I got to thinking what I usually think when I'm biking, and that's how different it is from driving or walking. I know. Duh. Let me explain.
Driving gets you there fast, unless traffic is bad, in which case you could waste precious minutes of your precious life sitting in an idling vehicle getting really really extremely bored...you better hope there's somebody good looking in that landscape truck idling beside you.
Walking is slow but it's good for you. Your biggest benefit is seeing what there is to see, and you'll miss so much of it if all you ever do is drive.
Biking is kind of like the best of both worlds. You can buzz it into a high gear and make some time if you need to, but you are more in touch with your surroundings.
Now all of this really only applies in town. Out in the country most of us drive. These days it isn't even safe to walk along some of our roads. If you ever get a chance to walk or bike in the country, do. You'll be surprized at the amount of life in the long grass and the ditches. There's so much squeaking and twittering and chirping and rustling. It all disappears from your senses when you're blasting along with gravel spraying out from your back tires.
Today as I biked through town I got a better look at some gardens that I've always admired from behind the steering wheel. I took a cut down a street that I don't usually take my truck down. I got a decent look at a few shirtless renovation workers.
I got to my class in ten minutes and it wasn't so bad at all. I'm stiff as hell now, from an hour long class bookended by 20 minutes on my bike but I'll survive.
I wear a totally geeky helmet that reminds me of Super Dave Osborne. I made an agreement with my family: I don't have to wear a helmet when I ride the mature experienced horse on a flat trail or corral. But everyone knows I'm better on 4 hooves than 2 wheels. So I put on my dork head when I bike.
When my son was 6 and we got the filly, he missed her so much when we were at home in town that his bike became a horse to compensate. He asked it to whoa at the stop signs, he gave the handlebars a little pat, and spoke soothing words to calm it down in tense situations. I'd rather ride a horse anyday, but I have to admit...my bike doesn't eat a bale of hay each day, or convert it into manure!
My horse wins every time though. He's got that nice soft muzzle and warm breath. (now scroll down and read about my friend! Go!)
11 comments:
I keep telling myself it is time to get my bike out and on the road...I used to ride all the time, but living in "downtown" kinda freaks me out...no bike lane and lots of traffic. And Nanaimo is all hills, any direction you go. Since I haven't been riding in a while, I anticipate a major huffing and puffing marathon, rather that a riding one!
The only way I would spend much time on a bike is if the seat were a saddle. Those bike seats hurt my tushy.
Bike seats are awful. Actually come to think of it so are hills....
Yeah, you know I am anti - bike. I'm more of a walker and rider of public transit...don't get me started.
hot landscapers and shirtless renovators! YUM!
KC I know the truth- you only walk or transit because you have to! You'd have a Driver in a perfect world!
Yankee- this bike is a year old and it's my first gear bike, ever. Apparently you don't have to stand on the pedals to get up hills! It's still a bitch though!
Tim- that's the perk of living in town, especially one where other people have lots of money to fix up their houses!!!!
Kari-You made me giggle. I spent so much more time riding my ponies than riding a bike! I had one and I liked to go fast but there wasn't really anywhere to ride it. Down the bush lane and that's about it, and ponies are better on gravel than bikes are!
I'd love to see the helmut. Maybe I'll go bike riding again somday. Can't you see me and the Big Guy riding a bicycle built for two?
that would be cute!
Good description of the benefits of biking, Heidi. I feel the same and miss it when I don't bike to work. But "heat?" Up there??
Dawlin', c'mon down wid ya mom an 'dem and bike in some real heat! :-)
I thought about your posting about biking to work a few months back when I wrote this. But I never ever bike from October to about April. Even without snow on the ground it's cold on the knuckles.
Yeah I know Matt, you must think we Canucks are wimpy. It gets hot up here but not often for more than a week, then we get a break of a few days before the next one. We've had a few 40C days which I think is about 103F.
I've been to Memphis in September. That was a special kind of hot.
Man, that horse will make a grade-A adhesive one day.
Nice post all around.
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