SPECIAL FEATURES:
Email
12 reasons to start using a bicycle for transportation
Economic instability and ever-increasing climate change are just two of the many reasons riding a bike is an excellent alternative to driving.
Thu, Mar 18 2010 at 10:20 AM
Related Topics:
Photo: Lighter Footstep
We're continuing our look at smart ways to start saddling up and using bicycles for real transportation.
We've always taken the greenness of bike transport as a given. But if you're just getting started — or perhaps trying to convince an employer that bicycle commuting is a good thing — we've rounded up a dozen reasons to leave that car in the driveway and start covering pavement on two wheels. Let's ride!
1) It's easier to finance a new bicycle than a new car. Thanks to the recession, auto loans are hard to find these days — even if you have good credit. But for the price of a single car payment, you can buy a well-made bicycle that should outlast most cars. Add a few hundred dollars more for rain gear, lights and accessories, and you have all-weather, anytime transportation.
2) A bicycle has a tiny manufacturing footprint when compared to a car. All manufactured goods have environmental impact, but bicycles can be produced for a fraction of the materials, energy and shipping costs of a car.
3) Bicycles produce no meaningful pollution when in operation. Bikes don't have tailpipes belching poisonous fumes into the atmosphere. They also eliminate the oil, fuel and hydraulic fluids dripped by automobiles onto the road surface — which means less toxic runoff into local waterways.
4) Bikes save taxpayers money by reducing road wear. A 20-pound bicycle is a lot less rough on the pavement than a two-ton sedan. Every bicycle on the road amounts to money saved patching potholes and resurfacing city streets.
5) Bicycles are an effective alternative to a second car. Perhaps you're not in a position to adopt a bicycle as primary transportation. But bikes make great second vehicles. You can literally save thousands of dollars a year using a bicycle for workday commuting and weekend errands in households which might otherwise be forced to maintain two cars.
6) Using a bike for transportation can help you lose weight and improve your overall health. The health benefits of regular aerobic exercise are well-known. Depending on your riding style and local road conditions, you could easily burn 600 calories an hour through brisk cycling. Most bike commuters report losing 15 to 20 pounds during their first year in the saddle without changing their eating habits.
7) You can store a dozen bicycles in a single automobile-sized parking place. Parking lots have enormous environmental and financial impact, particularly in urbanized areas. The more bikes you can get on the road, the fewer parking spaces you need to build.
8) Bicycles don't burn gasoline. Fuel is cheap compared to last year, and the economic downturn is likely to keep a lid on petroleum demand for a while. But we're not producing any more oil today than we were when it was more than $100 a barrel. A healthy bike culture will help ease pressure on supply once demand returns.
9) Bicycling may be faster and more efficient than taking a car. We're not talking about the crazy — and illegal — antics of New York bicycle messengers. But bikes are often faster than cars in urban areas, especially when city designers have set aside proper bike lanes. There's nothing more satisfying as a bicycle commuter than breezing past a long line of gridlocked traffic.
10) Bikes cost much less to maintain and operate than automobiles. You'll never throw a rod on a bicycle, and dropping a transmission on a bike usually means replacing a bent derailleur hanger or worn-out chain. Bicycles do require service, but you can learn to perform most of it yourself. Even if you have a shop do things for you, costs will be trivial compared to a car.
11) Bicycles provide mobility for those who may not qualify or afford to drive. Not everyone can get a driver's license (or wants one), and the cost of purchasing, insuring and maintaining a car is out of reach for a lot of people. Almost everyone can afford some sort of bike. Other than walking, bicycles are the most cost-effective transportation on the planet.
12) Studies show that bicycle commuters are healthier, more productive, and require less time off at work. This is why most enlightened employers are eager to accommodate commuting cyclists. Healthy workers are better workers — and that's good for the bottom line. Bikes are smart business.
So there are 12 reasons to dust-off that bicycle in your garage in time for Bike to Work Day (the third Friday in May). Can you think of others? Leave a comment below.
Copyright Lighter Footstep 2009
Thumbnail photo: Melissa Billie/Flickr
You might also like:
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
EDITORS' PICKS
Advertisement
TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON
- 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
- What causes tornadoes?
