¿What kind of relationship does the bicycle have with the economic and social crisis evolution of the last years?
The crisis in the west had a demolishing effect on the major part of the families who had reached the middle class. The dream of a lot of people vanished and became a nightmare of receipts, mortgages, unemployment and inequality. For a lot of people this situation was unsustainable; others continued with the fight. They had to juggle in order to make ends meet. Some of the others bought a bicycle, we left the car or the motorbike behind and we saved on the ticket increases of public transport. And, finally, we realized that… Hey! We had also saved on gym expenditures. And while we were pedalling little by little against the unemployment, the abusive contracts, the rents, the mortgages… we began to see that we were not alone.
Now, a lot of the others continue pedalling with the small sprocket and the large chainring, and ascending, but when some of our mates are faced with obstacles, we also pedal for them. And we realize that while we are pedalling we become stronger, much stronger than some people who continue driving their cars.
And don’t be overconfident, because in the end we will feel the fresh air while we are riding our bicycle and we will be pedalling stronger and happier.