I’m taking a little time off this week to recover from surgery. While I’m away, some of my fellow bloggers are helping me keep things going over here. (Thank you!)
Today’s post comes from Lance at The Jungle of Life. Stop by and visit when you get a chance for some great conversation about life and personal growth.
“Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world.” ~ Grant Petersen
Remember those days as a kid? Your freedom was that two-wheeled wonder.
The bicycle.
Maybe it had a banana seat (mine did). Maybe it had multiple speeds (a three speed – wow!). Maybe you even had something with big foam handlebar covers (am I dating myself at all?).
A way to get around. That’s what I remember. And I didn’t think about it having any other benefits than that.
Have you noticed any shifts? As you’ve gotten older, have you ridden that old bike in the garage less? Have you sold it at the annual subdivision garage sale to free up some space? Have you purchased something new, and it just sits there collecting dust?
It’s time to dig that bike back out (or pick up a new one).
Mountain bikes, cruiser bikes, road bikes, trick bikes. Lots of choices.
And lots of benefits to riding that bicycle too!
Ride for the health of it…
- Physical health: Getting out and riding you bike is good for your body. There are numerous benefits to your muscles, your cardiovascular system, and to your joints. All while getting a better view of the sights and sounds around you!
- Mental health: Riding your bike can be a great way to clear your head. Find a trail or a quiet street, and head on out. Just you and the world around you. And you’ll be amazed at what you “see”, and if you also listen carefully, you’ll see not only the sights around you, also some within you as well. And that can be very mentally refreshing!
- Earth health: Riding that bike of yours is good for the environment. Think of all the emissions that car you own emits. And your bike: none! There’s no pollution is using a bike!
- Financial health: Maybe it’s time to consider commuting to work by bike. Or visits to local places you frequent – try biking there. Once you’ve bought the bike and any accessories (like a helmet!), costs are pretty minimal (maybe a tune up every so often). No fuel to buy. No expensive trips to the auto repair shop.
Improve your health, and the health of our planet. Get your bike out and ride! Start with short trips if it’s been a while. Find a buddy to ride with. Bike to work. Find a trail. Join a bicycling group. Ride your bike to the grocery store (or the local ice cream shop!). The choices are almost endless. And the benefits are great!
Have fun and be safe! And enjoy that two-wheeled wonder once again…
[...] Join me over at Sahar’s very wonderful and resource-rich site, where I’m talking about the benefits of brushing the dust off the bicycle you have hanging in your garage. Let’s "Ride For The Health of It"! [...]
Fatfighter: have a good recovery.
Hi Lance,
My husband is an avid mountainbiker. He participates in raids and such. I accompany him usually with the kids. I used to bike with him and have done a few mountaintops in France that I am proud of.
Lately my biking is reduced to pushing the little one on the tricycle and help the 3 year old to learn how to bike. We do pack the kids into the little trailer sometimes and just go for a spin.
But I get what you mean.
All of what you have described above I get from running. Different sport and sensation I admit. The serious biking will come back once the kids can join us.
Thanks for sharing.
M
Hi Lance! Wonderful to see your article over here as well as check out the other great posts on this site! Great advice about bike riding…I remember when I was a teenager, a woman I used to babysit for who lived down the street, started riding her bike around the neighborhood for fitness. She had one of those beach cruiser bikes. It was so cool to see her riding by each night, sitting up straight, always a smile on her face, and about an hour later, riding by in the opposite direction back to her house. Your article took me back to that memory-of witnessing joy in another, on a bike. Thanks!! Great article!
Sahar — This is my first visit to your site, but it won’t be my last. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Lance — I follow you to some of the most interesting places on the blosphere. I love how you are always willing to help other bloggers. You are a kind man, Lance.
Regarding biking, I never got to bike as a kid. I grew up in an orange grove and bikes didn’t work well in the sand we had. I did however eventually learn, but I sort of missed the bonding period.
On the other hand, I loved watching my kids learn. My youngest, the daredevil, would get up and go for it, even if she fell multiple times. My eldest waited and watched, but when you got on her first bike, she took off.
I don’t really bike, but I do love to walk. Oddly, I am a great fan of bike races. Go figure:~)
Great advice Lance. I love watching the bike riders at the park where I walk sometimes. There is a young lady there who I have watched make so much improvement in her bike riding. It was very slow at first, but now she flies by and she has lost a lot of weight – probably just from that.
Very inspirational and so nice of you to help your friend out here while she is recovering.
Ha. I learned to ride a bike at age 35. Yes, thirty five. But I love it now. We all go for bike rides on the weekends, and when my husband an I go to Napa, we take really long bike rides around the vineyards – gorgeous!
I was just telling my husband the other day – we haven’t ridden our bikes – mountain or rode – all season! They are prepped and ready to go…but no ride…this weekend, they’re coming out for all the reasons mentioned above! And my body needs a break from running, biking is “easier” on the body!
Hi Lance!
We are on the same page, my friend. I’ve commuted, relaxed, raced, sung, and chillaxed with my road bike.
I enjoyed reading this and support you 100%! Bicycles change lives!
And right on: some of my best ideas came while out there riding.
Love it, Lance!!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Sahar. It was a pleasure to visit your site today.
