17 reasons why biking is a good idea

Bicycle, Pfctdayelise, Wikipedia

True eco-confessions time: I never learned to ride a bike. Of course, I never learned to drive a car either, so I think my green cred is in no great danger. But my lack of biking skills means that I was a little surprised by Gavin Hudson's 17 reasons why bicycles are the most popular vehicle in the world today post on the EcoWorldly blog.

Sure, biking is healthy (#2 on the list), and bikes save money (#12 and tangentially #1). And bikes are zero-emission vehicles (#15, though I'd put that higher on the list).

But did you realize that bicycling can break down economic divides and build communities? Bicycle advocacy groups help bring people together in many places.

Cycling is good for public finances too. The Australian government estimates that it saves $227.2 million per year in health costs, thanks to folks on bikes. Aussie cycle sales have spiked for eight years straight.

Maybe it's time for me to hit the road. Not with a car -- certainly not with these crazy gas prices -- but with a bike. About.com has some useful tips for buying and maintaining a bike. Guess I should join the more than a billion bikes around the world.

Email IM Bookmark del.icio.us Digg

You do not appear to have Yahoo! Messenger installed. Click here to download and install it.

Email this article

There is a problem with one or more email addresses entered

Enter email addresses, separated by commas.

There is a problem with the email address entered

Email addresses will only be used to email this information on your behalf and will not be used for any marketing purposes.

Alerts

Get an alert for updates:
  • from this author
  • on Blogs
  • on Biking
  • on Commuting

View All Green Alerts »

comments from our community

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 comments

Post Comment
  • Posted by jun Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:37pm PDT
    its a good thing there is people recommending bike than cars. for me my bike helped me with my health conditions, actually it save me from having a heart attack, if i havent riden a bike absolutely im in the cemetery right now. hope that many people consider riding a bike often than riding a car. im from the philippines by the way.
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by Live Music is BEST Tue May 26, 2009 9:01pm PDT
    I would love to bike places but I have so much gear to carry to each different "job" and how would I keep it totally secure (locked up). If they could make a bicycle type vehicle that was light enough for me to ride 20 miles to a job, with all my gear, I would do it, but I don't even begin to know where I would find a bike like that. Also what about foul weather. For these reasons and many more, an enclosed, secure type of transportation that only I can access at all times is a requirement for me.
    Report Abuse

Leave a Comment:

You must first sign in.

Green Picks Playlist