There’s a reason we never forget how to ride a bike.
No matter how many years pass or what other clutter our memories gather, our brains still recall how glorious it was to sail down the streets and sidewalks of our neighborhood with the breeze in our faces, dodging squirrels and jumping curbs all the way to the corner store where we’d buy Slurpees and gum.
We were free to roam as far as our legs would take us and would scream with glee on all the downhills. It was awesome.
Maybe our brains cling to the skill optimistically, holding out hope we might ride a bike like that again one day.
Judging by the current shortage of bicycles at shops around the country – and the speed with which used bikes sell on platforms like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace – we are embracing that hope.
“It’s a really liberating way to get around,” said Will Elting, event director at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, a Portland-based organization dedicated to making Maine a more inviting and safe place to ride and walk. “We’re really excited to see renewed interest in cycling and see more bikes on the road every day, and we hope that this is the start of a trend that lasts indefinitely.”