Hi Lance. This was a great post reminding us to take care of ourselves and the environment.
Reading this made me want to revert back to childhood for sure. I love riding my bike with my dog walking beside me, but my favorite is riding by myself. It’s so much fun. There’s no real restrictions that way – at least in my neighborhood… I can ride fast or slow and it is just such a relaxing thing to do. It relaxes my mind and body.
Another way this could be financially beneficial is because it can be a means of entertainment – and it’s free. Can’t be beat. Free exercise, free mental relaxation, free entertainment, free transportation. Just all around good.
Hi Lance: I love bike riding. When I lived in Washington, DC I would go bike riding every afternoon when the weather permitted, mostly down to the mall (where all of the monuments are). Bike riding gives me a sense of freedom and well-being.
Here in Panama I sometimes go bike riding in the Causeway, which is a thin strip of land that joins the mainland with a few small islands. You have the ships that are going to cross the Panama Canal or that have just crossed floating by you.
Hey Lance, as a kid, my siblings, cousins and I used to create racing tracks and spend hours going around and around on our bikes. They were great times. I miss my bright blue Malvern Star.
I was reintroduced to bike riding whilst living in Banff, mostly as a means of transport. I’d forgotten how good it was to be out and about on a bike though.
Sahar,
It’s great to be here today, thanks so much for your warm hospitality! And know that I hope surgery went well for you, and that you are well along that road to complete recovery.
@Mimi – Very cool, Mimi! I’m not sure how I’d handle a mountain (we have hills…and they’re challenging…a mountain…yikes!). And running is good too, or just getting out and playing with your kids! You are doing awesome!
@Jodi – Hi Jodi. Sahar has some great material, I think you’ll enjoy your visit here. Bikes can just be a great “other way” to see your surroundings…and see them from a different perspective. Thanks for sharing your story from when you grew up.
@Sara – Thanks much, Sara. And I’ve really found this place here that Sahar has created to be a great source of health and wellness information, so it’s my complete pleasure to share some of my own insights here today. So maybe it’s living vicariously through your kids! And walking’s great anyway! Keep on doing that…it’s a great way to get some exercise and just plain feel good!
@Lynn – Biking is a great form of exercise, and that is low stress on the joints as well. Good for you getting out there and walking. And good for her – taking control and making exercise a priority!
@Vered – Well, there you go – you can learn to bike whenever, right! That’s so awesome, Vered! The older we get, the easier it becomes to say “no” to these things that we’ve never done before. But look! HOw much fun you’re having! And what a gorgeous place to cruise around on – in the vineyards!
@Stacey Shipman – Oh, I completely understand about the “easier on the body” part. Running definitely can put some stress on the legs! And not that running is bad – it’s not. Just that mixing it up is a good thing too. Happy biking to you and Mr. Shipman!!
@Lori – Hi Lori. And that’s all so awesome! So good to hear how you’ve enjoyed the bike. Yes, biking has just become a really good time for me to think. Sometimes it’s nothing…and sometimes it’s some really good stuff! And it’s all very connecting for me. Thanks for sharing about your biking experiences.
@Jennifer – Hi Jennifer. What a great way to take the dog for a walk – I love it! And I also know what you mean about solitary rides. These are the ones for me that just engage my mind into a deeper part of me. And in the normal “busy-ness” of life, that’s a place that otherwise can get neglected. And free entertainment – it sure is, isn’t it! The list grows – biking is just looking better and better!
@Marelisa – Hi Mare. There is a freedom about biking. I wonder if that has something to do with the wind in your hair, being outside, and just being able to go? I think it might. And what a view that must be in Panama! How cool!
@Sami – So you raced your bikes…I’m guessing that may have led to a band-aid or two throughout the years! As Marelisa mentioned, biking does have a very freeing quality – and one that really does provide a different view of the world. One that’s good to see. Great having you here today Sami!
Hi Lance and Sahar .. biking is so easy for kids .. it’d be great if they could persuade their parents to get on and have fun together – as Vered’s done.
I remember being completely free biking around the village as a kid, and in fact in the garden. The new bike routes we’ve got are wonderful .. and there are so many places to see – ride through the woods, or forests .. we have a Cuckoo Trail – brings Spring and that wonderful evocative sound to life.
I have a fold up bike that I use .. I have to say occasionally .. but it’s proved its usefulness when I was freer.
Great to be here and see Sahar’s site – hope her op goes well .. all the best
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
Oh Lance. I swapped a brand new, never rode before mountain bike for this broke down jolopy of a bike that squeals when you hit the brakes.
All because the new bike was slightly larger than I wanted. What the heck! I could be biking my way to your house right now. (my legs would probably fall off, but I’d be there for coffee)
Now that I’m living in Chicago, we use our bikes all the time. It is so much faster than driving and I love the feeling of passing the cars as they sit in traffic. The city is working on making the streets even more biker friendly by adding more bike lanes and more bike locks. Now if they could just fill all those dangerous potholes!!!
Sara – Thanks for the healing thoughts last week! I am feeling a little better every day.
Lori – Thanks for the well wishes on my site last week!
Hilary – Thanks for stopping by last week. And I appreciate your well wishes.
Ummm… Katie, when did you move to Chicago? Did I miss something???