Mindful Thoughts For Cyclists – Finding balance on two wheels is a fascinating book on cycling by Nick Moore, who himself is a cyclist, writer and a cycling journalist.
This is my tenth book that I have read on cycling and travel and found it a simple, straight-forward and a meditative piece of work that talks about conscious living.
The author say’s “Cycling is about more than competitive racing, lycra and physical endurance; it’s about joy, meditative wonder and spiritual enrichment.”
Mindful Thoughts For Cyclists is an alternative to the slew of books that push us to do more, achieve more, be more. These are thoughts; reflections on finding a mindful balance in cycling – and, perhaps, in life itself.
Nick Moore has been cycling from two decades and sums up his experience in this book as a ‘Journey to self-discovery.’
The book presents a series of meditations on why and how cycling can be a powerful practice of mindful awareness.
The writer deep dives on the subtle experiences of bike riding, such as finding the upside of punctures, riding together and alone, riding in traffic, and suggests no ride is too short.
Excerpts from the book –
The Winds:
You are like a kite cut loose from its string, free to fly, all effort and struggle forgotten, able to savour and revel in your own, miraculous speed.
Riding in Rain:
By accepting whatever the elements throw at us, we grow as cyclists, and as people. It also helps us forge a deeper bond with the bicycle – as true partners, not just fair – weather friends.
On Ascending and Descending:
To spend time in the hills or mountains is an exquisite mix of effort and exhilaration, steady progress and glorious speed. It is a mirror to the human condition – and the very essence of what it means to ride a bike.
Birds and Beasts:
We are privileged to share their space and freedom, breathe their air, feel their sun and rain, and savour stolen glimpses of their hidden lives. They remind us that we are all part of the same living world, and finding our own way through it.
Riding in Traffic:
For most of us, dealing with traffic and all it’s many challenges forms an inevitable part of the cycling life. As cyclists, we are part of the solution, but we still have a long way to go. For now, we must be constantly aware, embrace the realities of the roads as a shared space – and be the change we wish to see in the world.
Mindful Thoughts For Cyclists beautifully explains the relationship of the author with his bike, and how he has grown as a person through the rides he has done in his lifetime.
Nick Moore say’s ” After 20 years I’ve started to learn what cycling truly means to me. I don’t know and would never presume to guess, what it might mean to you. That’s for you and your bicycle, to find out – mindfully – together.”
The book is available online on amazon.in
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Author: Vijay Malhotra, Mumbai
