iRide.2020.01.11 Momentum

I read a headline recently: "Slow Cycling Gains Momentum". It sounded like a low-speed collision between a paradox and a haiku. Most discussions about bicycle riding speeds tend to revolve around 'fast' rather than 'slow' as their subjects. This is understandable for an activity which has a specific word for when two or more practitioners are gathered together: it's called a race.

Asking a practitioner of t'ai chi ch'üan (supreme ultimate fist) how fast they are able to complete a set of movements is to invite a blow to your ego. Fortunately, you will see it coming in plenty of time to avoid it landing. You might reflect on bicycle riding as an art form rather than a competitive sport. In bicycle racing the winner is not necessarily the most elegant rider. Perhaps it would benefit the sport if bonifications (time bonuses) were available for style. Just kidding.

I searched the web for articles that compared bicycle riding to t'ai chi as physical exercise or to meditation as release for the mind and spirit. First up is the Vegan Cyclist, who knows both sides of this coin. "You should race. You do. It's fun… for twenty seconds." That quotation is from the his introductory 'Just Breathe' video on his YouTube channel, 'The Life of Cycling'.

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