With Thanksgiving in a few days and ATP’s marketing team in desperate search of blog content, I have been tasked with somehow comparing biking to America’s National Day of Eating. A tall task one would think, how could biking to work be at all like the holiday where 4,500 calories are consumed on average?
However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized there are actually some pretty strong similarities between the two – so basically, if you love Thanksgiving, chances are you’ll love biking too.
Here are my five reasons why biking is exactly like Thanksgiving:
1. Both have a destination in mind
On Thanksgiving, once that last bite leaves your fork, it’s only a matter of time before you reach the desired final location of the day—the couch. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get the corner on an L couch and scoot under an oversized fleece blanket while football is on the TV, and family members are doing the dishes because when you “tried to help” there were “too many people” in the kitchen.
Of course with biking, it’s one of the most fun and fastest ways to reach a destination, whether it’s work, running errands, or riding a bike ride to a cool location.
2. Both come with great options (AKA sides)
The couch might be the end game, but how about all those options to get there? Obviously, turkey is always a consistent factor, but what I’m really talking are the sides—so many different choices, so little time! There might even be three varieties of the same dish—out of the box stuffing for grandma, some new gourmet stuffing recipe, and gluten-free stuffing for the cousin.
One of the best parts about biking are the different routes you can take to reach a destination—whether you want to avoid traffic, take the scenic route, or get a little more exercise—there are so many options.
3. You can enjoy the journey and destination with others
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without friends and family joining you in the annual stuffing of the faces with food. And if the table conversation turns to politics, you can always evacuate and hang with the dog, who is almost always better company anyway.
While biking itself is a solo activity, it’s always enjoyable to share the experience with others. Some of my favorite parts of the day include biking into work and saying “How NICE is it out this morning?” (knowing those who biked will fully understand) or biking home and chatting at red lights with my coworker, Maggie.
4. Both involve wearing stretchy pants
Yes, this is more of a personal reason, but being able to wear stretchy pants anywhere is a win for me. And if you’re not wearing stretchy pants on Thanksgiving, you’re doing it wrong. Of course, standard disclaimer—you don’t have to wear stretchy pants while biking. I admire my coworkers who can show up in work clothes ready to go.
5. Both are the gift that keeps on giving
After Thanksgiving, not only are you blessed with being forced to wear stretchy pants for days to come, but a fridge full of leftovers is one of the best lasting effects of the holiday. Hellooo turkey-stuffing-cranberry sauce sandwiches!
Biking has great physical benefits and can save you time on making a trip to the gym by providing exercise during your ride. The mental benefits are also underrated—who wouldn’t want to start off their day on a positive, less stressed mindset?
Plus, I know this word gets thrown around a lot, but biking really is FUN. Seriously, try it and use your bike benefit to save money on your commute. Don't own a bike? You can always join Capital Bikeshare, and enjoy the new CaBi Plus.
Happy Thanksgiving and happy biking!
Photo Credit: Sam Kittner/Kittner.com for Arlington Transportation Partners