I've been thinking about the similarities between riding bikes and gardening ever since asked this question by my friend Muuqi, as a part of an interview he did awhile back for his blog, Life Cycles (great blog, check it out!). Basically, it comes down to two main themes- observation and investment. Both acts- riding bikes and gardening- give you an opportunity to have a more intimate interaction with your natural surroundings than say, sitting on the couch or driving in a car. These interactions help you develop keen observation skills, which I think makes you a better citizen of the world, or at least a more interesting person. On investment- there is immediate satisfaction, from weeding a plot of land or building a trellis, or from sweeping around a perfect corner on a mountain bike, or reaching the top of a tough climb. There are also longer term rewards. In the garden, you pick ripe fruit, cut fresh greens, you savor the literal fruits of your labors. Similarly, on the bike, you harvest a sense of growing strength and speed after investing in repeated workouts on the bike.
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| Fruits of last year's labors- giant lettuces |
