We all know biking is good for the body. It is excellent for cardio and works just about every muscle in the legs with minimal impact on the knees. But what you may not know is riding bikes is good for the soul.
Over the past three years that I have been living on campus, I have noticed a drastic increase in the number of people who have turned to cycling as a mode of transportation. The bike racks outside of each building used to be generally empty and now it is hard to even find a place to lock up. I have found myself locking my bike to streetlights and handrails because there is no room on the racks.
With all of these new riders on campus one would think that there would be some unity, some kind of organization for bikes. But who wants to go to meetings? And what would they even be about? “I called this meeting to talk about wheels…” Yeah, right.
I have an idea. It is not a unique one. I have to say I got it from other campuses around the state. I have friends at the University of North Texas, Texas A&M, and others and every campus has a bike group. They make weekly rides in big packs that traverse the local roads of the town.
I had the pleasure of taking part in one of these bike gangs this summer. It was one of the best times I have had on two wheels. I met so many new and interesting people on this ride, all with different bikes and skill levels, but friends nonetheless. I want to recreate that community feeling in our town.
Riding bikes has been proven to reduce stress and even to be more helpful than therapy and medication for some cases of depression. With our daily strain from tests, papers, deadlines, disgruntled bosses, personal drama, and one person in class who will not stop talking, we should all be riding bikes more.
Our campus has many organizations but they all add to our already busy schedule. These weekly rides will counterbalance them. A time where we can forget about our responsibilities and let our minds stay on the road (nothing too difficult, just a joy ride around town with other bike enthusiasts). We can let our stresses and depressions go on the road. So, my first article is more of a call to the entire campus to put air in your tires, lube up your chains and join me for a bike ride (because I am tired of riding alone) next Thursday on Sept. 17. If you are interested and want more information, I have created a group on www.facebook.com called “Bike Riders of Commerce”. There, you can get more information or just introduce yourself to the rest of us.