How I Found the JOY in Being Active – By Riding a Bike Again

I have not many bought many bikes. I was recently faced with a couple of aging bikes at my parents house. They live in an area where biking is really easy with bike lanes and neighborhood streets. I decided to go to a nearby famous retail store to purchase new bikes. After making two fine selections, I pulled them out of the rack. I pushed the bikes from the back of the large store to the front to pay. The trip through the store was a great journey. I had the opportunity to meet and briefly chat with at least 10 strangers who all wanted to comment on the bikes. Faces lit up and big smiles appeared. One lady came up as if we had been long lost friends to not only touch the bike but talk about how pretty is was and how she knew it would be great to take home. One salesperson exclaimed that she fully intended to buy one next spring. Persons would just gaze and smile hugely about the sight of a bike. Some folks said how lucky I was to have just purchased such a pretty bike. I should tell you that these bikes were the cheapest on the rack – nothing special. The sheer joy that I encountered was not due to any cutting edge fancy bike, but the plain Jane cruiser bike with no gears or air brakes.

What is it that resonates with all of these people that I encountered? I came to the conclusion that it brought back the joy of what it means to have a bike. We all remember that first experience of jumping on our bike as kids to be free and feel the wind in our face. Remember the freedom you felt of being able to ride with the wind.

You may remember this feeling from your youth. If so, go out and get yourself a bike and hop on, nothing comes back as easy as riding a bike. If not, it is never too late to relive your childhood. Find places in your community to ride such as trails, bike lanes or greenways. If you have children or grandchildren, take them with you. Grab your helmet and go!

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