Cycle Touring Through Life

I recently finished a 500-mile bike ride from NYC to Montreal with a friend. The days were long, hot, and beautiful. We passed scenic forests and historic sites, and got passed by giant semi-trucks nearly running us off the road. We ate, drank, and sweat several times our bodyweight over the course of a week. Upon arrival in Canada we were greeted with several rain showers and some delicious poutine. Somehow, my noble steed survived the return flight to NYC in a frankensteined case of discarded bread boxes. 

In the end it was an altogether, hectic, exhausting, monotonous and exhilarating week. And though I wouldn’t repeat this particular bike trip any time soon, I would happily hop on another as soon as I could. For you see – as I’ve discovered – the bike tour neatly encapsulates my approach to life in a much broader sense. 

As in life, I have a general timeframe and destination in mind before embarking on a bike trip. I know that it should take me roughly X number of days to reach XYZ destination, but beyond that I don’t do much calculating. I wake up each morning, see how I’m feeling, pick a target for the day, and start riding. There’s really no point in planning beyond that because – as in life – you never know when you’re going to get a flat tire, or if the weather is just so miserable that you need to stop riding, or if you happen upon a spectacular detour that takes you off your intended route for a bit. Indeed, when I start day one of a 500-mile bike trip I’m not thinking of how far away my final destination is. I’m only concerned about where I need to get to that day, and of course enjoying the sights and sounds around me along the way. 

Likewise, bike trips tend to be both beautiful and brutal. Sometimes you have a 6-mile climb on a busy road only to find that there’s no view at the top of the pass. Other times you’re cruising along the coast with the wind at your back while scream-singing your favorite tune. In either case, you get to know the land intimately as you experience it slowly change from the coast, to rolling hills, to mountains. You’re present and intentional with where you ride because you’re the one pedaling & steering the bike. You made the choice to dedicate your time, energy, and resources to the trip after all. 

Eventually you get to your final destination and realize that you’ve done it. Somehow, after hours and hours in the saddle, you’ve arrived. It’s a feeling of immense satisfaction and a touch of melancholy. Yet at the same time, you realize that it was never about reaching the destination in the first place. It was about the highs, lows, & shenanigans you had along the way. It was about all those experiences you never would have had if you didn’t say, Why not? I’ll ride my bike to Busan/Prague/Porto/Montreal. 

The first reaction I typically receive when telling someone about a bike trip is a mixture of bewilderment & concern. That’s amazing! How do you plan it out? Where do you sleep? What do you bring with you? What if something happens? Is it safe? How do you get your bike back home? Indeed, these are all valid questions to ask yourself before beginning a bike trip. For some of these I have answers. For others I can only figure it out along the way, and that’s alright. What I do know is that going on that metaphorical bike trip – whatever it is for you – is almost always better than not.

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