Why I Ride

A local man was killed the other day while riding his bicycle. According to the newspaper article, he rode his bike to and from work daily, and rode just about everywhere else. He wasn't a spandex-clad, über cyclist training for an Ironman. He was just a regular Joe, who loved riding his bike. When the story came out, several of my friends told me they didn't want me riding any more, that's it's too dangerous, and they don't want anything bad to happen to me. I told them if I can't ride my bike, I may as well be dead. I ride mostly in good weather, above freezing temps, in broad daylight. I ride for exercise, to train, and for enjoyment. It's almost winter here. It's getting pretty dusky by 4:00 or so, just about the time this guy was riding home. I wouldn't be out on my bike at that time of day at this particular time of year, although I do sometimes ride the road where the accident happened. I do what I can to reduce my risk, although I'm sure this man wasn't doing anything particularly wrong or risky, other than allegedly not wearing a helmet. The point is, I understand why he was on his bike. While riding my bike, I've seen some beautiful things. I'm in the best shape of my life. I've challenged myself physically, and have had some success racing my bike, something I never thought possible 10 years ago. I've bonded forever with some people because of what we experienced together for a few short hours on our bikes. I've seen deer, snapping turtles, snow geese, wild turkeys, coyotes-almost everything but a moose (I'm hopeful!) Bikes are quiet and fast. You are on the animal before they hear you coming. And often they don't react, because on your bike, you don't look human. You look like something more familiar; a fast, lean, sleek animal. I've solved problems while on my bike. Even on my trainer, I experience that Zen-like state, where my mind goes someplace else, and turns ideas over and over in my head, like a Rubik's cube. I've been racking my brain lately, trying to come up with a different way to run my math lesson in order to differentiate and keep all the students engaged. While I was doing a three-hour trainer ride yesterday, my mind drifted to this problem, and I came up with a couple of novel ideas to try. Mostly though, I believe my bike has saved my sanity. Many times, I've come directly home from work, and immediately got on my bike for a couple of hours. By the time I returned home, I was calm and happy, no longer aggravated by the problems of the day. We joke amongst ourselves that we ride so we don't have to take medication. But, really, we aren't kidding. I've had some tough losses in my life; most recently the loss of my mother to breast cancer, and the loss of a friendship. My friend isn't gone, but is lost to me because of another person's insensitivity. In both cases, the feelings of powerlessness and anger threatened to overcome me. Riding my bike helped me cope. I'd go out for my daily dose of endorphins, and when I got back, I felt better. I could deal with the everyday aggravations and not be overwhelmed. My mom and my friend are still gone, but I know I'll survive, as long as I can ride my bike.