The Bicycle Rite of Passage
Learning to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage as a kid. At first, the focus is solely on honing the skill. Start with training wheels. Learn the motions of pedaling and steering. Figure out your balance. Finally, you overcome your fears of falling and the training wheels come off. Oh, that wonderful moment! A small demonstration of independence.
Later on, I recognized the pragmatic benefits of the bike. There’s a period of time where you’re not old enough to drive but you still want to visit your friend down the street. No longer do you need to ask and wait for a parent to drive you; you can just start pedaling!
Pragmatic Cycling
For me a bike also enabled my first regular source of income. The ole neighborhood paper route. Boy did I dread Sunday mornings. Not only did I have to wake up early to get the papers delivered, but they were thicker and heavier. The worst was during the bitter cold of winter. I couldn’t handle the newspapers with gloves, so I just went without. I remember my hands would get so cold they would go numb. Sometimes my knuckles would swell and I’d have trouble making a tight fist. The bigger problem was when I got home. My hands would slowly warm up and regain feeling – the feeling of sharp pain! But I kept my eyes on the prize. Earn money to buy yourself a computer. As soon as I met that goal, I quit the paper route.
Eventually, I got a car. That’s when I stopped riding my bicycle. There was the time in college I had bicycle, but again it was means to an end: spend less time traveling to the classroom.
I don’t recall exactly what prompted me to buy a bike in my adulthood. It well could have been pragmatic motivation yet again. Probably because I didn’t want to pay the 520 bridge toll to go to work.
A Turning Point
One day, I joined a group of friends to rent motor scooters. I had a great time! Feeling the wind in my face. Being one with the road. Moving slowly enough to notice your surroundings yet fast enough to cover a lot of ground. I considered buying a motorcycle but that seemed pretty dangerous. Plus, where would I put it?
The Simple Joy of a Bike Ride
Then I had an epiphany. A pedal bike has the same kinds of benefits! Wind in face. Check! Notice your environment and travel far. Check! I just needed to change my mindset. Ride just for the innate enjoyment of the ride. There’s also the positive side effect of exercise. Ever since then I’ve come to appreciate the simple joys of a bike ride. Now it’s one my favorite activities 😀🚴.