have you met someone who does not have any memories from a bicycle? Some of us have had a bicycle, or two, or three around, over the course of our life. Also a collection of memories, scrapes and scars from times going up and down our childhood neighborhood. Scars and memories are also gained from serious races. A bicycle race is a: pay to go ride the very same route you do often for free, but instantly make you feel confident.
In addition to those “battle scars” and finishing medals won over rides/ races, we have memories. Fun, silly, epic, and at times imaginary memories. There are memories of things we did and places we saw while going far, fast, slow or really really slow.
Memories of a Cyclopath.
- Hold me, don’t let the bicycle go, I am going to fall, helpppp, ouch.
- Hold the bicycle, don’t push me, OK push the bicycle, looook… I can do it.
- Watch this (often ending bad, very bad).
- I want to go fast, ‘Dios mio” I am going to crash, I am going crash…ohh noo, my bike, Duck!!.
- That trail was insane.
- Remember the bike-packing trip? We got such bad sleep!
- Did you do the 24 hour ride? yes! and I crashed onto a tree and went to sleep.
- Hey do you want to play? Yes! I am coming, let me get the bicycle.
Amusing around Colombia, the United States, Costa Rica, Spain, and Mexico on a bicycle has given me the best memories. Yes! because if it wasn’t for the bicycle I most likely would have never seen the trails, bike paths, coast lines, and the different neighborhoods of those wonderful places.
Through my adventures, I have met amazing people, felt a great deal of freedom, bursts of dopamine lasting days. I Have also, felt exhausted, frustrated, experienced pain, hunger, thirst and often I have wanted to leave the bicycle behind (or throw it off a cliff). Despite cursing, and quitting bicycles in my mind, I get back on the bike, feet on the pedals, and realize that the bicycle is like an extension of my body and my mind, and all I have to do is to figure out how to make the ride better for me.
Riding a bicycle should be fun, effortless (right until you find yourself at the bottom of a hill, but that is a story for another day). Today let’s mention the benefits that bicycles can add to our lives.
Neurotransmitters on Wheels.
Habitual exercise is proven to help the brain release dopamine, and serotonin. Dopamine is a powerful neurotransmitter involved in sensory perception (Seeing, hearing, memory, emotions, speech, motivation), and the reward/reinforcement center. While dopamine helps with sensory perception, Serotonin, on the other hand, is the happy hormone. As a result, serotonin makes us smile when we ride, and improves our r sleep cycles, appetite, mood, and memory (I know that biking makes me a better person, allows me to eat a whole burrito, and sleep like a baby).
Don’t Cry Just Ride.
We all know that pressurization from work, relationships, finances and more stuff leads to stress. Despite our efforts to master stress, we all have experienced the effects. While a little stress makes us productive, repeated levels of stress leads to poor sleep, that simply affects our mood. A bad mood is not attractive, but going out for a bike ride is.
To achieve that sensational good vibes feeling we need to lower cortisol and adrenaline levels. Above all, those two chemicals are responsible for causing stress if the levels are out of wack. The good thing is that cycling a little can help your body balance out the different chemicals, and give you a feeling of well-being plus an instant benefit known as fitness.
It Does Not Get Easy, But You Get Faster.
Happiness isn’t around the corner; however, cycling or any type of exercise, can reduce depression. But I choose cycling because it is what I like. Going out for a bike ride can help you quickly disconnect from the daily routine. Riding outdoors makes the mind focus on breathing, pedaling, and balancing on the bike. Riding outdoors is a moving meditation time that allows me to push everything that may be going on in my life outside of my mind.
Strong Is Sexy… and The legs Of Course.
Surprisingly, fitness comes to those who are too busy to look for it. In addition to regulating hormones and chemicals in our body, riding a bike has the potential to boost our self-esteem. It is proven that a bike ride can help burn between 400 to 700 calories per hour. It helps improve the cardiovascular system by making the heart pump more efficiently. Lung capacity becomes better, and improves muscle tone. All of those changes combined result in an increased metabolism that leads to weight control, more stamina, and less shopping for new jeans.
There are a lot of benefits from riding a bicycle, but there is also a lot of stuff that makes riding a bicycle challenging. This bike enthusiast Quokka will be sharing what she has learned over the years from riding a bicycle around and what has made this activity more enjoyable. For now think about the health benefits you are about to get from having fun.