek fuel) allows me
My bike use is mostly utility. We have a general rule that works well. If
it is less than 5 miles, we take one of the bikes.
This year I upgraded most of the cargo systems. We had been using cheap
racks with Wald folding baskets. I replaced the cheap racks with Tubus Logo
Evos and Ortleib
Bikes make it possible...
Work, play, camaraderie, education, imagination... honestly it has
channeled or funneled my interest for so many things only narrowly tied to
the bike itself.
Regular bike commuting in particular (which I'm doing poorly at so far this
year) has been the biggest eye
I can ride to work and achieve a level of clarity otherwise (negatively)
available only from a third cup of coffee, even if it is -12°F. Likewise, I
can ride home from work and separate from the 12-14 stressful hours by
playing in traffic or by wandering around the town a bit. Last Christmas
