I’m in the market for a new bike.
It occurred to me that I know how to ride a bike, but there is absolutely no bike in the house. Also, I’ve never bothered learning how to drive a car. I know, in the movies it’s a skill that comes in handy for the characters (taking a road trip, driving the getaway car, escaping from the pursuing villain, etc.), but I just haven’t thought of enrolling in a driving school. See, in the past I’ve always gotten by commuting and being chauffeured by members of the public transport, but now I think it’s high time to get a bike.
Of course, this bike-related article is being written in light of Elon Musk finally unveiling his plans for the Hyperloop. It’s revolutionary and high-speed (Look Ma, San Francisco to Los Angeles in just 30 minutes). A bike is certainly no match for that, but in an age where we rush to get from point A to B, there’s still something to be said for the good ol’ traditional way of biking.
Apparently, if it’s your first time to buy a serious bike (serious, as differentiated from the casual, easy-going bikes of my childhood), shopping around can be heady business. I didn’t even know bikes can be as complicated as a full-sized automobile. There’s so many factors to consider, so many bike parts and technical jargon to take note of. All I wanted was a mid-range model–not too basic, not too overly complicated. But as of writing this, I still haven’t made up my mind.
I do know the benefits of biking though. Let me count the ways.
1. Biking is good for the body. It’s exercise, so naturally it’s good for the heart, for the muscles, for the immune system. In short, it’s good for your life.
2. Biking has low impact on the knees. Biking puts less stress on your knees compared to running where your knees and other joints are on tremendous impact as you strike the ground.
3. Today’s generation is less interested in owning a car. Trends are showing a decline in car ownership among the millenials. Whereas in the past, owning a car was a rite of passage, nowadays that isn’t so much of a big deal for young people. We’re living in a society that’s interconnected in more ways than one (the Internet, social networks, smartphones), and the online experience is steadily replacing the physical distance which cars used to bridge.
4. Biking lets you explore the world in ways you cannot when you’re driving a car. Bikers can band together and go on biking tours. One of the benefits of biking is that they you can enjoy the scenery you pass by, you can stop to smell the proverbial roses, and you can bike at your own leisure. Let’s see car drivers do that.
5. Obviously, biking is less expensive than driving around in a car. When you think about the rising price of gasoline and the costs of maintaining a car (all those inevitable repairs and car insurance), there’s definitely big savings to look forward to hassle-free biking.
6. Biking has a small carbon footprint. Drive a car and you spew carbon dioxide along the way. Ride a bike and you have none of that.
7. Biking brings back the good old days. Whenever I think of a bike, I’m always reminded of that Italian film The Bicycle Thief. This classic 1948 film is beyond sad: Father and son look for their stolen bike which the father needs for his job in going around town, pasting movie posters on the walls. Out of desperation, the father steals an unattended bike, only to be caught by an angry mob. Of course, with its bleak premise, I realize this is not the movie with which to endorse a bike, but it’s a good film. You’ll find lots of movies glorifying cars (Didn’t we just have Fast and Furious 6 recently?), but all those six films in the series don’t match up to the cinematic beauty of The Bicycle Thief.
8. You’re in the company of celebs who also ride their bikes. To name a few, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Josh Groban, John Kerry, David Bryne, Robin Williams, Daniel Day-Lewis all enjoy bike rides. These famous people don’t make biking look cool; biking is cool in itself.
More Benefits of Biking
Of course, with this list I don’t intend to demonize car driving. Driving cars is OK too, as long as we do it responsibly. And even biking is not all that green either, considering the non-bio-degradeability of carbon fiber, a popular material for bikes nowadays.
Right now though, my money is on the bike.
