Even though it’s been years since we’ve ridden a bike, we don’t forget how to maintain our balance or control it. Experts in the field of neuroscience have studied this phenomenon and explain why this ability remains imprinted in the memory.
Dr. Andrew Budson, professor of neurology at Boston University and co-author of the book “Why we forget and how to remember better“, points out that people have three distinct types of long-term memory, each of which is processed, stored and accessed through different pathways in the brain, writes Popular Science.
Semantic memory is how we store information and facts that help us navigate the world: how to use objects and tools or know the difference between them.
Episodic memory refers to memories related to personal experiences.
Finally, procedural memory allows us to retain knowledge about tasks that become automatic, such as riding a bicycle.
“Cycling is a motor activity that involves deep brain structures such as the basal ganglia”Budson explains.
“These are critical areas, and they work differently from memory related to our experiences, such as what we ate last night.”
Procedural memory becomes strongly fixed but remains flexible. Although every bike is different, once you learn to ride, the basic movements come naturally and you can adapt easily.
There is, however, research on the link between cycling and memory: some shows that activities such as cycling can improve mental performance, and others suggest benefits for long-term memory. However, riding a bicycle is not directly studied as an example of procedural memory.
An important reason is that such studies are difficult to conduct: the brain cannot easily be analyzed while someone is riding a bicycle, and people do not always rate their abilities correctly.
Also, doing something just once is not enough to create a solid procedural memory. The neural networks involved need to be strengthened.
“It’s much faster to learn something the second or third time than the first time“says Elizabeth Kensinger, professor of psychology.
“There’s something that primes those neural pathways to form more easily.”
Even though adaptation can be difficult, the ability to automate actions helps us to function efficiently without conscious effort, being an important evolutionary advantage.
