Bill Of Rides






Here are 10 things that I love about riding my bicycle. Now, I don't believe bicycles represent the final revolution. I do drive a car. But I feel way better when I'm on my bike. Together, these are the articles of my personal Bill of Rides.

1. When I ride, I get hungry. But I never think about cycling through a drive-thru fast food restaurant like I do, for some reason, when I am in a car. Instead, I think about home-cooked meals. And a glass of wine.

2. When I ride, I don't have a screen in front of me. We live in front of all kinds of screens: TV screens, computer monitors, smartphones. iPods. Smaller and smaller interfaces. On my bike, I look this way, that way, I look up, and I see a lot. I see big things like eternity, and little things like a pebble being spit up by my front tire. And none of it is framed.

3. When I ride, I wave and say or nod hello to other cyclists. Just because they are other cyclists. I don't do this in a car.

4. When I ride, I use my old Cannondale panniers from back in the 1980s. I got them when I still had that great Miyata 1000 that I toured through the Rockies on with my friends. You can stuff a lot of memories in those saddlebags.

5.  When I ride, I think about moving with the elements, not just through them. Hitting a headwind means different gears. Rain means different clothes. It's a challenge. It calls for technique.

6. When I ride, I get different thoughts. Better thoughts. I think about song lyrics, like Dylan's "What looks large from a distance, close up ain't never that big." And other stuff like that.

7. When I ride, I don't use gas stations or parking lots.

8. When I ride, I can sometimes see my shadow move across the trees. And that projection reminds me of the thrill of being in a movie theatre.

9. When I ride, I can travel along the river, not just over it.

10. When I ride, it's with Shelagh. And we have done together for what is closing in on three decades.




Comments

  1. Unknown4 October 2012 at 19:30

    Glen, it's Karly (the bike traffic reporter) and Peter (from CJSR's Full English Breakfast). We'd love to interview you on the show. Can you contact us at bike@cjsr.com?

    ReplyDelete

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