I started this blog for a lot of other reasons (which will likely be subjects for future posts), but one reason is to hopefully encourage anyone that might be on the bubble about whether or not to start biking regularly. If you are thinking about it, as I was around 9 years ago, my advice is to try it, and try it with a realistic set of expectations.
After 9 years of frequent biking, here is my take on some of the reasons to bike/not to bike (that is the question…for this post at least):
1. Health benefits. This will vary greatly depending on you…both your genetic makeup and level of activity. But in general, if you start biking a lot, expect to get in better shape, but don’t expect biking to transform you completely. Even if you get to where you are cresting mountains and/or clearing 150+ miles in a day, there’s at least a fair chance that you won’t look drastically different from your current body shape. But in the ways that matter (blood pressure, resting heart rate, etc.) your body will be different in a positive way.
2. A hobby. Again, this can vary greatly. You can spend a lot of time customizing and babying your own personal fleet of bikes if you want to…but if that’s not your thing or you just don’t have time, basic maintenance on a bike can be very quick and simple. If you’re like me, you will loathe bicycle maintenance when you first start, but over the years you’ll grow to actually enjoy working on your bike (especially once you get the right tools for the job). Also, biking doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby…thanks to Craigslist and other sites, a patient person who knows what they’re looking for can get a decent used bike for a fraction of a new bike’s cost.
3. The community or camaraderie. This can also–you guessed it–vary greatly. If you are looking for an extended family that will love you unconditionally, know that all humans form cliques, do harm to other humans, disregard rules of courtesy, etc….and bicyclists are no exception. That said, in my experience bicyclists are nicer on average than enthusiasts of other outdoor activities…and way nicer on average than people you will just meet in everyday life. If you are something of a loner (like me) bicyclists are usually respectful of that, and won’t get up in your business unless you are stranded on the roadside (or appear to be).
4. Something the whole family can do. Yes, this is true, but knowing the limits of your family members as well as your own is important, as it turns out (I learned this the hard way, as I have most of my lessons in this life). Most bicyclists with families that I know will go on different kinds of rides, each with a different aim/purpose: family rides are much different from grownup friends rides, which are both different from training rides. It should go without saying that small children shouldn’t be expected to go much further than a mile or two in a day, but you’d be surprised how many parents I see out on 20-mile or more event rides, with their tiny tots struggling behind them on their own little bikes. Don’t be them.
5. That feeling. I’ll be the first to admit cycling isn’t for everyone. And it is “for” people to different degrees…although in my opinion there is a clear line separating the “for” versus “not for” people. What is that line, you may ask? I have a fairly easy test: if you go cycling five different times, for at least an hour each time in good conditions, and don’t experience “the feeling” at least once, then chances are cycling is not for you. By “the feeling”, I mean something similar to what they call “runner’s high”, but from what I can figure it lasts longer and there isn’t much of a “crash” afterward. Anyway, you will know it if you feel it! This in my opinion is the best reason to get into cycling. The best part of it is that most people, if they stay in it, can keep getting “the feeling” by cycling well into their golden years. As Rick James once said about cocaine, “It’s a hell of a drug.”
A car is for getting you somewhere, but too fast and insulated to enjoy the trip. Walking or running just takes forever, and the scenery changes very slowly. Bicycling is the happy medium…you can go places, and actually experience all the places on the way. — Anonymous Bicyclist, to me, 2008
Bike Newbie 
🙂
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