Cycling is not merely a hobby

It is very kind of Patrick to allow me to join in with this endeavour, but I'm afraid that my first post ( and very possibly last post ) is to pick a quarrel with him.

In his intro to the blog, Patrick refers to cycling as a 'hobby'. I don't like that.

Cycling is not a hobby, it's just something that I do, part of being alive, and active, and enjoying moving through the local area. You wouldn't describe eating breakfast as a hobby, or sex, or childrearing, or cleaning the bathroom, or ............

A hobby is something that you do specially, of itself, as an entertaining option that could be done away with, an auxiliary activity, a spare-time recreational pursuit. Some cycling is like that, I agree, but much of it is simply the sensible, enjoyable, affordable way to arrive somewhere for some reason, and usually to return home again. Taking letters to the post is not a hobby. Visiting a cash machine is not a hobby. Shopping for today's supper is not a hobby, or eggs from the farm, or newsletters delivered, or going to a meeting at the school, or a card school at the Village Hall. That's all just life.

Something else. Reading magazines about activities that really are merely hobbies, or talking to people in 'clubs', or on the net, you often come across the idea that "we want to promote this stuff" or "it would be better if more people were doing it", or "if only it was an Olympic sport more people would take an interest", and you wonder. Why do we need more people ? If we don't have a commercial interest, and just enjoy doing whatever it is for its own sake, are we not better off being a bit exclusive ? Would sailing succeed in crowded harbours ? Would golf get greater with a long queue ? Would football flourish with a thousand teams in a league ?

But cycling, once you realise that it is not a 'hobby' but just 'is', cycling could really do with more cyclists. Consider the advantages:

People get fitter.
People get to relate to the landscape, and enjoy the passing seasons.
People get to say hello to other people.
People save energy, possibly save the planet.
People driving get used to people cycling: it becomes safer.
People in charge build better facilities for people on cycles.
People have time for people.

Nick