The simple prospect of self-propelled locomotion is elegantly expressed in this vehicle of two wheels. Being a very efficient and affordable means of transportation, it offers a wide range of possibilities and opportunities for use and enjoyment.
While carrying gear more efficiently than a backpack. Like no other vehicle, the bicycle affords the user access to moments, spaces and experiences that are missed by swifter moving and enclosed vehicles.
Before we started this epic adventure of establishing a food forest and Permaculture homestead, we were really into biking. Before we met, we both rode the Pacific Coast of the USA following Hwy 1 (Ini went N to S and Wren S to N). Exploring the numerous forests and coastlines along the way as a trip of a lifetime. This mode of travel is exhilarating and enticing. The speed is human scale and the propulsion power is YOU! The forward momentum is decided and guided by your own volition and is a truly unique way to view and explore an area.
On a bike, one can feel the wind, taste the breeze (and pollutants, yuck!), stop at a moment’s notice to pick a flower or buy a cup of tea, and ride next to a friend, which is a very enjoyable activity.
By using our own bodies, we get a feel for the environment that we don’t get when surrounded by the body of a car. When enclosed in a car, we are listening to music or on a hands-free phone call, we are not listening to the song of birds or smelling the morning air.
When Wren lived in Pasadena, CA, she studied massage at a school about 10 miles from her home. Sometimes she biked these 10 miles to class (ultimately she got a moped). Whenever she allotted the time to bike to class, however, she noticed the flowers in bloom, the smog (yes, that’s a part of it, too!!), the way the fog rolled in and out in the morning, the sites and buildings on the way and the people waiting on the bus. Going slower on a bike (compared to car travel), affords these views. Cars often take the fastest routes, which means the highway- most bikes aren’t allowed on the highways and it is the off-roads where the treasures are found.
Ini was known for biking in the freezing cold winters of Manitoba. With balaclava on, gloves, and up to 4 layers and plenty of wool, he would bike to class and later to his employment. He chose this route of transportation because it was exhilarating, economical and accessible. Ini got to see the city from a whole new perspective and discover niches and birdsongs otherwise unheard.
Biking allows us to get in touch with the moment to moment happenings in ways cars never could. It is an excellent form of exercise, while also being an in-touch spiritual pursuit. Both of us have taken many bike trips and we will share the stories of those in posts to come. We hope you’ve remembered the awesome power of riding a bike through this post! Please resteem if you feel it.
