Riding a bike lets us control our movements and at the same time transports us to unexpected and unusual situations. From this position of confidence in our riding skills and physical strength, we seem to learn the lessons from adventures more willingly than in work and home environments. Bicycle riding compresses many of life’s lessons into an acceptable framework for learning.

Probably the exhilaration of riding as a child is based on the newfound sense of freedom and independence our first bicycles provided. Our bikes were our enablers and our companions when we ventured out into new territory in our neighborhoods. It seems that adults who resume riding after years away from bikes experience a similar excitement and vulnerability while exploring new territory on their bikes. Cycling encourages us to develop greater independence.

In a society dependent on automobiles, discovering freedom from a motor vehicle is truly liberating. What an irony that our obsession with motor vehicles, which purportedly increases our freedom, actually results in bondage. Few U.S. citizens can figure out how to get a few blocks from their homes without the aid of a car. Those of us who ride our bikes most of the time are free and confident that we are capable of transporting ourselves and our necessities by our own strength and skills. We may be overly conscious of being outside the social mainstream but in fact, we are leaders, showing the way to a sustainable mode of mobility.

True independence flows out of self-sufficiency. Cycling is quite simple. It is easy to identify what our needs will be on a particular ride and prepare adequately for the unexpected. Sealant in the inner tubes, a few basic tools, some mechanical knowledge, food, extra clothing, and maps, and I am on my way. It is simple and on a more human scale than traveling by car. One of the reasons the bike maintenance classes I teach are so popular is that riders want to feel self-sufficient. In the year after my own divorce, four of my women-rider friends also became single. They didn’t want to give up their riding freedom just because they had lost their family mechanics. So we formed a post-divorce maintenance group where I taught them some mechanical skills. It was a jolly support group formed around bicycle maintenance.

I replace my brake pads under the watchful eyes of Mongolian neighbors. The day before, we had ridden the length of their valley in heavy rains. At times they rode their horses alongside us. That evening they came and taught Bernhard and Kirk the traditional knots for securing horses. This morning they returned. They tested our knot skills, experimented with riding my bike, and watched all our morning activities. While there, I imagined that I fit into the Mongolian scene. When I saw this photo upon our return to the U.S., I was startled by the contrast of our appearances.

Becoming proficient at riding and maintaining a bike gives riders a sense of accomplishment. When riders set goals for a ride, event, or season, and achieve those goals, their satisfactions are high. Others find satisfaction in learning to take care of themselves and improving their health habits through cycling. In later discussions of optimizing your resources, choosing appropriate clothing, and thoughtful ride preparation, you’ll learn techniques to improve your performance and feel even greater achievement. As your stamina builds and your confidence as a rider increases, you may find completing a challenging ride is empowering. After all, if you can reach your cycling goal, isn’t it likely that you can meet other challenges? Not only will your mood be lifted after a long ride but you will willingly undertake challenges that may have intimidated you before the ride.

Dealing with the unexpected during a ride and doing maintenance work improves our problem solving skills. By focusing on each step of the problem-solving process, we can learn to avoid getting worked up when complications occur. During my early on-the-job training as a bicycle mechanic, I learned this priceless lesson. Let’s take repairing a flat tire as an example. You are out riding on a gorgeous day and hear the disturbing sound of air hissing out of your tube. You stop to confirm that your ride is temporarily interrupted while you replace the tube. (This example comes from the era before sealant.) But you are genuinely distressed by this disruption. You keep thinking about your time schedule and getting back to your riding pleasure. First you have trouble getting the tire off the rim. Then you have trouble inflating the new tube with your frame pump. With each setback you become more irritated. Why aren’t you long since back on your bike?! As your patience evaporates, you become more clumsy. Now you’ve pinched your replacement tube with your tire lever and are ready to scream. There is another way to approach unexpected challenges.

Focusing on each individual step in the repair process (or any problem solving process) can enable you to do your best work and enjoy each step along the way. Complications surely will arise and when they do, you are ready to take on the challenge of this additional problem without cursing the setback. Before becoming a bicycle mechanic, I would not have described myself as a patient person. Now with years of experience, I accept the need to solve the problem presented, put my shoulder to the task, and don’t waste any emotional energy on wishing things had gone differently.