Sometimes, especially when the winter starts to get pretty rough, I find a lot of people giving me an odd look when I clamber into a room on campus or at a cafe with a helmet in my arms. This typically happens when there’s a fresh layer of snow outside, because people deduce pretty quickly that I just rode there in that. It’s a strange feeling, because I can’t ever tell whether people are looking at me in awe of my commitment to getting around everywhere via bicycle, or if they think I’m an imbecile. My family prefers the latter, but I try not to let that faze me too badly, because I know they’re just concerned about how I get my kicks sometimes. Doing the Traffic Tango with cars that are 20 times my weight every morning is a much more potent wake-up ritual than a cup (or several) of coffee, but it’s becoming a way of life for me, and I’m finding that it gives me a lot of ideas about how I should be living my life as a whole.
1. I can’t teleport places instantly; nobody can.
For a lot of people, driving somewhere acts as a transition between events, especially when it’s a daily commute. We have a tendency to use this time as empty space, and we sometimes forget that it takes time to get places. It makes people impatient when something disrupts this space, which can help to explain why 80% of all drivers have expressed significant anger behind the wheel. As a cyclist, I see every commute as a unique experience, and I’m willing to let things cost me a few seconds. While this sounds small, I’ve found it allows me to start my day with much less anxiety about running late for things, and I’m able to hold myself more responsible if I don’t make it somewhere on time.
2. I’ve been lucky in the past, but I won’t live forever.
Hundreds of cyclists die each year on their way to/from work. I’ve had my fair share of close calls with cars passing too close or ice patches getting the better of me, and it’s given me a very small, manageable amount of existential dread. While this would be a deal-breaker for most reasonable people, I see this as a way to make life a little bit more poignant for me. I know some half-witted student could end up trading my life for a Snapchat notification as 9 people are killed by distracted drivers every day, and it makes me rearrange my priorities when I consider what I should really be worried about in day-to-day life. I don’t very easily get stressed out about small things like assignments for school or social pressures, because I have a general gratefulness for being alive that allows me to see those everyday stresses as a reminder that I’m still here.
3. When you do something for long enough, it becomes your way of life.
Every time I get a ride to class from a friend, I feel genuinely strange. Being carted across campus in the blissful incubation of a heated car feels like a luxury to me, not because I don’t have a car, but because it feels like a special treat. With this, though, I feel like my whole day’s schedule is upended when I have to get a ride back to my apartment, or walk (gasp!). When people tell me it’s not normal to be riding my bike everywhere, I feel the need to remind them that it’s only abnormal for them, because I’ve gotten to a point at which I can’t imagine myself getting around town any other way. I know people who will take this to extremes by biking everywhere (including inter-state journeys), but I’ve decided the daily commute is enough to stimulate me and keep me active year-round. I don’t do it to spite anyone, and I certainly don’t do it to make anyone else late for work; rather, I simply have an enjoyment for starting my day with a little adventure as often as I can, and I think it could transform how other people start their days, too.
This take on biking around as transportation is a fresh one. As someone who also rides a bike to navigate the campus and downtown (not much as you), I can agree with most of these statements, specifically the claim of taking responsibility of lost time. There are many times where I have abused the fact that I can cut in half the time it takes to get across campus when I end up just walking into class as attendance is being taken. As an year-round biker, what are some tips you have for biking in the winter?
My advice is always just to know your area and be prepared to take alternative routes! Campus is usually pretty neat, but there’s always one spot that is infuriatingly filled in. I’d also say to add about ten minutes onto your estimated riding time. I’ve had pretty bad luck the past few days, because the driveway leading out of my apartment has been a solid sheet of ice that has forcefully encouraged me to give “surprise butt sledding” a try.