The Acoustic Motorbike


One of my favourite "momentum" tunes is titled "The Acoustic Motorbike" by the Irish singer, Luka Bloom. Not only does this song have a sense of racing through green fields at an amazing pace with a overwhelming sense of freedom, but it's protagonists mode of transport is my preferred form of transportation: the bicycle.

I have had a few bikes over the years, and the intimacy one builds with their ride is much like the relationship that we would build with a person or pet. I find myself often building intimate relationships with the inanimate - books being another excellent example of this as one becomes enmeshed within a story.

I presently own two bikes. My Devinci Taos mountain bike is about 8 or 9 years old. It's nothing too fancy, but durable enough to take me over the intermediate trails that I tend to traverse in the Rocky Mountains and the Edmonton River Valley. I suppose I could upgrade, but I truly love this bike and feel that, more often than not, people tend to purchase bikes that far exceed their riding needs. Reliability and performance at one's own level is sufficient, and there are plenty of bicycles under $1000 that meet my needs perfectly, so I need not go nuts and spend $2000+ on a ride that has all the trappings demanded by professional or competitive advanced riders.

I just purchased my newest bike, an Electra Relic cruiser, a few weeks ago. To pay for it, I sold my Giant Peleton 8000 road bike, which didn't see much road time due to the hectic highways around Edmonton and was relegated to my indoor trainer. I wanted a cruiser bike to use as a commuter to work (paniers, etc. to haul my marking and other teaching supplies), but I also wanted to get a bike whose purpose was to take it slow and smell the roses. When riding my mountain or road bikes, I usually go all out, even if just commuting to meet friends at a cafe or whatever. As I tend to push myself to the max (sometimes in an unhealthy manner, over-training, etc.), I wanted to purposely get a bicycle that would compel me to embrace a slow and easy approach. So far so good.

So, through cycling, as with my Yoga, meditation, etc., I am seeking that balance that, hopefully, will translate into the other corners of my life. Too much intensity is just as bad as too little. It all makes me happy as I do what I like and like what I do.

...and it also lessens my environmental footprint and saves on gas money - it's all good karma!