Bike Love can mean many things. This photo series is dedicated to the habitual tendency of expressing love. Holding hands while riding a bike.
Why do people hold hands while riding a bike?
Holding hands is a universal form of affection. There are many reasons why people do it. One psychology professor said that chief among them is a sense of security we get from holding someone else’s hand.
This makes sense when the bicycle is involved. For most people, riding a bike in the city already poses some risks. Perhaps holding hands may add to a sense of security, at least on a subconscious level.
Isn’t riding a bike while holding hands dangerous?
One can argue that holding hands while riding a bike is more difficult to do. But riding a bike confidently produces a sense of satisfaction and control. You’re naturally engaged with your environment while being undeterred by traffic and obstructions.
Most Amsterdammers are excellent cyclists. They’ve been riding for years and do it nearly everyday. They are familiar with their roads and know how to read and react to traffic. For this reason, it becomes as normal to hold hands while riding as it is to bike with an umbrella.
Riding a bike induces an expression of love
There is something about riding a bike that induces an expression of love. It could come from the simple act of biking. I always feel a sense of gratitude of being in the bike lane. Especially when I’m reminded of being corralled onto a streetcar or subway. Admiring the beauty of a city like Amsterdam while biking only helps to evoke that feeling.
When engaged in conversation with someone you love, there is almost a natural inclination to hold hands while riding. It brings them close to you, establishing a connection where cycling no longer is just a mode of transportation.
Why some people don’t like it
Usually when we see people holding hands, they are just walking by us on the sidewalk. But riding behind them could remind you that you’re not doing it, or that there is someone special missing in your life.
Other times it could be a nuisance as your simply trying to get somewhere and now need to ring the bell in order to pass them.
Show a little love
If I see someone holding hands while riding a bike, I take the approach that I appreciate riding a bike just that much more. It accentuates a lifestyle that is really the best part of living in the city. Doing everything and anything by bike. For those of you who do it, just know if someone doesn’t want to pass you, they could just want to capture that moment.
