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January 13, 2009

“Moments of Presence.” On Riding a Bike: A Poetical Essay via Erik Jensen of Pedal Omaha.

“My partner, Emily, riding on the repurposed Bridgestone MB-1 we built up for the snow.”

Excerpt from Erik Jensen’s “Moments of Presence”:

…I’ve yet to find a satisfyingly concise answer as regards the ‘why’ of my commitment to pedaling. I use bicycles for everything. Running errands, pedaling across town to work, or getting out of town entirely. Everyday I look to spend meaningful hours on the saddle.

I believe everyone has a duty to themselves to find a coherent ethic of practice through practical and empirical consideration. To find spirituality-giving, environmentally-responsible, and community-oriented practices in life is an imperative. These aspects are supported by immersion into a two-wheeled and self-propelled world. A lifestyle reliant upon the bicycle relies on the responsibility of the self over the false conveniences of contemporary technology and automobiles. The bicycle is a divinely simple machine that is uniquely able to transcend many of the damaging aspects of contemporary life. Though one may not cause systemic change on her own, at least she is not part of the problem. Universalized, this practice can cause enormous revolutions….

…You are in the world on a bicycle. You are not in so many other modes of isolated contemporary ‘life.’…

 

How could one ever be bored with so many good things to see and feel! This unity with our joyous surroundings, this ultra-penetrating perception gave us a feeling of contentment that we had not had for years. ~ Yvon Chouinard

 

…set the right example and help others get into cycling, into healthy communities, into happy and balanced lifestyles that are responsible to their impact in the world. It can all be unfolded through the bicycle. It all starts at the individual level. It all happens in those moments when you lose yourself to the immensity of experience without limits, done without regard for status, and embrace the actuality of the present moment.

read the whole bit at Pedal Omaha and give ’em some traffic, it’s well worth it for those of you out there who love your bicycle and would be very sad if you couldn’t bike for some reason. 

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