What a Quick Google Search Unveils: Gifts by way of Commuting by Bicycle

I continue to commute by bike through the winter. An almost pure solace radiates within as the sun hits the retina. My eyes open to a daily ritual . . .  

Riven down the green:

leaning forward to a way open,

diverged into the wider

spaces—quiet, wild,  alive. 

This brief reflection through the eyes of others, who too are learning and seeking to master the self over and against the fragmented world that falters in automation and reflects on the benevolence of commuting on a bicycle.

I can get places faster in town. [1]

I enjoy the exercise when I’m commuting. [1] The ‘feel better’ effects of moderate intensity exercise [2]

A high degree of commuting control and ‘arrival-time reliability’ [2] predictability [4]

Enjoyable levels of sensory stimulation [2] [7]

Greater opportunities for social interaction [2]

You can get back and connected to the nature around you with opportunities to stop and take in the surroundings [3]

The cultivation of personal sovereignty [personally not a slave to the car culture] and evading  paying (car) taxes.  [4][7]

Get to know your city and surroundings better [4]

A plethora of off road biking experiences [defined and many undefined which proved ample place to explore] [5] [6]

Being a part of a humanly necessary movement [6]

It’s fun—once you catch it, you are forever lost in the grandeur of an almost lost universal human phenomenon [7]

Sources:

[1] Katherine Unger Baillie, “The beauty of the two-wheeled commute” in Penn Today (May, 15, 2019). https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/beauty-two-wheeled-commute

[2] Kirsty Wild & AlistairWoodward, “Why are cyclists the happiest commuters? Health, pleasure and the e-bike in Journal of Transport & Health (Vol 14, Sept. 2019) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140518305255

[3] James Walsh and Guardian readers, “10 reasons hopping on your bike is the best thing ever” in The Guardian (Apr. 11, 2014). https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/bike-blog/2014/apr/11/10-reasons-hopping-on-your-bike-is-the-best-thing-ever

[4] Nigel Wynn, “Nine reasons why commuting by bike is surprisingly brilliant” in Cycling Weekly (Sept. 13, 2017) https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/nine-reasons-why-commuting-by-bike-is-surprisingly-brilliant-166717

[5] “Cycling” at Harrisonburg: Friendly by Nature  https://www.visitharrisonburgva.com/cycling/

[6] Caroline Kettlewell, “Riding Rocktown” in Virginia Living (Apr. 17, 2019)  http://www.virginialiving.com/health/riding-rocktown/

[7] Momentum Staff, “The Top 10 Reasons Everyone Should Bike to Work: Biking to work is fun, easy, and affordable, but that’s not all!” in Momentum Mag (June 2, 2015) https://momentummag.com/top-10-reasons-you-should-bike-to-work/