I feel like there's a certain stigma about cycling and healthy living that leads many people to believe you need to spend a whole lot of money on the latest, greatest gear, or a gym membership, or that you need to have some sort of special place to ride, and so on. Around here, I see a lot of people riding really expensive bikes, wearing cycling suits and fancy aerodynamic helmets on the trails, and then when the trail ends, they put their bikes onto their cars and go home. If you were to ask the average person what they think of when they hear the word "cyclist," I feel like this would be a typical image in their mind.
I feel these kinds of images inhibit a lot of people from getting interested in cycling, or being active in general. It makes being active or being a cyclist seem like a chore or simply unattainable, at least as I would view it if I hadn't changed my perspective awhile back.
Whether you've followed my cycling lifestyle for a long time or are new to this space, I want you to know that I've gone through a lot of changes as a cyclist, and because of cycling. I got really interested in biking because of a job that I took on a whim, which led me to make cycling a part of my daily life. Biking is a major factor in my continued progress towards a healthy, happy lifestyle.
I'm not a gym person. Or a running person. Or a training cyclist. Maybe you are one of these people, and if you are, that's awesome. I just don't operate that way because it feels like I would need to "build" activity into my daily schedule, and for a lot of people, this is a huge challenge. What works for me is making my daily routines as active as possible, like commuting:
If I don't commute for whatever reason, I've been able to find ways to ride a bike for small tasks, like picking up small groceries, going to the post office, the list goes on. I'd say 95% of my riding is on the road as opposed to the trail, wearing my everyday clothes. I'm not knocking anyone for getting geared up to go riding on a trail by any means. I'm simply saying that there are riders of all shapes and sizes, and cycling can fit into a lot more lifestyles than I think a lot of people realize.
As you can see, my everyday bike isn't super snazzy. I think all the bells, whistles, and accessories combined don't surpass $500. And I know it's not the prettiest, because the crate doesn't really match anything on the bike except for the lock cable. But, this setup has gotten me safely through thousands of miles, and it works great for most any kind of trip I throw into my day, be it commuting or deciding to take a pleasure ride on a camping trip like I did a few weeks back:
Or anything else in between, really. Like my friend Jason has quipped, it's not about spending a whole ton of money; it's about doing what you can with what you have. I think that about sums it up.
So if you haven't tried any of these little things yet, I'm asking you to at least give these ideas a thought. Instead of taking your car to go to the store for something small, see if you can walk or ride a bike. Try to do the same if you're going to visit a friend or family member, or if you're going out to dinner. I think you get the idea.
All this, inspired by a pleasant ride on a beautiful April afternoon. Have a great rest of your week, everyone, and happy riding!
30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 127.1
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