How to ride your bicycle slower and love it

Although it sounds simple enough, the move to embrace slow cycling could have a much more lasting impact on those who embrace it.

Most articles these days are all about what it takes to ride a bicycle faster. The training, the supplements, the gear, the tech. Nobody really talks about what it takes to cycle slower.

“The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.” Steve Maraboli

Make the switch to an upright bicycle

Not only is the upright bicycle model the opposite of aerodynamic it will also allow one to see the road and the surrounding landscape better. If you pull up next to a rose bush, feel free to gather the scent in your well-positioned snout. And, with lovely curved handlebars typical of some upright bikes, riders might even be more comfortable and less prone to sore lower backs.

Wear street clothes and nice footwear

When committed to slow cycling, be sure to dress for your destination, not your trip. Sure, supertight spandex clothing or those sexy bib shorts might suit the peloton set as they stress out over the latest Strava times, but for those looking to cycle much slower, this won’t do. We need comfortable slacks, a nice shirt, heck maybe even a pair of sandals. These clothes demand slowness.

Coffee is a key component to slowing down

For instance, consider having a coffee while you bicycle. There are plenty of handlebar holders for beverages that would work. There is very little that works better to slow a cyclist than the thought of a cup of hot coffee bouncing into one’s lap. The other option is to make sure a lovely streetside indie coffee shop is on the route, take time to stop and have a cup before completing the day’s journey. Savor. There is no rush.

Get a cargo bike

These utilitarian gems come in many different shapes and sizes, all of which will be slower to pedal than most other bicycles and will most likely be a lot more fun, too. Not to mention, cargo bikes are a fantastic replacement for that second family car and, honestly, much much slower. Dropping off the kids at school in a cargo bike, showing them the importance of making choices that benefit the planet, while getting exercise and fresh air. Seems like a good trade-off.

Double ride someone

Sure, check the rules in your locale, but one sure way to go a lot slower while cycling is to plunk someone else’s posterior onboard, maybe on a sturdy rear rack, or cargo trailer. Bicycles are fun, double-riding used to be a blast, why not try to tap into some of that nostalgia, all for the sake of slowing down.

Gear down

Bicycles will run just fine, nice and slow, with a maximum of three gears, or even just one. When taking a more leisurely approach to cycling, there is less need for dozens of gears that only aid in bicycles picking up speed. Complicated gearing systems can be costly to repair. One gear, ideally an internal hub such as those common on Dutch bikes called omafiets is all one needs to go slow.

Slow cycling is all about enjoying the ride and reclaiming the streets. It’s about meeting up with friends for a leisurely ride to the café for a streetside chat or going for a slow roll around town. Now get out there, and slow down.