Bicycling For Life: Mark Martin at TEDxLSU

Cycling enthusiast Mark Martin argues for enhanced understanding of the multiple ways bicycling can generate positive change in our world.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@davidzeledon61]

After years of not riding a bike, (I was 44) I ended up having a stroke that put me in the ICU for a week, and a total hospital stay of 40 days, and a two year plus recovery struggle. For my 46 birthday my wife surprised me with a bike, I thought it was kind of silly since my balance is not great, but I got on my bike and to my surprise I could ride it. I love riding my bike it has lifted my spirit, I feel wonderful when I'm on it even if it's a short ride, I feel like me again, I like waving to other people and seen their smiles. If you suffer from depression, anxiety, cholesterol, etc the solution to your problem has two wheels, I have concluded that instead of a drug prescription your doctor should prescribe you ridding a bike for 30 minutes 4 times a week and increase this time as needed. It will change how you feel, I look forward to my next ride, I truly love my bike and I will continue to ride, my health and my life depend on it. Also when life gets difficult, along with your bike get a pet. And by the way my wife is a genius.

[@superstar5123]

Bless you brother❤️

[@micosstar]

@@superstar5123facts, bless @davidzeledon61!

[@saranoel8998]

Your post made my day. I completely agree with you. It truly is the best prescription for depression or anxiety as we breathe in the fresh air and look at all the beauty around us. It allows us to see the world differently and somehow makes us feel free and optimistic. Smiling and waving at our neighbors as we ride is so interactive and does boost our spirit.. what a thoughtful gift from your wife!! 🎉

[@FrankF-vp4pt]

AWESOME!

[@biking-viking-claus-andersen]

I have never had a car or a drivers license for that matter. And I have still visited 82 countries around the world with my bike.

[@powerant1914]

Now that's amazing!!! 👍

[@pas9ify]

Why? No insurance No parking tickets No traffic No gasoline No pollution (almost) No gym I can park at the front door The best part of my day is my commute!

[@flawlessbutdysfunctional7787]

pas9ify isn’t bike insurance yearly like $200 max

[@amjedhussain7954]

Yes I like my bike more than my car

[@clutchcargo2419]

Yes yes yeeeeees !

[@tonysweet9137]

@@flawlessbutdysfunctional7787 It costs me $800.00 a year to insure my $15,000.00 bicycle.

[@JSabh]

I agree but, I still would like to have my bike insured in case it was stolen or gets destroyed somehow. Especially if your spending 2000$ plus on the bike... that ain't a huffy if you know what I mean. Protecting your investment is important and smart regardless of the form the investment happens to take.

[@archa1624]

bike is the greatest invention ever

[@peglegnoid6139]

Mysterious invention being nobody can fully explain how a velocipede remains upright in motion.

[@nancyravenel915]

Scottish invention 🤗😉😍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@danielhughes5901]

German invention

[@anonymousentity5870]

No, earphone is

[@marcussmart7673]

100%

[@oaktownie5673]

Former cardiovascular nurse...began group riding in the 80's to prevent cardiovascular disease...now car free for six years...E bikes/mass public transit gets me everywhere! Love this lifestyle..

[@MarzNet256]

I've been riding and repairing bicycles since 1979. The only thing that brings me more pleasure than cycling myself has been watching my almost 5 year old boy tear it up on two wheels. He was jumping ramps with his training wheels! There really is something magical about cycling. The autonomy, the self empowerment (literally), the love. Cycling truly is a melding of mind + body + machine + spirit. Thanks Mark for the the re-inspiration. Also, love your bike! Myself-I ride a 2000 Specialized Enduro Comp (with of course-lots of upgrades-which is really just the icing on the cake). Energy independence, great mind, great body, social behaviours, passion to keep riding. The bicycle will truly, literally...save our planet and the human race. RIde!..Dammit!...Ride!

[@yukiinu5534]

bicyling has always been the best physical and mental therapy for me, I can feel like crap but within thirty seconds of getting on my bike I feel much physically and psychologically better.

[@newavatar2947]

YUKI INU Me Too!

[@PhilipMcAdam]

This is my all time favorite video on cycling. There is simply nothing to argue in this video. He states the facts truthfully and clearly.

[@WmCRobison]

This is a great video.

[@uscg8168]

+Philip Mc Adam (phill) except the bell!

[@kamaljitdhaliwal785]

+Philip Mc Adam (phill) agreed!

[@MrBYG]

Absolutely !

[@ominousinc]

This Ted talk made me extremely hungry as I started salivating uncontrollably.

[@bringforthtruth]

What's with you, dog?

