Why I Ride
There’s an uncharacteristically touchy-feely thread on the .83 board today in which folks are weighing in on their reasons for riding bikes; I offered a flip, “No DUI on a bicycle,” and a more serious, “Freedom, generally,” but the topic got me thinking about why I do spend so much time on two wheels.
While answering “because I like it” is true, that begs the question; what we’re wondering about is WHY I like it.
Similarly, even though I could say, “because I hate driving,” that wouldn’t address why I cycle in situations where a car isn’t the only (or even an) option.
The best way for me to think about it is that cycling gives me a way to express a number of my most deeply-held values, like for instance, the aforementioned one of not getting arrested for traveling from one place to another while inebriated.
Self-sufficiency, that’s another. Even though there are some things I need help with—wheel-building, headset cup installation—for the most part, I can fix anything that might go wrong with a bike. It feels good to know that as long as I’ve got the tools and the parts, I can get myself up and running; with a car, by contrast, if it breaks down, I’m fucked.
Simplicity and thrift: I like how bicycles tend to be uncomplicated and cheap; not that I don’t spend lots of dough on fancy do-dads and pretty frames, but it’s not like I’m taking out a loan to acquire the latest German or Japanese technology.
Kindness: sure, I’ve been known to give the finger to some cellphone-gabbing asshole who almost creams me, but far more frequently, and way more than I would in a car, I smile and nod to a fellow cyclist or a considerate driver.
Of course, the environmental smug factor can’t be overlooked, nor the exercise, the experience of nature, a sense of adventure, and feelings of community.
No DUI bears repeating, too.
While answering “because I like it” is true, that begs the question; what we’re wondering about is WHY I like it.
Similarly, even though I could say, “because I hate driving,” that wouldn’t address why I cycle in situations where a car isn’t the only (or even an) option.
The best way for me to think about it is that cycling gives me a way to express a number of my most deeply-held values, like for instance, the aforementioned one of not getting arrested for traveling from one place to another while inebriated.
Self-sufficiency, that’s another. Even though there are some things I need help with—wheel-building, headset cup installation—for the most part, I can fix anything that might go wrong with a bike. It feels good to know that as long as I’ve got the tools and the parts, I can get myself up and running; with a car, by contrast, if it breaks down, I’m fucked.
Simplicity and thrift: I like how bicycles tend to be uncomplicated and cheap; not that I don’t spend lots of dough on fancy do-dads and pretty frames, but it’s not like I’m taking out a loan to acquire the latest German or Japanese technology.
Kindness: sure, I’ve been known to give the finger to some cellphone-gabbing asshole who almost creams me, but far more frequently, and way more than I would in a car, I smile and nod to a fellow cyclist or a considerate driver.
Of course, the environmental smug factor can’t be overlooked, nor the exercise, the experience of nature, a sense of adventure, and feelings of community.
No DUI bears repeating, too.
posted by Professor Dave at 6:54 PM
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