You already know that I have a hard time walking around the city, since I always ride my bike. I love cycling so much that I even read books about it, its philosophy, history, etc. In these years on earth, I’ve accumulated information, and I have friends and followers who sometimes ask me what to read. It was precisely a follower who suggested I write a literary column about urban cycling. The idea caught my attention, and here we are, pedaling together through words.
Today we live in a world saturated with information, a kind of digital tsunami that constantly sweeps us away. It’s difficult to find time to process everything that reaches us: news, data, opinions, and above all, the thousands of voices that seem to have an opinion on everything. In the midst of this chaos, writing a literary opinion piece can seem like an act of rebellion. It’s not just about adding more noise, but about offering something different, a space where a personal voice, grounded in experience, can be heard.
Writing about urban cycling isn’t just about talking about bicycles, tires, chains, or helmets. Talking about urban cycling is about how the city shapes us and how we, by moving through it, transform it. Every time we pedal through the streets, we face the same challenges as other citizens, but we also enjoy the freedom that only a bicycle can offer: our own rhythm, the wind in our faces, the direct connection with our surroundings.
And it’s precisely that experience I want to share with you: the small lessons that urban cycling teaches us. In this space, I’ll not only talk about the physical and environmental benefits of pedaling through the city, but also about the philosophies I’ve discovered in books and authors that have inspired my way of seeing the world on two wheels.
Some of these books explore the history of cycling, such as “The Bicycle Book” by Bella Bathurst, where the act of riding a bike becomes an exercise in freedom, a way to reinvent the city and, why not, life itself. Others, such as “Ciclo” by David Heredia, bring us closer to the deep emotional relationship one can develop with a bicycle. It’s not just a means of transportation, but an extension of ourselves.
Urban cycling is, in many ways, a metaphor for everyday life in the city: a constant journey between chaos and order, noise and calm, solitude and connection with others. And while all this may sound a bit romantic, the truth is that more and more people are choosing the bicycle as their vehicle for navigating the urban jungle. In my experience, there’s nothing that connects you more to the city than traveling through it on two wheels. Cycling forces us to stop, to observe, to be aware of the details we often overlook.
Throughout this column, I’ll invite you to reflect on what it means to move around the city this way. I’ll share books, experiences, and anecdotes that I hope will inspire you to get on a bike or, at least, see the city from a new perspective.
Because in a world full of noise, it’s always important to take time to listen to the voices that come from experience.
So, without further ado, here begins the journey: Of Pages and Tires.
One resource is the bookstore publisher: Libros en ruta – https://www.librosderuta.com/en
I thought I’d include some links to magazines that also cover urban cycling.
Leave a Reply