The joy of two wheels: Elysa Walk at TEDxVailWomen

[@KCFlyer2]

I just did my first solo urban ride today (before seeing this video)...everything she says is true. I saw my city like I'd never seen it before. I never realized how much I was driving past. By the time my ride ended I was grinning from ear to ear. Life is great on two wheels.

[@mgmartin51]

Some of the best things I have ever done in my life have been hard. They are the thing I remember with the most joy. When you continue on despite the challenges, that is true grit.

[@AKKSV]

She is exactly right about riding a bike is almost as good as yoga... It brings down my stress alot.

[@rezalinalbert1211]

That video of the kid on his bike brought me to tears. What a moving talk!

[@garypalmer692]

I live to ride and ride to live. I live on my bike touring the USA 6 months a year. And have now for 36 years since 1982 when I did my first tour. Riding is fun, relaxing and makes me sleep from a few hours past sunset to sunrise each day. I learned to rdie at age 12, fifty years ago and never learned to drive or have a license. I ride in town 3-5 hours a aday, and I am almost 63 years old.

[@JesseWeirdo]

Riding my bicycle everyday is saving my life :)

[@erickgregoryful]

With ya

[@Missusri]

moral booster.

[@joshuamorris2908]

Same

[@harshbarj]

Remember, riding a bicycle does not have to be a sport. Riding can be done for every day transport on a comfortable city bicycle, in normal clothes, and without any "safety" gear. Just look up dutch bicycling for some good information.

[@kshitizsancheti]

Can’t do without safety gears sadly

[@terryparsons8919]

This was amazing! I want to get on my bike TODAY!! the speaker was extremely good, personal and delightful to listen to! Loved listening to her personal past and the darling children who loved biking..."I want to do it again."

[@craigdonovan4277]

Elysa is a star. Climbed the ranks very quickly and was instrumental in to Liv’s success. Giant is a great bicycle brand.

[@emilyfernstrom7100]

Great presentation! Your passion for biking is contagious!

[@OriginalPuro]

That kid at the start got me, "oh yeah buddy", love it!

[@kheokchinong3543]

Yes. Keep riding !!

[@charliebozzo9948]

Here to expand...joy comes in the form of 3 wheels as well!

[@doctorjoey3]

Lovely talk . I'm been riding since I turned 40 . With several week long rides behind me, it's time I start getting in shape and do them again - YES, they are FUN ... I think the hardest was a week long ride - SAGBRAW - in Wisconsin when it rained for 5 1/2 out of the 6 days .. Soggy SAGBRAW, but still a great memory .. Thank you Elysa Touring Taiwan - What a dream .

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

You learned to ride a bike at 40 years old?

[@gurrapumahendar2811]

Cycling is way of life, excellent speech

[@jaapongeveer6203]

Its not only biking but kayaking or hiking too. Don't limit yourself to just one activity.

[@rozenjones3792]

I want to ride again. I need that joy again.

[@LuisAntonioFlores]

You are right and beautiful! Thank you.

[@stevewiggins1971]

I love the message. And what a beautiful woman!

[@hpvspeedmachine4183]

You love something else

[@williamalbert6483]

Elysa, what a presentation. Loved it!

[@jasonramsey9770]

Thank you for your talk, I'm going to share it with lots of people. I have experienced what you have, but have never been able to articulate it like that. Once again, thank you.

[@poimrets]

Elysa is the best. Love the speech. Very inspiring.

[@rosiaabraham9203]

Wish I could have been there to see this in person. One of the best!

[@sarameena5737]

Best Ted Talk ever

[@moi7748]

Great speech and very inspiring.

[@dccollar2963]

❤

[@amjedhussain7954]

Wonderful girl I haven't seen all my life. Keep going. Thank you

[@cichlidfan5783]

A wonderful presentation

[@LoriBergvall]

What a great perspective! Thank you!

