Let’s Ride
Sunday
The first bicycle had neither pedals nor chain. The “hobby horse” was propelled by pushing against the ground with your shoes, like a skateboard.
Monday
To take back or soften what you’ve already said is called “backpedaling.” However, only on a fixed gear bike would you go backward by pedaling so, since the modern freewheel only drives the wheel forward while pedaling forward.
Tuesday
There’s intriguing brain science in the fact that people almost never forget how to ride a bike. The coordination of movements involved becomes a “procedural memory,” which, it turns out, is a more permanent kind of memory than a factual “declarative memory” (unfortunately for creators of fun fact websites).
Wednesday
The Tour de France is the most-watched sporting event in the world, garnering over 3.5 billion viewers.
Thursday
Worldwide, the Netherlands has the most impressive bicycling resume. Seven out of every eight people age 15 or older own a bike, and an impressive 30% of all trips made in the country are on a bicycle.
Friday
The famous feminist quote “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” was itself inspired by an earlier quote about religion.
Saturday
A “peloton” is the name for a group of bicyclists riding in a pack to conserve energy.