I’ve written about this before, but I’m old enough to legitimately repeat myself so here goes again.

The other day on a ride I had what I thought were two excellent ideas, which I immediately realized that I would probably not have gotten looking blankly at a computer screen or doom scrolling on my phone. So when I got home I went straight to that computer screen and asked my new know-it-all friend (Chatgpt) why this may be. Here’s a summary:

When you ride, your heart rate rises and you pump more oxygen and glucose to the brain. This supports faster neural activity and better connectivity between brain regions.

Exercise increases dopamine, norepinephrine and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF in particular is often linked to learning and insight—it basically helps your brain form new connections.

Your brain has a system called the Default Mode Network which activates when you’re not fully focused on a task. This is strongly associated with idea generation and connecting unrelated concepts. AI tells me that cycling – particularly on familiar roads – is perfect for activating this system.

It went on, as it tends to do, adding that cycling naturally reduces cognitive interference (unless you listen to podcasts on the bike I suppose), putting your brain in recovery mode (my words, not AI).

Leonard Cohen (who I can’t stop quoting these days) famously said that if he knew where the great songs came from he’d go there more often. Imagine what his oeuvre would have been like if he’d been a cyclist!