Today I woke up at the normal time and rode my bike to work. It only took 15 minutes (which is actually how long Google Bicycling directions claimed it would take, although they wanted me to go the wrong way up a couple one-way streets so . . . that is not how I got there). It was mostly downhill or flat.

I left work early because I’m about to start a new second job, three days a week, and wanted to see how long it would take me to get from Job A to Job B.

At first I wasn’t sure how to get to the Southwest Corridor. That took a few minutes. But with the wind at my back, it only took me 20 minutes to arrive at my destination. It was damn impressive. Not that I’m so fast — I am super slow and riding a dumb, heavy mountain bike.  I am impressed with cycling itself: on a bike, this trip took half as long as it would on the T. It was like driving with no traffic. Amazing.

Usually I ride the bus. The difference in how liberated I feel commuting by bike is astounding. On my way home I thought about how that must be why anarchists are so into bicycles. First, you have the feeling of independence and individualism from riding independent of so many restrictions (bus schedules, gas stations). This is also a trait that is supposed to be manly. Rar, rugged individualism. Why have I never been into that?

Oh yeah, because I don’t actually believe any human being can survive without a community. It’s not natural and it’s pretty stupid to try it. Hence the other reason I’d guess anarchists are so into bicycles: it takes a whole community to support bicycles. There are people who make bikes, people who fix bikes, people who advocate for bicycle infrastructure, and all kinds of people who ride bikes.

There’s also the part of the picture where bicycles are a human-scale technology. I don’t have the time or inclination to learn everything about fixing a car, and most people can’t do this anymore even if they want to, because so much of cars these days is computerized. There’s too much specialty knowledge that goes into a car for most people who drive cars to know much about how to work with them beyond filling the gas tank, changing the tire, changing the oil, and maybe using jumper cables.

With bicycles, you can learn a lot more about them. And if you can patch your tube, change a tire, tighten a few things, and oil your chain? It just adds to the feeling of independence from being on a bike in the first place. You know that if you get a flat you’re not stuck or done for . . . the way you might be if your bus or car breaks down en route.

Not that no one ever gets stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a busted bike, but arming yourself with the knowledge and equipment to prevent that from happening seems a lot more doable than it does with a car.

Lowlight of my trip today: This cyclist (a white guy in a puke-orange rain jacket) sneezed to his left as he passed me going south on the Southwest Corridor. We were riding into a strong head wind. Um, yeah. I’m just glad his snot landed on my arm instead of flying into my face.