[@yunk9]

Lol good one

[@davemoore843]

Nearly cried laughing after reading that!

[@lewiscliffe434]

Very clever.

[@adamdebesai]

Wow, impressive joke. If anyone doesn’t get this joke, google Pavlov’s dog experiment.

[@MrEvilbyte]

I've started riding, because I simply wanted a mode of transport (public transport ticks me off with it's timetables, cars are too expensive). With a mode of transport, I can become fully independent, and build a life around that. Also, maybe it's my own way of quietly rebelling against the way the world has become. A more bike centric world is a pretty big step in the right direction imo.

[@UXASSAKY]

i ride because it's ultimate freedom

[@v.dargain1678]

It's a great de-stresser .

[@kolloduke3341]

5 years ago i became disabled then i came out of the hospitals and taught my self how to ride a bike again.When im on a bike i dont feel or think disabled , when i walk i am slow ,ponderuss and unstable, when i am on the bike i am as fast or slow as i want to be , i feel GREAT!I liked your vid MR M and M thanks . .

[@saranoel8998]

I feel inspired by your post. Thank you 🙏

[@daytrader66]

2 years of COVID restrictions left me grossly overweight, morose and culminated with a DVT in my minor Vena Cava that was going to kill me. 8 months later I've lost 26kg through cycling and diet and never been fitter. I do more miles on my bike than all my other vehicles put together. 420 miles last month. I never thought it possible.

[@volooooo]

One of the best Ted talks ever!

[@jeffmcilroy7081]

I like this guy.. imagine how different the world would be if we all rode bikes.. roads would be made smaller and simpler. Much smaller parking lots etc. Entire cities would be designed differently. I know that we need transports and large vehicles to move product long distances but we do so much more driving than we need to

[@Beery1962]

Most roads wouldn't be smaller. When the Good Roads Movement was started by cyclists in the late 1800s, the standard 13ft lane width was originally created for bicycles, because at an intersection, that 13ft lane width gives a safe turning radius for a bicycle moving at a normal cycling speed of 10mph. Cars just happened to be able to make that same turn radius. Modern cycling infrastructure is much narrower because of the need to fit cyclists in next to roads which are no longer considered safe for the vehicles they were originally designed for. If cars went away, cyclists would stop using "bike facilities" and simply go back to the roads that were designed for them.

[@gregoryhunt9086]

extremely poor!

[@shawnriffhard]

@@gregoryhunt9086 what would be extremely poor?

[@TraceyGe]

2 years ago I got rid of my SUV after I realized I was riding my bike more than I was driving. Occasionally I take public transit 2-3 times a month. It sucks. Riding my bike to and from work is great. I save $ and am getting healthier each day.

[@TraceyGe]

Thanks ***** I really like riding a bike. Never thought I would to this degree. I think I'm addicted.

[@hosseindarvishi7015]

I really like biking because it brings me joy and a subtle sense of freedom

[@joshuamorris2908]

Same.

[@1stinlastout165]

I'm diabetic ( diagnosed two years ago)and for the last two years of riding my condition is in remission , I'm out most day on a MTB and cover 8 miles a day not only for my health I do it because it's a life I love,one happy rider Durham UK.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

It is amazing what happens on the way to work when you have your own bike lane vs the side of the road with traffic.

[@metalg33ksolid]

I thought he would say at the end that every time he rang that bell somebody died in a car accident or something like that

[@abdulrahmana8623]

hahhahahahah same here

[@KindaRustySocks24]

+metalg33ksolid hahaha yes

[@enosunim]

he just switch slides with his bell signal

[@pepito_white]

LOL, ring fasterr

[@cap1njimbo]

We're about due for a really dark reboot of It's a Wonderful Life. "Every time a bell rings, some roadkill gets its wings".

[@klnasveschuk]

I wish more people could see cycling as you do (especially city planners), great video!

[@tommy112361]

Wow, this was by far the best oral essay i have ever experienced. Never before have I heard so much right, mixed in with nothing wrong. Bravo Mark Martin....ding.

[@FrankF-vp4pt]

I am 60 now and love to ride my bicycle. Thank you for this awesome video! We need safe bike pathways here in the states, and everywhere!

[@Mikolaj_u]

More bicycles = less cars. And that is always a good thing.

[@jimfarmer4391]

fewer cars

[@jbibm81]

Excellent presentation! I started riding my bike when I moved to the Netherlands. After coming back to the U.S., I rode more and more until I eventually sold my car. I have no plans of buying another car (even once I have a family). Such a higher QUALITY of life in walking and bicycling than driving. Now, we've just got to reshape our cities around people on bicycles.

