If you’re like me, exercise is a great time to think. Bicycling is like my office, so it’s probably my favorite place to put my thinking cap on. Even more so than thinking while in that other “office,” which if you know what I’m talking about has a lot to do with some certain orifices. Anywho, tonight’s thoughts come from bananas, because I stopped off at a convenience store and bought a couple of the tasty fruits. I mostly needed to pee, as you know, also often a shade of yellow, but let’s not dip back into toilet humor. Point is, I was thinking that nanners, and the color yellow, have more than a few things in common with bicycles. I didn’t say it was a deep thought. You’re probably just jealous you didn’t think of it first. Yes, I know that the Cavendish variety is green before ripening, and there are other color varieties of the fruit. Work with me on this, people. By the way, Mark Cavendish is a legendary pro sprinter from the Isle of Man. Moving on.

The banana itself is a nutritional powerhouse. It might even be the bicyclist’s best friend. Packed with nutrition, especially potassium, it’s delicious on it’s own, in a pre- or post-ride smoothie, or even as part of a tasty mid-ride snack. Along with the spread of a certain Southern legume promoted by the pre-eminent agricutlrual scientist George Washington Carver, it was the favorite of a certain Elvis Presley: The good ol’ peanut butter and nanner sandwich. For more about why they’re good for you, see this Healthline article.

Next is the banana seat. They’re black, but of course they got their name from being shaped like bananas. They were part of the design of wheelie bikes which were invented in 1962 by Peter Mole of the John T Bill & Company. He convinced Huffy to make them and then Schwinn and other bike manufacturers popularized them. The design has sort of had a resurgence of late. Yours truly learned to ride on one, though the bike was orange. Orange you glad they didn’t make a seat based on an orange? It would be might uncomfortable.

It also so happens that yellow is a great color for bicycle apparel. That’s because of it’s high visibility, especially the more neon versions. Being invisible may be a superpower that would be cool to have, but on a bike, you want cars to see you so they don’t hurt or kill you. I’ve got several items of gear that are yellow, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. That includes my helmet, windbreaker, and black gloves with yellow highlights. Actually, someone gave me some shoes with orange laces and highlights. Orange is also a good high-viz color, but that’s another story because I’ve never heard of orange bananas.

One could use the phrase “bananas for bicycles” to describe people who really, REALLY enjoy bikes. A Dude may be one of those peeps. In fact, one guy in Euclid, Ohio named his bike shop just that. Check out this article about Bananas for Bikes. Funny note: a picture with the article shows two customers dressed in the attire of a certain religious group known for riding bikes and knocking on doors. Some Jewish dude dying on a cross being reborn for our sins — now that’s what I call whackado! (Sorry, Christian friends, I just don’t get the whole invisible friends for adults in space thing and all the suffering your deity allows.) Anyway, why bananas got associated with silliness, I don’t know.

Bicycling ran an article titled “Everything You Never Knew You Wanted to Know About Bananas.” It has a variety of products that include bananas, bike banana holders, and even a jersey covered in banana design. What else do you have with the color yellow and bananas relating to bikes?

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