[@ellesnyder942]

Mis-titled. Should be called The Joy of Overcoming Challenges. I was hoping for a talk simply on the joys of riding a bike.

[@michaelbeiyt]

What a ride!

[@MoreMiles2Go]

Gosh she’s attractive. Also agree with everything.

[@socialmarket25]

Your company seems like a great place to work.

[@milliamp]

The kid at the beginning was the best thing ever. Anyone know a source for the video?

[@aliciacuriel3653]

Amazing!!!

[@nainademosa5926]

AMAZING!!!

[@jennifergreen964]

Loved it!

[@HeemAseeMa]

LOVE ITTTTT!

[@aillaalaialla]

I can't believe you rode 800km! CRAZY!

[@AmericanFlyerBicycle]

Awesome!

[@cherilynp1]

Was feeling down and then watched this video... very inspirational! Gotta get away from my computer and onto my bike. The imbedded video clips and photos were fun to see too. Watch this presentation!

[@brandonhom7329]

Legendary

[@suaveshawn]

Another similar experience is kayaking (instead of boating), especially the new ones from Hobby that have foot paddles.

[@lignatczyk800]

Loved it!!

[@joel-gb2xx]

Bicycles also contributed to the modern industrial revolution. There were motorcycles BEFORE they invented the modern car.

[@alexaleigh22]

nice job!!!

[@LurkingCrassZero]

Distractingly gorgeous woman! :-o

[@Chuckaluck78]

Every girlfriend I've ever has said I turn into a thirteen year old on a bike.

[@daniele_go]

Excellent....I would have liked to ride these 900 km on the bike with her!

[@CrossbowBeta]

well its not like i ever stopped riding bikes

[@tonyaccurso]

banging bod.

Yeah, women athletes don't have to look like they are starving to death. Physically fit women are actually hot!

[@clayguinard3651]

What I would like to know is does she ride everyday now and is cycling a part of her life and if it is a part of her life is that her main source of transportation

[@pokerchannel6991]

hi I enjoy biking if that is what which about you are talking

[@groMMit1981]

She be sooooo fine

[@charliebozzo9948]

At 6 years old I had taken off half my face in my first racing accident. Spent the next 55 trying to take off the other half!

[@ninabartoli]

I agree with everything she says. Especially about be aware of your surroundings while biking, scents and fragrances get pumped up into your nose, feel the wind on your skin, in your hair, I've seen deer and rabbits run in front of me, bikes make little or no noise so it's easy to see all kinds of animals. All your senses get involved, it's a wonderful sport. Only thing that puzzles me is that she looks a little too fat to be a serious biker.

[@xchopp]

Yes, indeed. This reminded me of watch?v=jEhpUov-adU

[@bdbaker4493]

Mary Poppins not everybody has the same good genetics, it's harder for some to lose weight through exercise while also a lot easier to put weight on when eating, even healthy foods. Especially in a world where individual dietary knowledge is intentionally repressed by the food industry, especially in America.

[@antonia4722]

+Mary Poppins I thought she was really cute. I think she has a great figure. She just has a larger frame maybe. I like her energy and enthusiasm for our sport. I see all shapes of very keen cyclists..men and women.

[@geno3821]

Who cares. I'm doughy and I love riding. Passion is passion, regardless of how much one fits the stereotype. It appears you've missed the point of this talk.

Ten years ago people didn't think Serena Williams should be a serious tennis player either.

[@SeaQuest36]

BBW, beautiful and curvy ❤️

[@jbirdperez6088]

Shes cute with mmmmm a great attitude. . Hey ther !

[@reynoutdecourt7983]

Lovely presenter, but get to the point. Watch videos of Dutch Cycling. Segregated cycle paths!!! Build it and they will come! Just learn from the Dutch!!!!

[@googleuser6201]

You should not be allowed to own a bicycle. People have no right to own modes of transportation. Sharing a government owned bicycle 2 days a week would be better. They can charge a monthly fee of maybe 100.00. Also it would be a good idea to charge for the distance you ride and where you go with the bike. Also travel at night should be forbidden for several reasons.