[@micosstar]

yup, there are cargo bikes that can a person or two!

[@clayguinard3651]

This is probably one of the top five videos for bicycles that I watch repeatedly

[@lromeroyt]

I ride my bicycle because the feeling you get, the sensations experienced, the rewards, are to the highest artistic levels of my essence. I think I can just say, because I love it. The right to the road should be given to those avoiding contamination and to the ones that offers lower accidental risk, as it was demonstrated in this video. Public/emergency transportation excepted. Pleasure cars and motorcycles (electric included) should pay higher taxes for the luxury to use the road while contaminating and because of the higher space occupied. They should drive carefully demonstrating respect to non-motorized vehicles.

[@mhringrose]

I nearly got to the four minute mark but the bell ringing was too much.

[@marcussmart7673]

Well ya missed some good stuff maybe you should ride a bike a bit more.

[@mhringrose]

@jblester76 thanks for the explanation, I haven't had time to work that out cos I've been riding my bike too much to watch videos on KZbin about riding bikes. 😄

[@markhomer8567]

I also stopped at four minutes due to the bell. I was also put off by the fact that this guy is grossly obese, hardly an advertisement for the preventive health benefits of bike riding.

[@romyjugroo4542]

Forty years ago,my mum would cycle to work everyday till she retired.Even today,a lady on a bike is quite rare where I live.I hope to carry on for the fun and health benefits amongst other advantages mentioned.Great talk.

[@bremsoapsco.4622]

One of the greatest stories that I ever heard. Beautiful truth!!! Cycling for life and future.

[@doctorsartorius]

I rode my bike everyday. My greatest concern is that my bike will be stolen. There needs to be more security for cyclists who ride to work or the store

[@PhilipMcAdam]

I just love this guy and what he is teaching and selling.

[@chriswhiteiii]

Balance and relaxation are priceless gifts.

[@theejoeylee]

Needs more bike bell 🛎

[@leonteflorinel8808]

Touching.... Impressive. Great video ! Thank you !

[@venkateshvilapakam7248]

I ride on average about 60km (~40miles)... Simply love riding my bicycle. Last year I rode 11500km. But for my commitments, I would've just gone out into the world. Just Me and My Bicycle...

[@anweshpeddineni5802]

amazing bro

[@Musical_Man_Guitar]

Great presentation. A great deal of insight here. I started cycling again after many years and had forgotten the joy it brings. I just ask my wife if it's okay to go out and play now instead of my mum.

[@abhimonnubiswas2334]

riding my bike gives me freedom, its help me explore new things, keeps me healthy, lower my depression level and i believe that the bicycle is the only successful transportation system in the history that only helps to keeps the carbon footprints level down and definitely fuel less.

[@gezaborbely]

I often smile and laugh like a crazy person while riding my bicycle..it is so much fun. The nature is more beautiful and the food tastes better thanks to my bike.

[@tesstikles3225]

He rings his bell because every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings 😁

[@514BMXJay]

LOVE that they had some BMX in there! Im a life long BMXer and there's nothing like it. you get all the benefits or riding a bike, overcoming adversity, making friends who share your passion, getting a serious workout..... bikes really are the best

[@dieselpunkpowerlifter7667]

Excellent video! Great (and very sobering) use of data and research.

[@bjnesbitt2011]

I suffer from ADHD and other medical disorders, riding a bike has changed my life health wise and intellectually and controls my stress levels.

[@florgynikmak]

this was a pleasure to watch. Cheers, Mark!

[@pisceslicious]

I love riding my bike it's the best feeling in the world when I'm riding. Great speech biking really is the best!

[@positiveandmotivation4611]

Thanks for Spreading Positive Vibes Around

[@japsley6172]

Good talk. Thank you.

[@franktognini4786]

Thank you

[@suresh5522]

I have two cars but i still love ride bicycle. Good one mark.

[@spencermoon1371]

what wonderfull man thankyou!

[@chadolson5537]

Great presentation!

[@wyoancap1900]

34 years old and I try to ride every day.

[@DROFHAPPINESS]

Fantastic video. Will be saving as well as sharing. (Glad you mentioned Canada).

[@michaelsudhalter4339]

Wow, this guy has come full circle -- from Arkansas NASCAR Driver to Louisiana Cyclist. Way to go, Mark Martin :)

[@erickgregoryful]

Fantastic man.

[@ashishnabira]

It's really a fun way to change your life !!!

[@artroberts1815]

u rock mr.. i have heard ur message.. well done

[@bballplanet1]

Very nice intro framing the dangers of automobile use Mark!

[@jimrerko3415]

My friend thank you for your video.

