Just over two years ago, I started my biking journey in Montreal. I bought a used, red mountain bike that was way too small and had one too many shocks. But hey, this was my first bike since I was a kid, and I figured it would be a good way to get back into the practice.
Starting in the summer, I biked to classes and work every day and continued well into November. My commutes became more than just a means of transportation, but also an active meditation. It averaged an hour a day, depending on classes and errands and during this hour, I learned how to become fully in touch with myself. There were no distractions from others on the bus or the metro, impatient waiting between stations or frantic searches for a parking spot. All of my focus was on my body, my mind and my bike.
When biking in the city, all of your energy goes into balancing your environment between two wheels. I became unusually aware of my surroundings. Cars, people, trees, or even a small stick in the street; everything stood out. There was no time to worry about a grade on an essay, paying bills or cleaning my house. I was forced to become present with my body and my mind. As macabre as this may sound, if I wasn’t 100% present, I could have easily found myself under an 18 wheeler.
I continued biking all through the following summer and fall and (following a bike upgrade) decided I wanted to take commuting up a notch and bike all through the winter. I made sure I had all the right gear, lights, tires and brake pedals, but this was the easy part.
As you can imagine, bike paths during the winter are quite neglected as there aren’t nearly as many all-season bikers on the roads. My body was definitely put to the test. My usual 22 minute downtown commute often turned into an hour long process. Pedaling through the snow, sleet and ice became quite the workout. My tired leaked, brakes often wore down and my chain fell off.
However, I quickly learned to embrace this frustration and pain. Biking in the winter is not an easy process, and I don’t think it’s meant to be. It taught me to slow down and realize that speed will only get you so far. Sometimes you have to stop and smell the road salt ;)
Montreal winters can be very cold and there’s little light. I started my mornings in the dark and I finished them in the dark. At first, I was nervous to be biking with little daylight. It went against my intuition of ‘not going out alone at night.’
Yet, this was my own mental barrier and I learned to trust myself and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. I had to trust that I was a safe commuter, a strong biker and an aware woman.
Biking all season long, especially in the winter, has taught me more about myself than any other activity. I look forward to hopping on my bike and getting things done. Through frozen eyelashes, I’ve pushed past my *self-imposed* physical barriers and have found a sport that makes my body feel good and my mind even better.