Sometimes I think that I should design a bike jersey with the words “If I wanted to go fast, I’d ride a motorbike” on the back.
When I’m out on a day ride or on a tour, I often go slow, especially on hills. I once made it up an Austrian mountain pass at the wonderful rate of 6 kilometres per hour. Yes, you read that right: SIX kph. Less than four miles an hour. Even the snails were going faster.
Sometimes this elicits sympathy. A while ago, I was riding uphill to a friend’s house and halfway up, a girl of about 8 or 9 looked at me with pity and said “Courage, monsieur…”
But I have also had my fair share of mocking, either from pedestrians or those speeding past me on their bikes. I get a lot of ironic “Allez, allez” from the roadside.
This slow speed is a choice. Partly it is to conserve energy on a long ride and to avoid overdoing it on my muscles and tendons. But a lot of it is because one of the key benefits of bike touring and day rides is to immerse yourself in the landscape without all the rush of being in a car.
Yet I often come across other bike tourists, going as fast as they can or doing over a hundred kilometres a day. And I often need to remind myself to slow down and stop regularly.
There are times when you need or want to crack on: if the weather is miserable, the road is poor or uninteresting, or you have a tight transport connection to make.
But those days should be a minority. I had a bus connection up the top of that mountain pass yet still made it with a full hour to enjoy the landscape. And watch a bunch of people walking llamas.
So below, I have listed a few tips – or reminders – for how to slow down and get the most from your ride.
Plan shorter distances
I have set out here how to plan an easy and comfortable trip. A little less ambition can make for a far more enjoyable ride.
Be ready to take public transport for part of your trip
Want to cover a decent distance while still taking your time? There’s no disgrace in taking public transport here and there. I have written about it here.
Keep your eyes open and be ready to stop if you see something interesting
A fantastic view? A beautiful church? A bunch of cute animals? Or even something random like a large model elephant mounted on the back of a truck?
Be curious. I have a set of ‘side quests’ like spotting vending machines for random things: cheese, potatoes, dried meat… In Belgium, I am slowly tracking down the distinctive murals by a so far unknown artist.
Stop and talk to people
I’m still learning this one: trying to conquer my introversion and social fear and have conversations with people. I am trying to learn from the man below, whose open heartedness opens people up. What is the worst that will happen? They will ignore you or end the conversation. OK, so move onto the next. Many of us are secretly delighted when someone speaks to us.
You – and I – can learn a lot from the wonderful Eddy Voorspoels in the video below.
Part of visiting a place is absorbing its culture. Don’t speak the local language? Learn ten phrases or words and go from there. On the plateau between Elbasan and Tirana in Albania, I had a short but lovely conversation with a road cyclist. Between my ten words of Albanian and his ten words of English, we found a way through.
Take regular breaks and be present
It’s good for your body. It’s good for hydration. And it’s good for your soul. Stopping will allow you to observe things more closely, to be truly present in your surroundings. These quiet moments will often be the ones that you remember later, like this moment in the beautiful Vjosa valley in Albania, where I stopped for 15 minutes to absorb it all and still treasure seven years later.
Listen to the birds
How wonderful to listen to birds for a while. And how wonderful to find out what you are listening to. Have you discovered the amazing Merlin bird app yet?
Look at the plants and flowers
My dearly missed parents tried to teach me the names of trees and plants. I have spent my adult years rueing the fact that I didn’t listen. Luckily PlantNet helps me out.
Do a sketch or painting or take some photos
You might not have done a sketch or painting since you were at school and the immediate results might not be amazing. But bring a pencil, sharpener, eraser and paper and have a go: the point isn’t the result: it is the fact that it will force you to truly look at what you are seeing. You don’t need to show it to anyone. Or take your time to compose some photos.
And finally, and above all:
Put your phone down!
That is why you don’t think that you have time for the above. Look at how many hours you spend on the attention-sucking electronic vampire monster. Put it down, look up, and immerse yourself in the sheer glory of the present moment and how fortunate you are to be out there.
Go on. Right now.
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