Posted by Ben Averbuch · September 28, 2020 11:41 AM
Riding is my escape. Nothing beats picking a point on a map and going there, solo or even better with my friends. Biking has allowed me to experience so much of Greater Boston and have a great time doing it. However far, biking is a chance for me to clear my head and experience new places and is something I can turn to when my day to day is too much.
Posted by Eric Jensen · September 28, 2020 10:31 AM
Sept 19 through Sept 27, I rode in honor of my father Henry Jensen.
Saturday morning my father went to Heaven. He was not just my dad – he was my friend. In his actions not words, he taught me values that I can only hope to emulate in his love for the Lord and his love for others. He will be missed - but I know he is in a far better place now!
I held my father's hand as he ascended at 1:35 AM on Saturday 9/19, went home flooding my wife with tears and mounted my bike to what turned into a week of honoring and remembrance of my dad - doing what i enjoy the most - riding my bike.
My early ride starts alone in the quietness and peacefulness of the night provided me with clear thoughts of special moments with my dad; looking to the stars, hearing waves hit the shore, feeling the mist in the valleys and bogs, and experiencing the sunrise to each new day.
9 days. 9 rides. 919 miles for my dad.
I love you Dad.
Posted by Ben Averbuch · September 23, 2020 12:18 PM
I ride to turn transportation into exploration. Biking is the most efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable method of transit in a city like Boston, and being able to add an element of curiosity and freedom to daily commutes or routine errands allows for spontaneity and variety. Biking breaks down barriers between you and the rest of the city: figuratively and literally. Most importantly, it's the perfect activity to clear your head after a long day or to fill it with new ideas.
Posted by Ben Averbuch · September 14, 2020 11:32 AM
I ride my bike because it gives me a sense of freedom.
Freedom from the fake parts of the world. Freedom from the confines of my block or my apartment. Freedom from laziness. Freedom from the grip of the international oil trade. Freedom from the running thoughts in my mind. Freedom to explore. Freedom to learn. Freedom to exist.
Being able to bike is how I can be part of the landscape of a certain place. I am able to learn the streets better, see more, experience more. I'm able to express myself through my riding style--somethings chill and relaxed, sometimes fast and aggressive, sometimes steady and focused, sometimes energized, and sometimes totally exhausted.
Biking has shown me a lot about life. There are times when I feel fantastic! I feel like I can bike forever with no problems. Then I have moments when I just want to stop and never bike again. At the end of the day, there's no option but to keep peddling until I reach my destination.
Life is just that. No matter what, all we can do in this life is continue peddling. There are moments of rest and recovery, but those are short-lived. There are moments of intense effort and exhaustion, but those too are temporary. The only constant is the pushing of the pedals; one way or another we just have to keep moving towards our destination.
Until we can't keep peddling.
Biking has showed me how fleeting life is. Human life is so fragile. One wrong move and my life could be significantly altered, or completely ended. It's part of the experience of biking. It's part of the experience of life.
To me, riding my bike is how I live. It is life itself.
Through my bike I can break down human barriers. I meet new people, see new places, experience a new life, even if it's just for a short moment. It's how I express myself. It's how I rebel against society-- I take over the streets, blast music as I bike, I tell society; "this is me. I am here. I don't care what you think. I deserve to be here too. I deserve to be the ultimate expression of myself".
Biking is empowerment. Biking is community. Biking is health. Biking is emotion. Biking is triumph. Biking is tragedy.
Biking is love.
Posted by Ben Averbuch · September 04, 2020 1:42 PM
Although I have been biking most of my life, I rarely use it to commute. I see biking as a way to reinvent how I move and navigate space. When I started doing BMX, protrusions, railings, and other things people viewed as obstacles I saw as opportunities for a new form of movement, creating tricks and getting inventive. The same thing happened with the wilderness when I started mountain biking. For me, biking is not just about getting places faster, but traversing space in a new, less inhibited way.
Posted by Paul Cacolice · September 03, 2020 4:11 PM
I ride....
To find a new way, to find a new destination, or to find some peace in my own mind.
To get to work, to get a coffee, to get something from a shop downtown.
To break a sweat, to break a PR, to break a funky mood.
To cross bridges, especially when others think they go 'nowhere'.
Posted by Benjamen Wetherill · September 01, 2020 9:48 PM
I ride because it is more fun and often more convenient than driving. When I ride to work, I don't have to pay for parking or gas and there is no concern about traffic. If I want to take the T downtown, the fastest and cheapest way to get from my house to the T-station is by bike, and I don't have to worry about parking when I get there. When I go to the hardware store or the grocery store, it is much more fun to go by bike than by car. I'm so happy with the saddle bag I bought for carrying groceries. I ride my bike because it is more comfortable than getting in and out of a hot stuffy car. I ride my bike because I feel so much better physically after the ride than after driving in a car. And, on top of all that, I ride my bike because it creates zero pollution or noise. But, I don't necessarily encourage my family to ride, because our streets aren't safe enough for bikes. I want to see separated bike ways throughout the city so others can experience the freedom of biking as I do.
Posted by George Kohout · September 01, 2020 6:12 PM
Why I Ride
I ride because it beats walking
I ride because it lets me hear, see and smell the world around me
I ride because I can say hello and smile to other bicyclists & walkers
I ride because my bike bell sounds so much cooler than a car’s horn
I ride because it’s a small thing I can do to fight climate change
I ride because I want to be an example to my children, neighbors and youngsters
I ride because our bicycle community rocks!
Posted by Catherine Dollard · September 01, 2020 9:15 AM
WHY do I ride? I ride because it makes me feel good! I LOVE the feeling of the roll from that first pedal stroke. Its a GREAT way to see the world - not too fast, not too slow. I feel awake and energized when I arrive to work on my bike. I know I am not using fossil fuels.
Posted by Stacey King · August 24, 2020 9:45 AM
Why I ride: As an adult, I rediscovered bike riding and gained newfound appreciation for the freedom a bike provides. I started incrementally - riding to the T station and nearby shops until one day taking the plunge and riding the 6 miles to work with a group of LMA colleagues during Bike Week 2015. From there, I was hooked and starting riding my bike EVERYWHERE! Then, I got a set of bar mitts and studded tires and now I'm a year-round bike rider. I love having the option to be multi-modal by pairing my bike with public transportation and appreciate the freedom of no longer being reliant on a car for most trips. I save so much money and by traveling in a more physically active way I hope to reduce my risks of some of the health challenges present in my family.
Why Priscilla rides: because what kind of dog mom would I be if I didn't let my fuzzy barnacle have her own bikejoy - you see so many more squirrels by bike than you do looking out the window at home!
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