I ride a bike to get around but in a more relaxing way as I would use a bike more for leisure rather than functionality in my everyday life. In other words, when I think of cycling I see it as more a hobby. I don't see myself biking to school because that seems like more of an inconvenience to the usual flow of my day. Normally I find myself riding my bike in the summer when I'm off from school because that's when I have more time to ride around freely without the constraints of deadlines such as getting to school on time or beating traffic. Also, I wouldn't use a bicycle to get around even during the summer because the things I would want to visit aren't close to where I live. For instance, it would be like biking to Kings Island or biking to Kenwood Mall. I don't live close to these places which are already a hassle for me to drive to much less use a bike. However, I don't have any ideas about bikes it is only that they are seen as more of a leisure activity for me than a reliable means of transport.
When I ride a bike I feel young again because there is a thrill to it as well as a sense of nostalgia. I used to ride my bike a lot as a kid so whenever I ride a bike I feel like I am transported back to the time when I would ride around the park or race my little brother. Since they are seen as a means for leisure, I can't help but see them in such a childlike light because bikes for me are something only a child has time for. I haven't ridden a bike as often since middle school because there was this new obsession with wanting a car along with having my parents drop me off everywhere. This was also the start of my life being more fast-paced and not having time to just ride around since that would seem more trivial compared to the other important things I needed to do. This ends up being the case with most sustainable options as people become wrapped up in their current lives and don't see how this option can fit into their current worldview. For me, it's that riding a bike is a more childish endeavor that I can't afford to do at this point in my life.
In regards to my safety on a bike, I feel safe when there are not many cars around such as when I bike in a park. I also feel safer when there are designated areas for bikes such as bike lanes. I don't feel safe biking in the dark though because of the fear of accidents and also due to being a woman. I feel safest biking with other people so we can look out for each other. Biking can be nerve-wracking when it comes to feeling safe since there is not much protecting you from impact. However, I will say, riding a bike requires less mechanical engineering which means fewer things that can blow up if you were to crash which could help to lessen the severity of a crash. What I think would make biking safer for me is just having clear bike lanes that can protect me from having to bike in traffic and lessen my chances of getting hit. Other than that, biking is a pretty fun activity for me that I like to use more for leisure and not so much for its functionality as a means of transportation.Â