I commute by bicycle. I don’t do that for grand idealistic
reasons. I’m not anti-car. My reasons for commuting by bicycle are boringly
practical. The primary reason is time. Because parking is so bad where I work,
I can get to my desk faster by bicycle than by car (buses are a distant third).
Shorter commutes mean more time with family and less time staring at the brake
lights in front of me. The secondary reason is exercise. I have found that I am
a better human being to live with when I’m exercising regularly. I have also
found that it is difficult finding time to exercise once I get home to my
wonderful wife, two loving children, and idiot dog.
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| Blah. Just... blah. |
The attentive reader will note that I did not include “fun”
as a reason in the list above. There’s a reason for that. There are many days in
the year where “fun” does not describe my commute. Today, for example, it is
cold and dark and raining. The first ride of the season in those conditions
feels adventurous and, as a result, feels fun. The twentieth ride of the season
in those conditions is tedious. This time of year makes me forget that I enjoy
riding my bicycle. I find myself lingering at home in the morning and at work
in the afternoon because I don’t want to venture out into the unpleasantness.
Yes, that probably makes me a weakling. So be it.
The other day, I rode home with a buddy of mine. He wanted
help adjusting his bicycle, and I own bicycle adjusting equipment and had beer in
the fridge. That made the venue selection easy. It was cold-ish and dark-ish
and wet-ish on the ride. But the ride was not tedious. The ride was fun. It was
the same conditions and same roads that I normally ride, but the addition of a
good friend reminded me why I love my bicycles* so much.
My primary draw for bicycling (for fun, not commuting), what
made me keep doing it, is the community aspect of it. Left to my own devices, I
tend to hole up at home. My bike gives me a reason to leave, to wander out into
the sun and rain and hot and cold. But there is something missing in the experience
if I go by myself. The miles seem longer. The hills seem steeper. The whole
thing can border on tedious. But add friends to the mix, and the ride is
altered in amazing ways. There is an alchemy in bike riding. It takes a few friends
spending time together, adds exercise and exploration, and yields adventures.
So, to my friends who ride, my brothers and sisters on two
wheels, thanks for making this bicycle thing so much fun.
*Yes, bicycles plural. Bikes are like rabbits. They multiply
if left alone.
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