Bicycle Breakthrough Necessity

Yes, there’s a devastating global virus threatening humanity. Set to be on the loose for a fair while yet. And I’m not only referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

Coronavirus sadly surrounds. As I blog, the latest pain at the top of feeds being from the globally crucial tourism sector. The impending collapse in holiday bookings makes them sense they’re about to be battered by “a year of three winters”.

This reminded me about decimation from two centuries back. A volcano eruption caused the ‘year without a summer‘.

1816 became an agricultural disaster. Major crop shortages struck. Mass famine took hold.

This also meant oats for horse feed ran vanishingly low. People had to choose between feeding themselves or their horse.

A haunting dilemma for the times. Which prompted one German to create an equine substitute for travel.

The result, the bicycle.

Or as the invention of Karl Drais was termed when made, the draisine or velocipede. ‘Horseless transportation … the ancestor of the modern bicycle’.

It’s a well known adage from a Danish economist that necessity is the mother of invention. Ought we solution sellers now swap in the word ‘covid’ instead at the start of her proverb?

Even those rare lucky souls out there, earning on hold only temporarily and bills all sorted, spending lockdown claiming that they’re twiddling their thumbs, should consider this.

Boredom gives tremendous impetus. In the absence of anything to do, get creative.

After all, ‘only boring people get bored’, right?

Who wants to look back and say their 2020 achievement was that they ‘finished Netflix’?

What within your vista do you think could do with fixing?

Lockdowns are gradually lifting (for now). Embrace any remaining downtime you may have.

It’s tough. Homeschooling is hard. Caring for the vulnerable is far from easy. Shielding those most at risk is pressured.

Worrying about imminent covidian wastelands on the zooming ever nearer business horizon is frantic.

Yet take solace that invention is not the sole preserve of crafting brand new spitfires. Take inspiration from changing up a way something can be done. A system tweak. A presentation overhaul. A modular re-packaging.

And bear in mind too, that any initial plan is unlikely to be the one that comes through for you. Plan for a second plan. And if need be, a third, or fourth and more. And the very best of luck.

You might not make a bike, but there is someone out there who’ll truly appreciate a new take, replacement or upgrade on a pedal or chain or handlebar or brakes or gears or saddle or helmet or …

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