[@ozziejim8472]

Love my bike and I have for well over 40 years.

[@gregnixon1296]

Yes, using the bell for emphasis once or twice could be quirky and fun, but using it as a slide advance remote control device over and again rattles my DNA.

[@jimmcdonald8582]

Amen Brother!

[@IncrediblyStupidName]

By the end of the video, I was expecting him to say something like, "From the beginning of this talk, every time I rang this bell, someone in the world dies of an automobile accident." Kinda disappointed he didn't.

[@bringingtherukas7473]

Love the grips on his bike, Look like Oury Bmx Grips, The man has some nice bling!!

[@Zylork0122]

Yeah! I love biking! I just wish my workplace wasn't so far for me to commute by bike and also the danger of it being on the corner of two major highways.

[@matthowe2703]

I can attest to what he is saying. I live with depression and when I started riding it slowly vanished. yes it came back but that is because I became injured and couldn't ride then had to sell my bike. cycling is one of the most free feelings out there.i think everyone that has the capability to learn how to ride should.

[@richnovotny5008]

I ride a bicycle for all the reasons that wher just mentioned TGhank You Mark

[@SavioScott]

Super liked this video. Please get him back! ... Please

[@TheDigitalMurder]

loved it and the bike bell ringing started to have a pavlovs dog (spelling??) effect on me, every bell ring made me want go hit the trails :)

[@teodorocalalo6744]

With heavy traffic in Manila riding a bike makes a difference and a good form of great exercise!!!

[@mgmartin51]

The sense of joy and freedom I enjoyed as a child was in no small part due to my bike.

[@WilfredoRamos808]

Lovely. Really cool

[@tiptonwindham6289]

This needs more views

[@davenorth3750]

This is so true 👍 👏👏👏

[@jojo-ec4js]

GOD has a plan for all of us…I’m just along for the RIDE 🙏🏼

[@jamjar5716]

Very powerful

[@alanhill4957]

Thank you. Mark. I gave up my bike forty years ago. Haven't gassed anyone or anything since. Hope I can last at least twenty more years. All my love to bikers.

[@akronymus]

Try to test-ride a modern bike. Today's gear-shifts really shift gears, rims are made of material that stays round, and brakes really decelerate the bike. Consumer-level bikes were crappy 40 years ago.

[@alanhill4957]

akronymus Thanks akronymus. I forgot to mention I also gave up my car. Living in LA, that was quite a challenge. I actually got ticketed twice for "walking"....suspicious behavior in neighborhoods with no sidewalks and more garages than houses. Now it's time for this old geezer to bounce up to good modern bikes. Thanks again.

[@akronymus]

Alan Hill I heard of such housing-areas, and I believe you, but it is really hard for me to imagine walking being regarded as an offence against public order. How silly can mankind become?

[@akronymus]

runupahill1 Well, the 'modern' plan is more or less to ban anything except of things that a loto of money can be earned of. We should be watching awarely what these people do, otherwise money might really become the greenest thing around. I am not so very young, and I can remember the rivers' surfaces filled with junk, oil films, dead fish. KAyaking or swimming - dangerous, forbidden. Where swimming was not forbidden, the pebbles on the ground were slippery from a thick layer of microbic slime, the air was foggy and acid, and we children were sick all the time. Daddy took the car even to go drinking with the neighbour less than a minute walking time away. We called that 'progress'. No, my home-town is not Armageddon, this was reality in well-developed Europe ... and now it starts up again. No chance to buy a car weighing under two tons, no more talk about environment issues (except 'CO2' which is taxed), 'greens' are discriminated and ridiculed. It is a shame, mankind seems to hate learning.

[@alanhill4957]

akronymus My hope in mankind increases with such people as yourself. You are modern, and can think like you do......that gives me incredible encouragement and an enhanced respect for my fellow beings. You have the seeds and that means more will flourish. Thank you for "making my day."

[@Arielriderebikes]

very inspiring video

[@canyonpast]

Great Video, I ride because I choose. I love my bicycle.

[@odogg2528]

Going to buy a bike this week and try this for a summer

[@georgecherry1536]

I live in NYC and am tired of riding the train and cannot afford a car. In New York it's just not feasible with the high price of insurance, the crazy driving, the parking crisis, and the myriad headaches that come with it. God bless those who drive but I absolutely cannot do it. The freedom of the bike is phenomenal. Can't even describe it. Have seen a few videos on the benefits of riding and I want those now that I'm a little older and need some exercise. On top of that I love NYC but it's getting more expensive to get around the city all the time. A bike will save me money and help me realize a dream I've had for several years now.

