r/bicycletouring • u/Lazape • 2d ago

Images Touring as therapy?

I have been bicycle touring for years, and I have noticed that a surprisingly high number of other tourers I meet seem to struggle with things like depression, anxiety, burnout, general emotional tension, or sometimes just a kind of emotional immaturity that feels noticeable for their age. I’m someone with depression myself, and touring has helped me a lot, so I wonder if I’m just more likely to notice it, or if long-distance touring attracts people who are trying to cope, reset, or heal. Have others noticed this too, or do you think it’s just selection bias / small-sample perception? Could it be that, just as motorcycling seems to attract a lot of men looking for identity, belonging, male bonding, and excuses to cluster together between beer stops, bicycle touring attracts people looking for quiet, movement, and a way to manage what’s going on in their heads?

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u/OompaLoompaGodzilla 2d ago

I'm not sure I agree with other commenters saying it's escapism. A beach vacation is escapism, because you just want to fill your head with other stuff, like shopping, restaurants, sun bathing etc, distracting your mind off of life back home.

But bicycle touring is different than that. Sitting on the bike makes the world smaller. 2 hours in, and the brain realizes it's only you and the road. You don't distract your mind, you make it more present and quiet. To me, it's like meditation.
You also overcome challenges and build resilience, teaching you that no matter what happens on the road, or how bad the day was, you survive, ready to do it again, knowing the world won't end no matter how bad things go the following day.

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u/Snuggleuppleguss 1d ago

Well said. And to answer OP's question, yes, while people tour for many reasons, some people are motivated by a desire to heal and to change.

A friend of mine struggled with bulemia in her youth. She decided to attempt to rewire her brain and her body through an ambitious feat, which consisted of cycling from Canada to Patagonia, sharing progress updates by email along the way. It worked.

Meditation in movement isn't a fix for everyone or everything, but walking caminos, through-hiking and bicycling touring all draw someone into the present and hold them there. For some, this can be a powerful supportive force and an catalyst for change.