The theme of Goodspeed's "Bicycle Love" is that of pilgrimage. The author refers to this concept multiple times throughout the piece, most notably at the end when she meets someone who tells her she's hiking the Long Trail because she turned 50 and is going through a divorce: "I paused for a moment, appreciating her honesty, and then said, 'You're on a pilgrimage.'" Earlier in the story, it had been Goodspeed that was on a pilgrimage and this is the first moment in which she finds someone else on a pilgrimage.
One effective language use of Goodspeed is her personification of the bike. "The bike and I were a team. A couple. Together, we were indomitable." By referring to the bike as a partner, Goodspeed reminds the audience of her dependence on the bike. Goodspeed also does a good job at describing her exhaustion throughout the trip. "By the time I rolled into my friends' driveway, I was so exhausted that my body slumped over the handlebars and I could barely pedal." This line gives the reader a good sense of Goodspeed's exhaustion.
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