Tracklosartre

Over on my philosophy of BMX blog, I spend a lot of time discussing the existentialists. I have talked a lot about Sartre and the thing is Sartre loved cycling. In the seminal work Being and Nothingness he used cycling as a highly resonant metaphor.

To possess a bicycle is to be able first to look at it, then to touch it. But touching is revealing as insufficient; what is necessary is to be able to get on the bicycle and take a ride. But this gratuitous ride is likewise insufficient; it would be necessary to use the bicycle to go on some errands. And this refers us to longer uses … But these trips themselves disintegrate into a thousand appropriative behaviour patterns, each one of which refers to others. Finally, as one could foresee, handing over a bank note is enough to make a bicycle belong to me, but my entire life is needed to realise this possession.

Sartre and many philosophers love cycling, possibly because cycling is cheaper than owning a car and who pays philosophers? In my humble opinion, it is because cycling brings you freedom, and with that freedom comes the time to think, with thinking comes the belief that existence precedes essence. It is as natural as 1,2,3…

Pedalling existentialism

Sartre’s existentialism and cycling share a common theme: the embrace of freedom, responsibility, and authenticity. To ride a bike is to engage with the world in a direct and unfiltered way, much like how existentialism challenges individuals to confront reality without illusion.

Sartre argued that humans are radically free, but with this freedom comes responsibility. The cyclist, in many ways, embodies this existentialist idea. Unlike driving a car, where external forces such as an engine and traffic laws dictate much of the experience, cycling demands that the individual take full responsibility for their motion.

If a cyclist falls, it is often due to their own misjudgment,perhaps they took a turn too sharply, miscalculated their speed, or failed to brake in time. There is no automatic system to correct one’s mistakes. This aligns with Sartre’s assertion that individuals cannot escape the weight of their own choices. The act of pedalling forward, of choosing a path, of maintaining balance, all reinforce the idea that we create our own reality and must own the consequences of our actions.

Unlike cars, which impose a barrier between the individual and their environment, or walking, which can be slow and laborious, cycling provides an immediate sense of autonomy. Sartre’s existentialism emphasises that individuals are “condemned to be free,” meaning that we have no inherent essence or purpose beyond what we create for ourselves. Similarly, the bicycle offers a direct experience of self-propulsion,one must actively engage with the mechanics of the bike, control balance, and determine direction.

Cycling also requires an acute awareness of the present moment, much like Sartre’s idea that existence precedes essence. The cyclist must constantly adjust to the terrain, traffic, and personal limitations. This fluidity mirrors Sartre’s notion that human beings are not fixed entities but are always in a state of becoming.

Sartre’s existentialism and cycling share a common theme: the embrace of freedom, responsibility, and authenticity. To ride a bike is to engage with the world in a direct and unfiltered way, much like how existentialism challenges individuals to confront reality without illusion.