5 Reasons to Ride for National Bike Month
May is National Bike Month! Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month aims to showcase the numerous benefits of bicycling and encourage everyone to give it a try. In honor of National Bike Month, Omar Yunes is sharing five great reasons to bike.
1. Stay Healthy & Fit. Riding gives you a full body workout and is a great way to stay healthy and fit. According to I Love Bicycling, a 155 lb. cyclist riding at a moderate effort level burns about 560 calories per hour. Additionally bicycling can help you ward off a variety of health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, while improving your fitness and mental health.
2. Beat Traffic. Traffic can be antagonizing and stressful. Beat traffic and keep your sanity by riding your bike instead. You'll be less impacted by traffic congestion and less likely to be late for work or other obligations. You'll often beat your co-workers to work and always get a great parking spot.
3. Save Money. Whether you drive or use public transportation, commuting can get pricey. With the price of insurance, gas, parking, maintenance and repairs, it costs an average of $9,000 a year to own a standard sedan. While the cost of public transportation is much cheaper, a bike is even better. Depending on the style, brand and features, a new commuter bike retails between $250 and $1,500, with an average annual maintenance cost of $50.
4. Protect The Environment. Modes of transportation, including cars and buses, are the biggest cause of air pollution. Automobile emissions are the leading source of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead and volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere. Though the emissions from a single car are low, when you add up the millions of cars on the road, you have a lot of emissions. Help protect the environment by riding your bike whenever possible.
5. Explore Nature. Biking is a fun way to explore nature. When you're biking, you'll notice things that go unnoticed to drivers, and you can enjoy backcountry trails and nature paths at your local park.
These are some key reasons to ride a bike. What's your favorite part about biking?