Travel by bicycle can only be understood and appreciated (or despised) by experiencing it – or through verstehen, as sociologist Max Weber would say. The freedom, your propinquity to the world and the slow speed of your travel intensifies the experience. Even the physical exertion, occasional deprivation, and discomfort of the road give you a greater appreciation for small comforts or the simple kindness of people you meet along your way.
I remember riding into a small Austrian village years ago; it was nearly dark and it had been raining off and on all day as I rode. My riding gear was sodden and I was bushed, so I pitched a tent on a grassy commons in the center of the village and crawled in my sleeping bag for a much needed night’s rest. Very early the following morning, through the window of my tent, I caught a glimpse of an old woman – she must have been well into her 80s – as she silently placed a kaisersemmel roll and a carafe of coffee outside my vestibule. This act of kindness is not uncommon to the traveling cyclist.
Making a cup of tea under a schoolyard pavilion during a thunderstorm becomes a moment of pure joy. Finding a warm shower and a soft bed after days of spit baths and hard ground brings much gratitude for a thing that might normally go unnoticed or unappreciated. Bicycle touring puts you in the moment, particularly when you are not tied to a schedule or predetermined destination.
Last weekend I did a camping ride with four friends. The weather was cool and on Sunday it rained. Now you might think the cool, wet weather would put a damper on the fun and frivolity of the trip. But in the end, it made for a more vivid and memorable ride. A few pictures are shared below.
I remember riding into a small Austrian village years ago; it was nearly dark and it had been raining off and on all day as I rode. My riding gear was sodden and I was bushed, so I pitched a tent on a grassy commons in the center of the village and crawled in my sleeping bag for a much needed night’s rest. Very early the following morning, through the window of my tent, I caught a glimpse of an old woman – she must have been well into her 80s – as she silently placed a kaisersemmel roll and a carafe of coffee outside my vestibule. This act of kindness is not uncommon to the traveling cyclist.
Making a cup of tea under a schoolyard pavilion during a thunderstorm becomes a moment of pure joy. Finding a warm shower and a soft bed after days of spit baths and hard ground brings much gratitude for a thing that might normally go unnoticed or unappreciated. Bicycle touring puts you in the moment, particularly when you are not tied to a schedule or predetermined destination.
Last weekend I did a camping ride with four friends. The weather was cool and on Sunday it rained. Now you might think the cool, wet weather would put a damper on the fun and frivolity of the trip. But in the end, it made for a more vivid and memorable ride. A few pictures are shared below.
We jumped off the road for a little singletrack riding!
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