By Paul Erickson

I am an engineer and love machines. In my opinion, the wheel is one of the most incredible, history-changing technologies of all time. All of us who live in modern society either directly or indirectly use the wheel in some way, but for most people, the wheel is just something on our cars that needs to be checked from time to time.

One of the most intimate ways to become familiar with the benefits of the wheel is to ride a bicycle. I have always been amazed by how simple a bicycle is, yet how liberating this simple machine can be. In the 1890s, a bicycle boom swept European and American cities. The attraction of owing and using a bicycle then is the same as now.

The bicycle is a fast, easy and simple way to get from Point A to Point B. Of course historically, this bicycle boom then morphed into the use of cars and trucks but the original idea of moving from Point A to Point B with minimal effort still is enabled and perhaps epitomized by the bicycle.

About 30 years ago, I became seriously addicted to bicycling. I loved the speed, the wind in my hair, the freedom of travel and movement brought by simply pushing on the pedals and keeping your balance. After I learned to ride, my wonderful parents bought me a shiny red 12-speed bicycle and I was hooked. It transported me everywhere!

Not only did I get new freedom to go places but I learned how to pull things apart and sometimes I could even get it back together again. I attribute my career choice in large part to the fact that I learned to pull apart and maintain my bicycle.

With my Boy Scout troop, I learned about bicycling long distances. My Scout troop pedaled from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a weeklong trip and the following year we then pedaled from Los Angeles to San Diego on an extended weekend. I found bike trekking amazing. You could literally get a feel for the terrain and the communities you passed through and could actually see the scenery go by rather than just watch it shoot past in a blur like one does in a car.

Enthused with my new-found freedom, I began to dream of riding across the United States by my own power. Later, as a senior in college, I was joined by my cousin as we started from the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles and pedaled our bicycles across 14 states to the Atlantic Ocean in New York City on a five-week, life-changing journey.

After my cross-country trip, I largely put away the bicycle, got busy with work, graduate school and family, and generally felt I was too busy to ride. I still would miss the speed and freedom of movement but thought of bicycling as a free-time luxury I couldn’t afford. Even after moving to Woodland where we have the ideal flat terrain and weather for bicycling, I just was too burdened with other things to think about bicycling.

About six years ago, I was faced with rising gas prices and an expanding middle-aged waistline, so I decided to try my bicycle for my daily commute from Woodland to Davis. The results in my fitness and mental attitude were amazing. I was flabbergasted that I had been off the bike for more than a decade. What was I thinking?!

Life certainly has not gotten any less busy since taking up the bicycle commute, but I feel like I can handle things mentally a lot better now because of the ride. True, it takes a little longer to get to work. I took a 20-minute commute by car and turned it into a 40-minute commute by bike.

Big deal; I save at least an hour a day by not having to visit the gym. Better yet, I always get a good workout and I even used the bicycle commute as my primary training for the Ironman triathlon, which I completed in 2007.

On the mental side, I could actually see the beautiful countryside that surrounds Woodland and Davis and I arrive at work and back at home happier and mentally sharper.

The benefits of bicycling even extend to my wallet. I got rid of my $50 parking pass by now parking in my office. I save about 450 miles per month on the car, which for me translates to roughly 40 gallons of gas ($160 at $4 per gallon) saved on my gas-guzzling SUV per month. I also ditched my gym membership, which saved me another $50 per month.

Anyone want to make an extra $250 per month by staying in shape, becoming mentally sharper, traveling happier and becoming more full of life? Dust off the bicycle and get riding — it sure has changed my life for the better.

— Paul Erickson is a Woodland resident and an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis. Matt Biers-Ariel and Mont Hubbard are co-editors of the Davis Bicycles! column, published every other week in The Davis Enterprise. To offer a Davis Bicycles! column, write to them at [email protected] or log on to www.bikedavis.info to see instructions for authors.

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Paul Erickson, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis, wheels his bike down the corridor at Bainer Hall on campus on Wednesday. Erickson commutes by bike between his Woodland home and campus office. Sue Cockrell/Enterprise photo

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