The Church of Bike is Always Open

In the Church of Bike, I would be a sweat-slathered gospel singer belting out praises and stepping side to side to the beat of the divine cadence. My Lycra robes would be soaked and I would throw toothy smiles to my bike, who would lean on an indoor rack in the front most pew. Membership is easy in the Church of Bike. It only requires one to speak of the possibilities of cycling. All are welcome in the Church of Bike. It is compatible with any faith.

Cycling has the potential to be a spiritual act. By spiritual act, I mean an act that leads someone to access that which is intangible, that which is of spirit, that which is greater than the self. Possibly, you think that “spirituality” is for people clad in loose –fitting organic hemp who place crystals on corresponding chakras to balance their energy bodies. However, you can identify with the Church of Bike if you know the elation of beginning a descent after a brutal climb or if you have been seized by overwhelming love for your cycling buddy. If you find deep satisfaction in returning home from a ride covered in mud and bleeding from at least two different places, or if you have figured out a tiny aspect of your life after a long ride , then you understand the church of Bike.

I have not always seen the correlation between cycling and spiritual practice. I begrudgingly began riding as a child. My grandfather thought it was really fun to outfit me with a bike and weird gear and drag me out to nearby trails. Even though I was embarrassed about grand pops neon bike outfits, I still evolved into a bike enthusiast. The correlation between biking and spiritual practice became apparent to me while I was trying to learn about meditation and yogo a few years ago. Sitting still just has never worked for me.

When I started incorporating spiritual practices into my life, my experience unfortunately were not always revelatory or drenched in white light. Mostly, I came to recognize that my mind is like a Tasmanian Devil who darts in circles and on occasionally clunks herself over the head with a large mammals femur. However, along with the discouraging realization looking at yoga and meditation also gave me a path to calm the whirling mind. As I began to bike more, I realized that cycling clears the mind just like other spiritual practices. While charging up a hill on my bike, the femur-wielding Tasmanian devil can hold no forum. My mind has to assume complete focus if I am to ride to the best of my ability. An Intense quiet takes over. It is, in fact, a meditative state.

The purpose of creating a serene state of mind is not solely to enjoy a reality more pleasant than tumult. Rather, in a serene state of mind, truth becomes clearer. And isn’t the pursuit of truth the point in this insane world of exultation, devastation, birth, life, and death? Cycling, like mediation or yoga can create a frame of mind where truth is present

In the Church of Bike, Cyclists take a refuge under the vaulted dome of their own toil. They relish in the beauty of knowing that the God’s vehicle takes the form of a simple machine underneath their butt. Will I have figures of Lance Armstrong and his incarnations on a shrine in my house Definitely not. Will I wash my bike in holly water probably not. However I will subscribe to the Church of Bike because cycling is a cherished practice, and I will be a dedicated practitioner until my body doesn’t work anymore. Halleujah.