[@JSabh]

I drive and I bike ( more bike than drive these days ) and I enjoy both. Driving is about finding that slow country road and having the window down, cruising by a river or the ocean as if it was your private highway. Of course traffic sucks lol and yes I love to ride my bike even more than drive but sometimes it is nice to drive as well. It is more about how you approach what you are about to do (IE drive or bike or hike) than it is about why or or how you get to where you are going. Don't get me started on flying.. cause wow.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

Just incase any of you are feeling uncomfortable on the diamond frame bike , there are alternatives where seats , handlebars and position in comfort are available. I ride a touring recumbent without any of the pains that my body had . When it finally said" enough I want speed and comfort." Bacchetta Giro A20 is what I ride and there is no problem seeing, or being seen , and there is no pain in the body anymore as I do not have to hold my head up , or rest body weight on the hands , or sit on a fence post . My seat is 15" wide with a backrest , my feet are out front, not hanging down in the wind, so I am faster on the flats and downhills and yes slower on the up hills. I also have nice hills in the 22-27% range where I live and I do not walk any of them. I would suggest to anyone here in the same position where the diamond frame bike is no longer what your body likes , to find a used recumbent and take it out for 2 months to get acquainted as it takes a while to get used to something different. Used is cheaper and as there are for more configurations of recumbents than diamond frame bikes it is a cheaper way of finding what you like before buying something new. keep riding , stay healthy.

[@nicklaz6986]

his right !! even when I'm doing hill repeats and suffering like all f@ck ! still love it and feel great afterwards :)

[@declanfaughey8471]

I cycle everyday (around 180km per week) my bicycle is the only form of transportation I have and need. Not to mention that it is the first way around Dublin City, average speed of a car in Dublin during rush hours 5.5km/hour, my average speed on the bike 🚲 during rush hours 25.5km/hour.

[@JerksBikeShopMurray]

I do agree with a lot of things the speaker is telling us. Wouldn't it be nice if it were that simple. Philip Mc Adam . Thanks for the link

[@TraceyGe]

It can be that simple if we want it bad enough.

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

Wonderful talk. I gave up my car in '96 and am a full time cyclist as well. It was the second-best decision I ever made. One thing: the quote attributed to H.G. Wells was most likely not uttered by him. There is absolutely no record of him ever writing or uttering it. It's a great quote though, whoever said it! 😁

[@woodbarber6679]

I ride a bike because, it makes me feel like a 5 year old. (My wife’s words).

[@rocbola]

Why do i keep salivating every time i hear that bell? Maybe i shouldn't have had Pavlov over for dinner last week....

[@tomjones6296]

I ride a bike to thumb my nose at the establishment (despite my hot rod icon). Plus, pushing 8 decades, it makes me feel younger.

[@louisGauto]

"either a child's toy, a rich mans obsession, or a pour man's last choice" perfectly put! Especially here in the US commuting by bike and public transportation has a such a bad stigma amongst people compared to other countries.

[@adilali7378]

Yes very good nice 👍 bike ride many years in London

[@jorgedario1000]

My 15 bikes say everything about these two wheels, make me fell ALIVE.

[@VivekKumarGupta-ju7iq]

I love cycling 🚲🚲🚲🚲❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@antothomas8488]

Great

[@sudeepsingh5262]

I love riding bicycle

[@Turnbo63]

I love his take on riding...thinking about riding more, but, only for pleasure.

[@joshuamorris2908]

I love cycling.

[@nicolasptrsn]

I rode a bike a lot as a kid, but gave it up when I turned 18 and got a car. Fast forward 8 years and I no longer own a car, just my bike.

[@jakobw135]

Motorised transport is necessary for heavy loads, multiple people, long distances in a short time, ...etc. Bicycles are good for short trips, exercise, relaxation, sightseeing,...etc. Each in its proper context is the way to go. Put things into perspective. :-)

[@20LookInside12]

Yes.. agreed. So many people bring up the cyclists in Holland going everywhere with a family on a bike etc... but in North America, our distances are much further, roads are NOT made for bike-traffic and it's a totally false comparison. I could do a LOT more on a bike in Toronto, where shops and stores are much closer, and there is bike parking and lanes etc - but living in a smaller city on the coast now, I needed to finally get a car.

[@C0deH0wler]

"bring up the cyclists in Holland going everywhere with a family on a bike etc" You are missing the point. They want families to go everywhere, by not by only building cycleways and 30km/h access streets, but also by changing to mix-zoning (minus heavy industrial, of course). Mixed zoning and density is technically bicycle infrastructure too! How can that not be what they mean when they say this?