12 reasons why biking is better than any dating app

Yes, we said it, biking is better than a dating app. There are so many reasons to love biking. It’s a fast, enjoyable way to get to exactly where you want to be (location-wise), and who doesn’t love the exhilaration of lifting your feet up to coast down a hill at full speed? That all said, biking is most often a solitary action (unless you own a tandem, of course), and on those long rides to work, you may find yourself wishing you had someone to share your experience with.

Photo by Fouquier ॐ

Written by Geffen Semach and Nathaniel Healy

But finding the perfect biking partner often takes forethought. Is your riding style the same, or at least complimentary? Maybe you’re a little more timid about biking than your partner? Perhaps you like to schedule your bike rides in advance? Do you like to marathon? In life, this is where Tinder comes in – the quick way to pick your dates without having to go to a bar and narrow down your options or choose who you’ll spend your time on.

Sure, it’s fairly agreed upon that Tinder is the way of the future. It gives us so many options and introduces us to people we may never have met otherwise. However, Tinder doesn’t always work out. With that in mind, we’ve outlined a list of why biking is better than a dating app, because worst comes to worst, at least you’ll always have your bike.

1. A Bike won’t swipe left.

When you leave your place every morning and get onto your bike, it doesn’t care if you’re blond or brunette, if you climb mountains, if you’ve taken a picture next to a tiger, or if you showed up to your morning commute wearing leggings. It respects and values you for showing up, and maybe pumping its tires every once in a while.

2. You’ll never be embarrassed to show your parents your new bike.

As bike lovers, we’ve all spent countless hours lusting after a bike we saw in a store window, beckoning us to come and try it out. Maybe you saw someone else pushing your dream bike down a street, or even online while perusing for other bikes. When you finally find one you really like and decide to commit? That’s a great feeling. You want to take your new bike everywhere to show everyone how awesome it is. When you take your new bike home to your parents, they won’t ask prodding questions about the kind of shop it came from and where it plans to ride in the future, or be disappointed if its not the exact same brand as their bikes. Heck, they may even compliment its lean, sturdy frame and its sizeable basket.

3. It isn’t rude to ask for a bike’s measurements when shopping for a new one.

In fact, it’s encouraged! It is very important to find a bike that fits you and your life. Being prepared when going out shopping for a new bike and having questions to ask is always a good idea. You should never feel shy about asking about a bike and its capabilities, whether it folds, or can accommodate, shall we say “a taller rider.” Nor should you feel like you’re being too picky with your list of specific requirements. But more than that, you should always go in with an open attitude. You may find you like a bike you didn’t expect to.

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4. You can have more than one bike.

There are so many things in life we’re expected to choose: Mac or PC, suburb or city, fries or salad? Your bike will never get jealous if you choose to own another bike. Frankly, it may even take some pressure off. All bikes have different abilities and owning just one bike may not be able to fulfill every one of your needs; your cruiser may not feel comfortable going for a ride in the mountains, and your e-bike probably wouldn’t mind a day off here or there to recharge its batteries alone.

5. You won’t get arrested for biking outside.

Bikes love to go for rides outside and will proudly wear the mud you biked through earlier that day. To your bike, it doesn’t matter if you take them in traffic or down a dirt path, as long as you put it to use. Bike lanes, roadways, trails and tracks, it’s all fair game. Tip your hat to other riders as you cruise by and enjoy your time with your bike in the great outdoors.

6. A bike makes you feel better about yourself.

There may be days when you’re tired, haven’t had enough to eat or maybe had too much to eat, and you resent your bike a little for not doing all the work for you. There may also be days you wobble or fall over in front of a bunch of other bikers. Regardless, your bike will be there the next day to let you try again with no judgement.

7. It isn’t weird to go biking with your friends.

Biking with friends is a great way to spend time together. Not only are you creating a stronger friendship by engaging in an activity you both enjoy, but you can also bring up your shared ride later to a group of your friends to show them how much fun you had and hopefully convince them to come biking with the both of you next time!

8. It’s totally okay to ask a friend to borrow their bike.

Sharing is caring when it comes to biking. When a friend lets us borrow their bike, to say, run an errand, they’re letting us know that they trust us with a valued possession. Friends don’t get jealous when their bike fits their pals perfectly as well, that only makes it more convenient to hang out!

9. You don’t need to take your bike to dinner to prove how much you like it.

Your bike needs some good lovin’ on a regular basis. It requires regular maintenance and may just get a little moody if you haven’t paid it enough attention lately. However, if you’re good to your bike, it shouldn’t require much in the way of daily funds. Your bike is the cheapest of dates, all you need to do to get your bike going is get on and ride.

10. Bike rentals are legal.

When travelling, renting a bike is a great way to get to know a city. By renting you get to stop along the way whenever you want – there’s nothing wrongs with taking a few detours. Or even when you’re staying home, renting a bike means you can try out a new, more challenging activity with a different model. Perhaps you’d like to take a ride and your own bike is all the way at home across the city. If you don’t have a bike, renting one is a good way to satisfy your bike craving without the commitment.

11. You can test ride a bike before you decide if you like it.

Sometimes you think a certain model is right for you, but then once you’ve purchased it, you find you were a little too caught up in the excitement to notice that there are some issues you hadn’t considered. The model you just brought home is really unpredictable. Your friend may have told you that this bike was a great bike, but it turns out you need a bike that is suited to more than one kind of terrain and suits your busy life style. There’s nothing wrong with testing out a bike first to make sure you avoid a bad purchase.

12. You don’t need to use euphemisms when talking about biking.

It’s awesome to meet other people who love biking and talking about biking as much as we do. What’s even better is that when you’re talking about biking, you know you’re talking about biking.