Biking over water? Yes, it seems it’s possible (if you’re Danny MacAskill) – FIT IS A FEMINIST ISSUE

I’m a big fan of Danny MacAskill, a Scottish cyclist whose feats on his trials bikes confirm the unlikely hypothesis that bikes can perform on land, sea and air. His videos leave me breathless and dumbfounded, but also admiring of his planning, effort, and honesty about how hard it is to know the magnitude of the obstacles you’re facing, and then face them anyway.

I wrote about his Slabs ride in 2021– how navigating a pandemic and a massive stone edifice on a bike both felt impossible but were doable. Navigating a pandemic, riding down cliff slabs: similar rules

Then in 2024, as the political atmosphere in the US became as scary as the previous pandemic one, I wrote about how Danny shows us how to take what comes: slowly when necessary, using acquired skills, trusting that your body has some knowledge that will help you, and using body english to manage unexpected twists and turns. How to make 2024 less scary, or how to move forward anyway

Now it’s 2026, and aspects of my life feel both scary and appalling, in macro and micro views. The US government is falling apart and taking too many people with it. My mother is falling apart and I’m trying to figure out how to respond. Details of life management have become harder, for macro and micro reasons.

I’m about to go on my first coffee ride in a while with my friend Janet, who’s meeting me in Arlington Center to cycle up the bike path to Lexington. I’ve done this ride dozens of times, and am looking forward to easy chat, easy pedaling, and yummy ice coffee. I remember how to do this, and am managing my anxiety with that knowledge along with the reward at the end– hanging with a friend, drinking coffee.

And I can take comfort in the fact that no part of my ride will go over water and require the skills you see practiced below by Danny MacAskill in his newest video– riding over water! I’ll just let you watch, heart in mouth, hoping against hope he doesn’t end up in the drink… If you want to read an interview with him about this course, check it out here.

Have a lovely Sunday!

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Published by catherine w

I’m a feminist public health ethicist (yes, that’s a thing). I’m interested in heath behavior change, particularly around eating and activity, and how things other than knowledge affect our health decisions.I’m also a cyclist (road, sort-of-off-road, commuter), regular yoga-doer, occasional swimmer and kayaker and leisurely social walker.
View all posts by catherine w