On bicycles and getting lost

Since my childhood, I’ve always had bicycles and I can’t remember when I started loving them. I always assumed everybody loved them. Only later in life, I realised that some people never wanted to ride bicycles. Many people a never learned how to ride one. Isaac Asimov, the guy who wrote Foundation and imagined Three Laws of Robotics had no idea how it feels travelling on two wheels. People fear accidents, dislike rain or think they are not fit enough. They don’t know what they are missing.

For many years, I lived in Istanbul, probably one of the least bicycle friendly cities in the world. Cycling in a metropolis is a huge cost and risk. Still not a reason to not ride. Still, living in a city where you can use your bicycle on a daily basis is a true blessing. If you are one of those luck people, you should thank your stars. I hope someday I can live in place where not owning a car is not weird and cycling is the norm. That would be a happy place to live.

I never considered myself a “cyclist”. It was never been purely a tool for “exercise” for me. I never “raced” with a bicycle, yet. A couple of years ago, I decided to give it a try and even hired a coach. We should all try new things, right? Well I tried, at least for a couple of weeks. Then one day my coach told me that ultimately I have to buy wattmeters, an indoor trainer and a series of other electronic gadgets to measure my power, cadence and god knows what else. I understand the reason why cyclists use all those things and I am sure they are all necessary to reach racing perfection. I just did not want to train like that. The idea of spending more time on the trainer pushed me away. Although I tried using the indoor trainer with for some time, I was never able to get used to it. It is boring. Period. I understand that it helps a lot of people but I simply don’t think it is fun. Recently I see more and more people are training with apps and meeting up in virtual events. I don’t think I will ever go that way. Call me a snob or purist but to really appreciate a bicycle, one should go places with it. One should ride in rain, feel the wind, sunshine and the road flowing behind. I will always ride but perhaps I will never be a “cyclist”.

In 2010, I treated myself to a Merida Big Nine. It is a big, heavy, ugly bicycle but it is also very comfortable and stable like an oil tanker. During summers, I used to haul the heavy behemoth to Bodrum where flat roads are a rarity. Sure, I wasn’t fast as I could be, but this bike made me stronger runner and helped me through my worst injuries.

Once, I almost killed myself on this bike while trying something, but this is another story. Don’t try stupid things on two wheels.

Later on, when most of my running buddies turned into Ironman’s overnight, I wanted to give road bikes a shot. If fact, I had no other choice because in order to keep up in group rides I had to have a road bike. Riding a road bike after a heavy MTB is like shedding 10 Kgs overnight, it feels much, much sharper and a lot less safer. I can’t say which kind of riding I like the most. If I could afford the space and manage the logistics, I would own a hard-tail, a full-suspension, a stunt bike, a trail bike, an e-bike and perhaps a fixie. That would definitely make me a happier person. If I have some forgiveness credits for consumerism, I would use all my points on bicycles and motorcycles.

I know why I never got to like indoor cycling. On a trainer, your mind can wander, your attention can falter and you can safely drift away in your mind. On a real bike, riding outside, you must have focus. As you climb hills, wind down slopes and negotiate corners, your eyes should be on the road. Otherwise you end up kissing the ground sooner or later. This focus puts you in a flow. One is always happy in a flow.

While on the road, you constantly practice new skills. Every ride makes you a bit better as a rider. On a trainer you never use your brakes. Think about it.

But the best thing about riding outside is perhaps getting lost. Some say “The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot.” Maybe. On a bicycle, you can get lost further and better, see more places and feel more free.

This year, despite (or maybe because of) the pandemic, I had the best cycling year of my life in Bodrum. I don’t think I will ever have so much time again. My old Merida was extremely worn out and almost unusable when we arrived in Bodrum in early April. I wanted to buy a new one but it was close to impossible to find a new bike suitable for my size and I did not want to spend a fortune on a new groupset. I ended up buying a new bike and a fellow mechanic transferred everything to my old frame, creating a lovely Frankenstein in the process. I ended up riding almost every trail in Bodrum peninsula for three months and could not be happier. In future, I am sure I will have better bikes, but I highly doubt if I will ever have such time to get lost freely. In the end, I think it all boils down to time, precious time that will never be enough.

In the end, I think we should all ride bicycles. Build cycling roads in every city and teach cycling in schools. Set an example to our kids by cycling and getting lost ourselves, so that one day, they may all have the courage to get lost, discover their freedom and happiness on new roads.