Publisher's Statement

It’s been said that few things in life can compare to the simple joy of riding a bike. This statement was once again made plain to me on my commute today. One of Pittsburgh’s most popular bike paths is colloquially known as The Jail Trail, and it runs parallel to one of the city’s busiest highways for a stretch. As I zipped past the cars stuck in standstill traffic, I couldn’t help but feel a touch of schadenfreude. That’s the German word for taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.

Even without the satisfaction of avoiding traffic, I was in a pretty good mood already. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze that made 80° feel more like 70°. Best of all, I was in no hurry, so I decided to take the scenic route to work.

Ironically, I almost didn’t ride at all. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. My muscles ached from a weekend of manual labor, and my head was a little worse for wear from the Sunday night drinks that had brought temporary relief. Despite my state of mind, I managed to put on my bike shorts and hit the road. The healing power of the bicycle never fails to amaze me, and before I knew it my head was clear and my body felt good.

On top of everything else, for reasons that I won’t elaborate upon, I was kind of dreading the workday. But I had such a great ride that by the time I got to the office I was ready to tackle any challenge that came my way.

I had a great day, so I decided to celebrate by backtracking the same scenic route on the ride home. The route made for a 30 mile round trip when it’s usually only 20, but I felt absolutely no worse for wear.

I know I’m preaching to the converted in these pages, but I’ll say it again—bikes are amazing. I’m certain that no bus ride ever cured a hangover, nor did any car commute ever provide physical therapy. Bikes can do all that, conserve natural resources, and bring a smile to your face in the process. Yep, amazing.

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