The Creative Benefits of a Solo Hour-Long Bicycle Ride

Pedaling away on a quiet road is like superfood for creative minds.

My beach cruiser is handling the dirt roads out here in the desert fairly well. And I am always carrying a camera. Usually a Nikon Df, or my Lumix P&S. Photo by the author.

I have ridden a bicycle since I was four years old. I love ‘em.

I don’t get fancy with my bikes, though, and I don’t wear racing gear to ride around my dirt road neighborhood.

I just take my current Schwinn, pictured above, out for a spin a couple of times a week.

I have traversed washes, ridden through sand, negotiated tight turns, and most of that was on hardscrabble dirt (also pictured above).

It’s like asphalt with lumps.

It invigorates me, brings me a bit of peace, is quietly difficult, and allows my brain to think without a screen.

I generally go with my wife or my granddaughter, but I do love going alone.

(I ride a big motorcycle on long trips, and I prefer to do that alone as well.)

Not one for small talk, especially when trying to catch my breath after pedaling out of a deep wash and trying to dodge the boulders.

My favorite times to ride are after a light rain. The dust is inhibited a bit, and the sky is so clear you can see every rock on the cliffs two miles away. Also, by the way, my favorite time to photograph the desert.

I just got back from a ride and put this list together of the benefits of a solo, one-hour bicycle ride. Now that is specific, baby.

The Benefits of a Solo Hour-Long Bicycle Ride

1. Cardiovascular Fitness: Cycling is an excellent cardio workout, improving heart health and increasing stamina. I love pedaling up the hills and getting the heart going and the legs burning. After an hour of riding this beach cruiser - a single-gear bike - I feel every yard.

2. Mental Clarity: An hour on the bike offers a mental reset, clearing your mind and helping to reduce stress and anxiety. I try not to listen to podcasts or music and just listen to the world stream by.

3. Boosts Creativity: Physical activity, especially in new or changing environments, can spark creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Ideas form easily. I always have a notebook with me, so quickly writing it down is easy, as long as I don’t do it on the incline.

4. Enhances Mood: Like any exercise, cycling releases endorphins, the body's feel-good hormones, uplifting your mood and reducing feelings of depression. Always feel up when I get back.

5. Improves Joint Mobility: Cycling is a low-impact exercise, making it easier on your joints compared to running or other high-impact activities. I don’t consider myself old, but my body is not quite the same age as my brain, so I do have to watch it a bit.

6. Strengthens Muscles: It's not just a cardio workout; cycling also strengthens the muscles in your legs, core, and back. I try to keep in shape, and riding a bike and walking are far more interesting than going to the gym.

7. Promotes Weight Management: Regular cycling, especially at a moderate to vigorous intensity, helps in burning calories and managing weight. Riding a bike for an hour with a bit of stress (inclines and such) can burn between 500 and 800 calories. A motorcycle burns about 90–120 calories, so you have to do it longer for effect. I try to explain this to my wife as I go out for a three-hour ride: “Honey, it keeps me trim!” Works about as well as you’d expect.

8. Increases Lung Health: The deep breathing involved in cycling increases lung capacity and improves overall respiratory health. I have had lung issues, so pushing them a bit is good for me. And after riding up a dirt road full of washes (down and up, but always up), the lungs are indeed working out.

9. Provides a Sense of Freedom: Riding a bike gives a unique sense of freedom and adventure, allowing you to explore your surroundings in a fun way. Whether it is a bicycle or a motorcycle, I feel a tremendous amount of freedom. I can go where I want, and I am IN the environment instead of riding through it in a temperature-controlled cage listening to the radio.

10. Encourages Mindfulness: Focusing on the road and your surroundings while cycling promotes a state of mindfulness, keeping you grounded in the present moment. This is really important for me. I want to train my brain to focus more tightly, and the physicality and balance of biking help with breath control, and inner reflection.

Now look, you don’t have to ride the backroads of the Arizona desert to get all of this. You can just tool around your neighborhood or go to the park.

I have some favorite bike rides that I will always try to do when in California. We take our bikes and stay near Pacific Beach, riding over to Old Town for lunch. It is a few miles, and some incline involved on the way, but going back is pure ease due to the nearly constant downhill.

Grab your camera, and your bike, even rent one if you have to, and spend a few hours in the fresh air.

And watch out for cactus on the road.

Well, maybe that is specific to my roads.

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Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite places.

We are booking our winter trip to Bryce today. I want to make sure there is snow, so it will be contingent, but it looks like there will be plenty this winter.

Bryce is a magical place.

We stay at Ruby’s and eat at the only restaurant open so it is generally filled with winter aficionados who love the adventure it brings.

Here are two no-snow photos that reminded me how beautiful the snow will be.

Bryce Canyon and an impending snow storm on the horizon. Photo by the author.

A clearing fall storm, photo by the author.

See you all soon.