Today is National Bike to Work Day. I originally published this post for Light and Motion in May 2011. While not everything is the same as last May, this post still captures exactly what “Bike to Work” means for me. I’d love to hear what “Bike to Work” means for you.
May might be Bike to Work Month, but for me the entire year is about riding my bike to work since riding my bike IS my work. And my “office” isn’t in one single location but it’s in a variety of places across the globe. In the month of May alone, I will be in Silver City, NM, Fayetteville, AR, St Louis, MO, and Los Gatos, CA. That’s not even taking into account all the incredible areas I get to ride that are right outside my door in Ft Collins, CO.
As a professional cyclist, most of my riding takes on a structured format these days, but I hold close to my heart all the reasons we ride – in May or any other month of the year.
We ride to get from Point A to Point B. We ride to get there faster than the cars contending with traffic. We ride to increase our connection to our surroundings. We ride to feel good about ourselves. Maintain fitness. Gain confidence. We ride to hammer and redefine personal limitations. We ride to slow down and gain clarity. We ride to make new connections and to disconnect. We ride for transportation. For competition. For fun.
Some days I ride for fun, some days I ride for my job, but every day I recognize how lucky I am to have a job that lets me see the world on two wheels.