>>1383742>>1383754Steve Jobs compared the bicycle to the modern personal computer quite famously:
"I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer. Humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing about a third of the way down the list, but then someone at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle and it blew the condor away. That's what a computer is to me, it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
I hate running and when I picked up biking I was amazed at how far I could go. Earlier this summer I went on a 50 miler and it was the best single day of the year so far. I could not imagine running 1/5th of that. I can ride to the next town over or a couple of miles down the road to my friend's house for dinner. It's so nice to just hop on a bike and away you go.
Part and parcel of the greater distance you can cover pedaling vs walking or running is, that while you are moving faster relative to foot traffic, you are still moving slow enough to drink in the environment around you. My eyes take in so much that I miss in a car, and my ears seem to be sponge for all manner of sounds. And the smells, I was really surprised and how often I smelled weed while riding in the city and more populated areas. Bakeries are awesome as well. A bicycle further enriches your surroundings, I don't take the birds singing for granted anymore, and I carry treats for the dogs and cats I know that I'll be passing by.
Perhaps the most important aspect that augments previous stated reasons, cycling is very much a zen/meditation activity. You have to be in the moment, focused on the present. The mind and the body are working in concert. The bike itself completes the zen triumvirate, truly becoming an extension of the body.
I am enamored with my bicycle, planning to buy at least two more.
