Kelton’s Topanga notebook

Ask a cyclist why they ride and you’ll hear all kinds of answers. For Kelton Wright, it’s not just one thing – nor is it simple.

“I ride my bike to deal with my anxiety, and the onslaught of thoughts in my head. When I want to channel those thoughts into something productive, I need a brain wash first – like a literal wash – and cycling does that for me,” she says. “Riding helps clear out the garbage and streamlines my thoughts so I can use them for something worthwhile.”

Of course, it’s not always that riding demands this level of presence. In Kelton’s case, however, it’s a feature of every ride.

“When I leave my house, I’m going down an incredibly steep mountain. There’s no other way to start my ride – other than going up an incredibly steep mountain. So you’re either in deep muscle pain, or it’s deep focus on a dangerous descent. Your thoughts are streamlined whether you want them to be or not.”

So, in this way, riding invariably becomes a form of meditation. And while cycling might be seen by some as a simplistic pastime – nearly all of us started riding as kids – the benefits clearly extend well into adulthood and even beyond, into our working lives.

“When I’m working, cycling helps clear out preconceptions of where what I’m writing is going to go. Often that little nugget of what’s good comes while I’m out on the ride. I don’t want to lose it out there on the road, so I stop and scribble it down.”

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