Bike to Work Week is May 13-17 and Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 17.
People ride bikes for lots of different reasons.
Here are the top five reasons why you should be out there too.
1. For Your Body
Riding a bike offers many health benefits. Here are just a few:
- increased cardiovascular fitness
- increased strength
- increased balance and flexibility
- increased endurance and stamina
- increased calories burned
It can be done by people of all ages, from kids to seniors. Cycling is much lower impact on your joints and customized bikes allow for a variety of disabilities.
2. For Your Inner Well Being
Riding a bike is a proven stress reducer. Whether you are riding for pleasure or as a mode of transportation, you will arrive at your destination feeling relaxed, energized and happier.
3. For Your Community
Being out on your bike is good for the environment. You get where you want to go without adding another vehicle on the road and bikes take up almost no room to park.
You can feel good about yourself for not contributing to noise & exhaust pollution and no gas consumed.
Did you know the energy and materials used to manufacture one automobile could be used to create a hundred bikes!
4. For Convenience
There is an undeniable convenience factor you’ll discover when riding a bike. Front row parking spaces are guaranteed no matter where you go. Traffic jams are also irrelevant.
Though cars will certainly make better time on long trips, you’ll find for many short trips or through heavy traffic, you can travel just as fast or faster on your bike.
Have you ever been to a massive festival or concert in a park somewhere, the type of event that draws so many people that just getting there is a problem? Going in on a bike is a perfect solution. Zip in, zip out. No getting there hours in advance to get a parking spot or else face parking miles away from the event. And you won’t have to wait hours in traffic to get out once it’s over.
5. For Your Wallet
It costs between 20 and 35 cents per mile to operate a car, depending on the vehicle. This is based on expenses like gas, oil, maintenance, etc., which increases the more you drive and doesn’t include the hidden costs of vehicle ownership like depreciation, taxes, and insurance. These factors make the actual per mile cost to operate a car much higher.
When you start multiplying cost per mile to operate a car (don’t forget to throw in the price of parking & tolls) you can easily calculate how much money you save by riding a bike.