Riding a bicycle is the summit of human endeavour - an almost

In a voice humble yet visionary, Jeremy Corbyn once said, “Riding a bicycle is the summit of human endeavour – an almost neutral environmental effect coupled with the ability to travel substantial distances without disturbing anybody. The bike is the perfect marriage of technology and human energy.” These words, though spoken in the modern tongue, echo with the resonance of ancient wisdom. They celebrate not merely a machine, but a philosophy—a way of living in harmony with nature, with others, and with oneself. Corbyn’s words remind us that progress need not mean destruction, and that the truest forms of innovation are those that elevate human potential while honoring the balance of the earth.

The origin of the quote lies in Corbyn’s lifelong advocacy for sustainable living and his deep appreciation of simplicity as a form of strength. A man of politics and principle, he has often cycled through the streets of London rather than riding in motorcades. To him, the bicycle is not a token of leisure, but a symbol of equality and restraint—a quiet rebellion against waste and excess. When he calls it the “summit of human endeavour,” he places it beside the great achievements of civilization—not because it is grand or complex, but because it unites ingenuity with humility. In a world driven by engines and noise, the bicycle stands as a whisper of grace—a machine that amplifies rather than replaces the human spirit.

To understand the depth of his insight, one must look beyond the wheels and gears. The bicycle, as he describes it, is not merely a mode of transport—it is a bridge between the physical and the ethical. It embodies the ideal of balance: between technology and biology, speed and stillness, progress and preservation. Each pedal stroke is a covenant between the body and the world, a promise that one may move swiftly without leaving scars upon the earth. The rider is both master and servant—master of motion, servant to the rhythm of wind and terrain. Thus, the act of cycling becomes a meditation on coexistence, a hymn to the possibility of advancement without arrogance.

Consider the story of the Dutch people, who after the devastation of the Second World War, rebuilt not only their cities but their relationship with movement. While many nations turned to cars as symbols of modernity, the Dutch turned to bicycles as symbols of life. Their streets today hum not with engines but with the steady cadence of human motion, their air clean, their pace harmonious. What began as necessity became philosophy: a nation’s quiet declaration that civilization need not drown in smoke to thrive. In their cities, one sees the living embodiment of Corbyn’s vision—the marriage of technology and human energy, perfected not in excess, but in equilibrium.

Corbyn’s phrase “without disturbing anybody” carries a moral weight deeper than it seems. For what he praises is not merely the silence of the bicycle, but the ethic of gentleness it represents. In an age where progress too often tramples, the bicycle teaches respect. It asks nothing but effort and offers everything in return: health, freedom, and peace. It moves through the world as man once did in the beginning—without conquest, without pollution, without haste. The ancient philosophers would have seen in it the embodiment of virtue: the golden mean between sloth and greed, a tool that ennobles its user without enslaving him.

And when Corbyn calls cycling the “summit of human endeavour,” he reminds us that greatness does not always roar. Humanity’s loftiest triumphs are not measured in towers of steel or engines of fire, but in inventions that harmonize power with purpose. The bicycle, in its elegant simplicity, stands as a mirror of what humanity could become—strong yet kind, advanced yet humble. It represents the very essence of progress: not domination over nature, but partnership with it.

Let this be the lesson for the children of the future: that true innovation is that which serves both the human heart and the living earth. Walk lightly. Move with purpose. Seek technologies that restore rather than ravage, that elevate rather than exploit. For every invention that aligns with nature’s rhythm is a step toward peace, while every creation that defies it brings ruin.

So, remember this: in the simple act of riding a bicycle lies the wisdom of the ancients and the hope of tomorrow. Each revolution of the wheel is a small defiance against destruction, a quiet hymn to harmony. As Jeremy Corbyn reminds us, the bicycle is not just a tool of motion—it is a symbol of balance, proof that humanity’s greatest power lies not in how fast it can move, but in how gently it can go.