Bike Riding

I feel that I could go anywhere when I am on my bike. There are so many possibilities. Often, I itch just to be outside in the middle of a designated study session at the library (it is a healthy form of procrastination!). So I unlock my white road bike, and take her for a spin down to Coogee beach. There is always something deep and satisfying to think about on the bike. I feel that I have my most worthwhile thoughts when my legs are pedalling. This unfortunately means that because I cannot always be on a bike, most of the time I have pretty unfulfilling thoughts - but I suppose that this is natural. I accept it!

At the beginning of the year, I joined the University run bike club, which was part of my 'o-week club-joining binge'. I haven't yet gone to a meet up sadly, but the existence and high membership level of this club indicates the popularity of bike riding in general. Biking is an activity that can really bring people together, through the use of little more than a pair of wheels and a helmet.

It is always essential to be careful when riding a bike though. In light of the safety issues around cycling, I have also taken up jogging/running as a regular hobby. This was something that I did regularly during the HSC to keep me sane. I would wake up at about 6am, run down to the hockey fields that were not too far from my house, and jog around the fields. I would then lay in the middle of the fields and stare up at the sky with my hands on my stomach. It was here that I did my essay plans, and scheduled out my day. Oh, and think about what how good a hot shower was going to feel, and what I was going to eat for breakfast when I got back. It was that beautiful time of morning when the sun is just pushing the last star from the sky. The ground was still moist with dew, and the air temperature crisp. On this pleasant note, I would begin my day in the library, grinding through notes.

Travelling to university from home takes the same amount of time (forty minutes) by bus as it does by bike, which I find to be incredible (it is also a reflection of the state of Sydney's dire transport dilemma). This weekend we are saying farewell to George St as it begins some serious remodelling to cope with another million people in the next ten years. We are going to have light rail from the centre of the city to UNSW, which is a plan met with a range of responses from university students that I have recently talked to. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on the effectiveness of this measure. I think that is will be a good investment, because we do need to consider how we move people. However, we also need to consider the most environmentally sustainable option. Is the light rail as good for the environment as it could be? There are always improvements that could be made. I know that it is not very helpful to use the blanket statement, 'introduce more bike paths', but is this an avenue that is worth pursuing? I am not really sure.