It might be trite to say that the bicycle journey is more important than the destination. On the other hand, it might not be trite at all. Imagine biking over the Alps to Italy in order to visit your beloved. I am not sure this lover would be impressed if you told him/her that the ride was more important than what came at the end of it!
I mention the above dilemma only because the purpose of cycling can be hard to identify. Is biking simply a means of getting from one place to another? Perhaps, and this is my question, there is a philosophy of cycling and that is the crux of this blog. But the question is complicated by the fact that the whole concept of cycling can be an elusive one. What sort of cycling are we referring to? Racing? Touring? Mountain biking? Leisure? And do you prefer riding alone or in a group?
The answer to the question would seem to be that the word "cycling" includes such a variety of physical and mental activities that it is hard to pin down. In fact, the word seems to encompass a large number of ways and means of being and doing. This might mean that if cycling is any one thing, it is a set of questions that ask us to reflect. Why am I doing this? What sort of biking am I doing? Am I biking for pleasure, for fitness, for fun, for the competition, to get fresh air? Or am I doing it for my job, for my mental health, to escape from a failing marriage, to see the world, to help with improving the environment?
As a consequence of these questions, it seems that the word "cycling" covers a wide range of ways of life and forms of being. At this point, it might be appropriate to suggest that if cycling is any one thing, it is a set of questions that ask us to reflect on identity and the commitments we are making.
Perhaps, it is my own tendency to philosophise, but I believe that biking has taught me a number of philosophical lessons that could only have be learned the hard way. For example, not to bite off more than I can chew or, in other words, not to confuse reality with self-made illusions. But cycling has also taught me that the journey really is more important than the destination (although I would never tell this to the beloved waiting for me in Italy). In group rides, I have been faced with my own intense competitiveness and a need to be amongst the first of the group to arrive. It has not yet taught me how to deal with this but age and declining abilities, are, perhaps, answering it for me
What I do know is that biking makes me feel good about myself. It makes me feel happy. You don't need to be a medical expert to understand why. Cycling is good exercise. Exercise is required for physical fitness. Physical fitness is an important element to emotional well being. Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. So - get on your bike today!
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