For most of our society, a bicycle is perceived as a simple mode of transport, an iron vehicle with wheels that's used to go from one point to another in a cheap and sustainable way. However, most of us forget the innumerable moments of pleasure riding our two wheeled friends. Who doesn't remember the first time he managed to ride without stabilizers? and what about these hot summer afternoons in which we emulated our hero's adventures in the Tour of France?. They are memories that with the years disappear between the worries and concernes of an adult's life, but no matter what, we will remember with a smile on our face the days in which beating our friends in the village's hill made us feel like Bradley Wiggins winning in the Tourmalet.
However, there are people who feel like Peter Pan with childhood and will never stop riding their bikes. In fact, they use it as a way of expressing themselves the same way that an artist uses his canvas and a musician his instrument. One of these cycling artists is Danny MacAskill, a 28 year old Scot who became famous for protagonising a video where he pulled out increible acrobatics in the most wonderful sights of the country.
The art of cycling
Each and everyone of MacAskill's videos symbolizes a story, a whole lot of feelings that describe to perfection the young Scot's life. He was brought up in the humble Isle of Skye and the only way he had to go to the cycling shop where he worked was with his bicycle. The rugged terrain of the Isle made him choose a mountain bike, and by the habit of cycling to work everyday, the bike became another part of his body.
One wet and cold day he decided to go out for a ride and film a stunt video with his friend Dave. The recording, called "Inspired Bicycles", was the result of a pastime to escape the boredom of island life during a couple of hours. What they didn't know, is that by the end of the day the video would have no fewer than 20.000 views, nothing like the 32 million registred today. In fact, the viral recording has shot the 28 year old Scot to fame and has become the image of various companies that described MacAskill as the cycling Picasso.
The "Way Back Home" phenomenon
After the succes of his first veideo, Danny moved to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, city whose historic castle would become the stage for MacAskill's new work. This time, under the name of "Way Back Home", he amazed the Edinburghers with his unbelievable stunts worthy of a Hollywood fiction film. The youngster travelled -always accompanied by his friend Dave- from the capital of the country to the unique dunes of the West Coast of Scotland with some acrobatics that had never been seen before.
It was after "Way Back Home" when the MacAskill phenomenon reached it's zenith. The plasticity of his stunts combined with the country's sumptuous sights caused a huge amount of expectation in the extreme sport industry to the point that Danny was proclaimed as the carrier of the London 2012 olympic torch and was chosen to protagonise various adverts for companies such as Volkswagen.

Despite his 28 years of age, MacAskill sustaines that he has the same passion for the bike as when he was a child, and that he will keep doing what he does until his body gives out. In fact, on the 18th of this month he will launch his new work "Imaginate", divided in five parts in which we will see him in his most tough adventure to the date where he will once again use the magnificent Scottish scenery.
People like MacAskill are the living proof that bicycles are not only for kids. There is not a better way to escape from our worries or a more effective formula to reach happiness than by cycling, because like John F. Kennedy once said, nothing can be compared to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.