A Two-Wheeled Wonder

The day the purple bike came home, it was smuggled away and hidden. 

It came from the local dump, and it was not in great shape. A BMX with a purple frame and white handgrips, the paint was peeling, the seat was missing. But the bike screamed with potential, and a month later it was presented to the birthday boy in all it’s new shiny green painted splendor. Lovingly restored for the boy who never quit moving. There’s something about a bike.

A bicycle is a commendable mode of transportation in all societies all over the globe. In cultures with fewer modernities, a bicycle can be the means to securing a good job, and can also be seen as a symbol of status in a community. In advanced cities, it is seen as an environment efficiency- classic bikes avoid carbon emissions and fossil fuel consumption. Bike couriers have been around for decades, even dating back to 1894 when a railway strike precipitated the idea of a route from Fresno to San Francisco. In large centres where traffic is hectic and parking problematic, a bicycle offers solutions to both of these. In smaller and rural communities, a bicycle can even save time getting to school or work- it takes time to warm up a vehicle and defrost windshields in colder climates, and it’s hard on a vehicle to only go short distances when it’s colder than -20°C.

Bikes can also be seen as a healthy choice- a means to move the body in a world of stationary careers spent in front of monitors. Whether mountain biking up and down challenging forest paths, shaving time off laps on a speedbike, or just out for some fresh air with friends, bicycling is a great form of exercise. There has been a large uptick in spin class popularity in the last decade, both for the health benefits AND the adrenaline rush of being in a dynamic, high-excitement environment. Pedal desks are increasingly popular for those who love to move but also love to get work done.

There is no shortage to the variety of bicycles on the market. Choosing a regular riding location is essential before going shopping for 2 wheeled machines. Tires and bike types are dictated by whether you ride mountain paths, gravel, dirt, pavement, or even lakes or oceans. There are options of many kinds for different accessibility needs. Accessories abound as well, headlights, tail lights, reflectors and aids for holding water bottles, phones, and almost anything you can think of.

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike,”  says John F. Kennedy. And if it’s true, then choosing to pick up one’s bicycle and take it for a spin seems like the perfect antidote to any melancholy afternoon.