Why biking is better

I finally went for a bike ride in my new neighborhood. I’ve been busy enough, I just hadn’t gotten to it yet. 

I was told I was on the Green Circle Trail. I’m technically on the Hoover connector, so I have to go a couple miles to actually get to the trail. And at some point I’ll explore it fully. 

But tonight was more about filling in the map in my mind. Biking is great for that. 

Walking lets in lots more information, because you move at a slower pace. However, you can’t cover as much distance. And you tend to see the same things near your home as you come and go. 

Driving is pretty much useless. We learn the quickest route and rarely vary it. We want to get from Point A to Point B. 

But biking is different. You can take the side streets. There’s less traffic, and it’s quieter. It tends to be residential, so you’ll see people walking or working in their yards. 

You can look down side streets and alleys, gaze into wooded lots and backyards. Tonight I saw manicured yards, pretty gardens, kitschy decorations and interesting landscapes and rooflines. (One house  is downright oriental in design and landscaping.) 

You might run into a dead end or a looped road, but that’s ok. You just turn around or try a new direction. 

I was never a gamer. But I watched enough family members play. Sometimes, there would be a map the player could use as a reference. Sometimes, it would only be revealed as the gamer explored the universe. 

That’s kind of what biking in my neighborhood does for me. I start to figure out which roads go through, where they connect, which businesses are nearby, where to find interesting parks and features, and, of course, the Green Circle Trail. 

Oh, maybe I’ll just look up a map of that.