As I was padding around the Mall on a meditative lunch run, I pondered what keeps me writing about time spent on my bicycle.
I reflected on how I ride to experience the many sensations that cycling evokes, not just the physical, but those in my mind as well. Often my writing is an attempt to meld the two together on paper.
In other instances I’m feebly trying to articulate my feelings in hopes of understanding myself a little better. Given how long it took me to write that last sentence, I’m realizing how difficult this can be.
Writing about bicycling is how I capture fleeting, yet personally significant, moments from my life’s narrative in order to give them more permanence.
Last year around this time, I interviewed the people behind some of my favorite bikey blogs and asked them a similar question. Why write about bicycling?
As you might imagine, while everyone shared a passion and interest in cycling, their answers varied. People blogged as a creative outlet and because they liked the process of writing. Some saw their blog as a tool for self-discovery.
Others wrote to highlight a particular geographic area or to inform readers about a certain ride or route. For some, writing a bicycling-themed blog became a way to share experiences and connect with others who also liked to ride.
Re-reading these interviews stokes the flames of my desire to write. Due to other activities in my life right now (one of them being winter), I have not been writing as frequently about my bicycling activities.
I’ve also been going through a time where I’m more interested in reading other people’s writing so I’m just letting that happen. It’s great, actually.
When the time is right, I’ll write more about my riding narrative again. In the meantime, if you have any bike-centric blog recommendations, I’d love to hear them.
Also, if you write about bikes, tell me– why do you choose to write about bicycling?
Chasing Mailboxes 