[@Handcraftedrock]

But her acting is just horrible. Just be yourself.

[@rstevewarmorycom]

Joy, till he runs into a fuckin' tree. Everybody I know who cycled off road sustained some injury that stopped them. Stay on-road.

[@WildOutdoorLiving]

+rstevewarmorycom Working up to it slowly is the trick. Off road riding can be very safe if you take the time to hone your skills and not take unnecessary risks. For me yeah you might have an injury here or there but on the road you are either totally safe or totally dead. I have lost too many fellow riders on the road and come too close to losing my own life in a road accident with a car to not appreciate that fact.

[@rstevewarmorycom]

+Chris Babb Everybody *I* know who got seriously hurt did it off-road. Too much unknown surface, blind snares for wheels, ditches that throw you over the bars. Bicycles and motorcycles are meant for smooth roads.

[@WildOutdoorLiving]

I've ridden thousands of miles on trails over the years and never had a major accident (knock on wood). These accidents happen of course, but I know plenty of people who are seriously injured on the road as well. Most professional road racers have broken their collar bones a time or two. But of all the injuries I have ever been aquainted with in cycling the only deaths were on the road and not all of them were caused by cars. Narrower tires and much much higher speeds for the average rider equal much bigger wrecks. Throw cars into the mix and the combination starts to turn deadly. According to the CDC 900 cyclists were killed in the US in 2013 and the majority of those deaths occured in ubran areas. Riding motorcycles on the street is by far the most dangerous way to travel. Off road riding takes skill and there is a huge variety of off road riding, ranging from simple dirt roads to rocky downhill. It is important to recognize your own skill level and ride within your limits. Those who have lost significant coordination may not want to ride off road and you can always add additional safety equipment to handle innevitable falls. Your right accidents can happen off road and they are likely more common than on the road but the consequences are usually much less severe. So for recreational riding I will keep it largely off pavement. I commute on the road everyday though because cycling by and large is pretty darn safe.

[@rstevewarmorycom]

Chris Babb I dunno, I've had most of my damaged shoulders (crunchy now - torn rotator cuffs) in bicycle accidents without the involvement of cars, just because I tried to stay out of the way of cars and ran into holes. I haven't really had a bad motorcycle drop that I couldn't get up and ride away form. And I've been riding a motorcycle for 45 years! The bad rap motorcycles get is from the young, dumb, full of cum morons who try to buy a big powerful bike with no long experience with them and act like a hell's angel, weaving at high speeds through traffic when all someone would have to do is open a door and they're dead. They don't know how to counter-steer yet, they try to lean it, and they run off the road on a curve down into a ditch and get hurt and are not found till they're dead. If you drive a motorcycle like you would your Dad's high mpg everyday car, and if you start with small bikes and work up you won't likely ever die or even get hurt bad. If you don't trust anybody you'll be safe. I tell people, stay the hell away from other cars on a motorcycle, a fender-bender can kill you! Let them HAVE the right of way even if they didn't! Stay back and don't be nuts. The survivors like me who are riding a motorcycle every day at age 66 all know this.

[@WildOutdoorLiving]

I agree with you whole heartedly. I love motorcycles as does most of my family but overall more people die on motorcycles per 1000 miles than any other form of transportation. Part of that is due to what you have described but it is certainly exageratted by the cars and the high speeds attainable on the road. That's just a fact. I also agree that if you gain the experience and ride responsibly they are not as dangerous which is exactly what I said about off road riding. And unfortunately even the most experience get killed by some jerk who pulls out in front of them (bicycles and motorcycles). Such is life. Most of what you are saying about riding a motorcycle can be applied to road riding as well. Both on and off road takes skill and maturity to be safe and those are simply two different skill sets. I simply want people to understand that and to fear niether.

[@ratoneJR]

too much about appearances. "look at me, look at me." typical chick bs.