For most, a bicycle is a simple vehicle to deliver you from point A to point B. For senior John Whittaker, a bicycle represents freedom and nonconformity.
“On the bike, you feel free. You don’t have to follow the same rules as cars.You’re just in your own world,” Whittaker said.
For Whittaker, biking has been part of his everyday routine ever since the middle of freshman year, when he made the initial switch to pursue something new. Now he bikes to every place he can. This includes to school, home, and his job at The Shack in Waterford. However, Whittaker is not like many other students who bike to school since they live close by. Whittaker is a Salem resident, making his commute to school eight miles long and his commute to work 11 miles long.
His devotion to biking is truly remarkable. At just 15 years old, Whittaker once completed a 120-mile bike ride to Springfield. The ride started as just an idea, but later brewed into fruition.
“It was a Sunday morning, and I was just like screw it and left,” Whittaker said.
Altogether the trip had a few bumps in the road, literally and figuratively, Whittaker completed it. The ride encompassed a few wrong turns along the way, as well as some close calls. The sense of fulfillment that came with the trip was worth the fatigue and turmoil. For Whittaker, getting to the destination and feeling the satisfaction of completing his goal is his driving motive. Not to mention the exercise aspect is also a component. Whittaker averages around 70-80 miles a week of just biking.
“Biking offers the same level of exercise, if not more than running and there is more payoff. Biking builds more muscle and is better for your body. Not to mention, you can travel a lot faster and cover more ground… Overall, biking is just elite,” Whittaker said.
Over the years, Whittaker’s bike has evolved quite a lot. The bike undergoes constant improvements and repairs.
“I enjoy tinkering with it, switching out my brakes, experimenting with it. I feel like my bike is truly my own,” Whittaker said.
“I am interested in how the bike transfers energy and the efficiency of biking compared to other methods of transportation such as running.”
The bike has allowed Whittaker the freedom to tinker away, which has inspired a possible career in engineering. Overall, biking provides Whittaker a mode of travel, personal fulfillment, and a possible career. Whittaker has biked every day this year. No matter the weather conditions, he will bike. The wise words of Whittaker himself: “Nothing a coat can’t fix…”
