Rider Magazine, June 2020
Rider Magazine, June 2020 cover
Letter of the Month
The spread of the novel coronavirus and our subsequent sheltering at home has produced a wealth of observations about how all of this happened and what should be done to avoid the problem in the future. There has also been guidance from many different quarters about how we might best manage our growing fears and losses; escaping on our bikes is a ready solution that many of us immediately seize upon. This led me to wonder what exactly it is about riding that soothes us.
On April 12th, 2020, the Los Angeles Times had an article on strategies for coping with the social side effects of COVID-19. Knitting was one strategy that a British medical journal showed had proven effective in reducing stress and promoting relaxation?its repetitive nature is thought to be key to its effectiveness. A psychologist, Mihaly Cisikszentmihalyi, was cited in the article saying that knitting and other crafts can ??create a ?flow? state, a perfect balance between skill and challenge.? Extrapolating from this observation, perhaps motorcyclists enter a ?flow state? while riding. Think back to your last ride through a stretch of perfectly paved twists and turns and how you entered a zone of quiet confidence, competently applying your riding skills in the face of the road?s challenges. Our instinct is to ride in these times, but perhaps we now have a scientific explanation for why it such a useful antidote.
Todd Collart, Ventura, California
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Backcountry Discovery Routes | Ep. 70 Rider Magazine Insider Podcast
27-04-2024 08:34 - (
motorcycle )