Get in Gear! - Ready, Set, Go!

A bicycle is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted vehicle. It has two wheels attached to a frame located one behind the other. The rider is called a bicyclist or a cyclist.

These pedal-driven, single-track vehicles were introduced in the 19th century in Europe. A German baron named Karl von Drais is acknowledged as the father of the bicycle. 

Drais created a steerable, two-wheeled contraption in 1817. He built his machine in response to a very serious problem.  In 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted and the ash cloud that was dispersed around the world lowered global temperatures. This caused crops to fail and many animals including horses, died of starvation.  Drais' invention was known by many names including the velocipede, the hobby-horse, the draisine and the running machine. 

Bicycles are widely used for transportation, recreation and sport. Bicycles are essential to moving people and goods in areas where there are few automobiles throughout the world. There are twice as many bicycles as automobiles globally and they outsell automobiles three to one.

There are many advantages to bicycles.  Bicycles help the environment.  Cycling generates less noise and air pollution.  It emits fewer gases that contribute to global warming and it also protects green spaces and the wildlife that exist within the green spaces. 

Other advantages of cycling include an increase in your fitness level when you use your bike.  It serves as a suitable substitute for going to the gym each day.  Cycling can improve your overall health level. It helps reduce stress and can mitigate some mental issues. You don’t need a parking ticket.  It is a cheap alternative to get around.  You don’t get stuck in traffic jams and it may be faster than a car for short distances. Learning to ride a bike is easy and it is fun for family trips. Biking is a social activity.

There are some disadvantages of biking but the benefits outweigh many of these. There are quite a few biking accidents.  You might overestimate your ability to ride a bike and cycling can be exhausting. Cycling is not suitable for handicapped persons.  Some cities may lack a good bike infrastructure.  Bicycles can be expensive and your bike might get stolen.  Cycling may not be suitable for longer distances and the fun factor of cycling depends on the weather.

I enjoy going for a bike ride around the Henderson Lake Park here in Lethbridge.  We are lucky to have many bike and walking trails in our city.  Now that it is getting too cold to go for a swim, I have started to include a 30 minute bike ride in my exercise routine.

Here are the sayings I found on the bookmark with advice from a Bicycle.

• Stay On Track

• Lean into Life’s Curves

• Stay Balanced

• Know When to Put the Brakes On

• Coast When You Need to

• Don’t Let the Tough Spots Derail You

• Get in Gear!

These are my comments about each of these sayings.

• Stay On Track - As Entrepreneurs we need to set goals and a plan of action.  Staying on track and keeping track of our progress and results will get us closer to our goals.

• Lean into Life’s Curves - There will be curves in the path you are taking in life.  Embrace them and face the challenges that come your way.

• Stay Balanced - All work and no play is not a good thing.  Provide space in your day for family and friends.

• Know When to Put the Brakes On - Know when to say no.

• Coast When You Need to - Find time to rest.

• Don’t Let the Tough Spots Derail You - Challenges are opportunities to learn something new. 

• Get in Gear! - Ready, set, go!

Have a great day everyone.  Are you going to take your car or your bicycle today?  Get in Gear!

# living life abundantly    # published author   # travelling tuesdays