- 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
- 6 fascinating people who own almost nothing
- 10 false facts most people think are true
- Popular Science announces 10 best inventions
- 9 habits that may do more harm than good
- The 9 nastiest things in your supermarket
- 15 houseplants to improve indoor air quality
- When is tornado season?
From our sponsor
NEWSLETTER
Advertisement
Oh, by the way, Madison WI is REALLY bike friendly. Which is probably the only good thing about this city. But seriously, we have people bike through inches of snow. And we've got some wonderful bike paths all across town. And now we've got those "rent a bike" stations for guests. So bicyclists, welcome to Madison.
I love the fact that you don't have to worry about parking or insurance with a bicycle. Not to mention a cyclist's physique!! And the amazing green benefits always have a place in my heart. We heart bicycles here!
One downside of biking to work is getting flats. Not that they can't be fixed, but it's a huge pain if it happens regularly. If cities are going to push bike lanes, they really need to clean them regularly.
Don't forget recumbents among the available bike types. There are all kinds. For some of us, they are the best option and make it possible to ride many more miles than we could comfortably do otherwise. See bentrideronline.com for recumbent-specific resources and links to helpful sites. Happy riding!
Been riding my bike to work since 1983. I've got lots of energy when I get there and gets me pumping agian for the ride home. I go to beaches , events like fireworks, outdoor music fests, you name it, I don't have to find a place to park or put quarters in the meter. Even grocery shopping gets done by bike , even if I have to make lots of trips. I can't imagine why more people don't ride.
Oh snap! Reason # 13...A guaranteed PERFECT parking spot when you commute by bicycle!
A year and a half ago I met my boyfriend while on a group ride at a local bike shop. He's not only my best friend, but he's the love of my life. Here's a little animation I made about how we met: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtH_4is-KoM
So get out and ride your bike! You never know who you might find... :)
The two main things I notice on the days I ride on my Hero Octane are: 1. How much energy I have all day long. And 2. How peaceful and relaxed I am during the ride--unlike when I don't ride. I am also an avid environmentalist who receives extra motivation from not using gas or oil.
I recommend it to EVERYONE! It's peaceful, good for the earth, and good for you(r body and mind)!
I live in Copenhagen and have been commuting since I was six yers old. My best reason to take the bike is: It is the most easy and fastest way in Copenhagen to get from A to B
I am a native of California, but have spent my last 30 years in northern Illinois. The coldest weather I ever biked in was 7*!! Even the firefighters were surprised when I road past them onto the bike trail. That was 17 years ago. Now if it's below 30* I check the wind first before I decide to ride.
Treat cars as the enemy and never let your guard down! Btw, cars really are the enemy. While you're huffing and puffing up that hill, they are spewing excessive amounts of poison for you to breath.
I use to ride my bike to work, because I lived in Florida and it was less than a
mile away. I can't ride 21 miles in rain, snow, etc. on Long Island. There is
hardly any public transportation here, if you took the train, who picks you up?
should be about an hour and a bit, would change your life~!
I live in Canada and ride everyday. Dress for the weather and get over it!!!
In the Netherlands the cars have to watch the people on a bike very carefully. Because when there is an accident, the biker is allways right!
This is amazing for me, since here in eastern europe cyclist are abused by 4 wheeled monster suv's and idiots on the road. Biker is always right... it makes sense because what cyclist would want to have a crash with a 2 ton car? You guys are way ahead of your time.
I would love to ride my bike to work. I live in Hawaii and the weather is wonderful ...
BUT there aren't any safe bike paths that keep bicycles away from cars that go far enough or to and from the right places.
A person might be able to ride their bike to work if they live in Moosebreath, Montana. But most of us live in cities, and with people eating, talking on cell phones, having sex, shaving, brushing their teeth, texting, who has time to pay attention to the road, never mind the cyclists trying to ride on it. People in cars simply have no interest in extending any courtesy to cyclists - ride at your own peril.
Your driver's license was issued on the condition that you drive safely. It's not about courtesy, it's about your obligations under the law. Motorist kill 40,000 people every year. You, not the cyclist, are responsible for the perils you create with your car.
Many thanks for being so considerate. Maybe, if everybody gets some reason, people will actually pay attention to others on the road. This will increase safety a lot, and not only the safety of bikers.
Pages