http://www.care2.com/greenliving/benefits-of-biking.html
Benefits of Biking
By the Care2 Staff.
Okay, we all know bikes are one of the few methods of getting there that doesn’t produce carbon dioxide emissions. But biking also offers far-reaching benefits to you.
Find out what biking can do for you and the planet:
Easy on the Earth
Rather than adding to the pollution problem, biking is a completely clean form of transportation. The only fuel it burns is your own calories!
Biking is also quiet, a huge plus for all of us suffering from the ill effects of noise pollution.
Fitness
Not only good for the atmosphere, biking is good for your derriere, and lots of other body-parts as well. Firming, toning, calorie-burning: Biking has it beat over driving any day of the week.
How many calories will you burn in a hour of moderate biking? Or 30 minutes? Find out with this handy biking calorie-calculator.
Boosting Your Mood
Even moderate exercise, like a leisurely bike ride, will boost levels of euphoria-producing hormones called endorphins. Translation: You can bike away your blues.
Enjoying the Scene
When we whiz past scenery in a car, we miss so much. The slower pace of biking enables ups to experience the beauty of locale. Avid bikers report the satisfaction of smelling newly mown grass, or flowering trees, or the fertile damp earth as one of the added bonuses of cycling.
Meeting Like-Minded Others
You can bet that fellow cyclers are probably health-and-environmentally-minded. Many bikers say that deep friendships often form among cycling enthusiasts because of their common ground.
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27 comments
add your comment »Brings back wonderful memories. Not possible for me now but for all that can, enjoy the ride and serenity.
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I love bike riding.I am planning to buy me a new comfortable bike shortly.I hate those bikes with a million gears,give me a regular old ,stop with the pedals bike! However,a much as I would like to ride to work I know that it is not a realistic option for me.I can't take the sun,even with sunscreen and the Texas heat...well I would spend more time recovering from those two things.Hopefully when it cools some this fall I can ride some to work.Bike riding is a great,relaxing thing to do.Some of my best childhood memories are connected to my bike and and evening bike rides with my parents.
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Share a Car, maybe in your own family. We had a major accident that totaled our car and have not replaced it. We discovered that we could PLAN our trips more efficiently and drive less. Yep, it is possible. Try it for a week. (without the accident destroying your car) ha ha ha
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I do agree with the benefits of biking. I had to stop exercising outside due to environmental factors, including all that pollution emitted from cars. Also, some drivers still have not learned to share the road, making it dangerous. Let's ALL be careful out there...
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I love riding my bike! I always used to cycle to and from uni, it woke me up in the morning and always made me feel good after a long day! I cycle to the town and supermarket and love that it keeps me fit and helps the planet! I'll admit carrying a heavy backpack (and carrier bags on the handles after shopping) wore me out a bit at first, but its totally worth it!
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I just bought a new bike so I can pedal to the store instead of taking the car. I know I will benefit greatly from the exercise as well.
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I'm happy to say that biking and "biking awareness" for lack of a better term is becoming more noticable here in Tulsa, Ok. I hope to see it continue to flourish. I recall my years in Seattle which is a very biker-friendly city. I think if more people had the opportunity to see what a difference well maintained routes and standards make in other such cities, they, and we, would all be better off for numerous reasons. Thank you for bring this topic to C2.
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Riding a bike here in Florida is a year round benefit. However due to drivers most of us only ride early very early on the weekends as sport rather than try to ride everyday to work. And then there the summer afternoon rain showers we can set our watches to. Yes there are bike paths but Miami was just ranked as the most dangerous place to ride a bike. I would love to ride my bike to work but there is no safe way to get there.
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I've been biking to and from work 3 days a week now for the past 2 months. 10 miles each way. At first it took me a little while to get into it, because I would get tired pretty fast. Now it's nothing. I love biking. I look forward to it at the end of the work day. Yes the streets not being safe were my biggest concern at first, but I have pretty much battled my fear and found ways to go around the real dangerous areas...i.e. going through neighborhoods. Another great thing is that instead of spending $60 on gas a week, now I'm only spending $20. I definitely recommend biking to everyone!
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I wish I could bike to work, but something about 16 miles (25.5 kilometers) one way doesn't sound too appealing. If I were able to obtain approx. close to the wage I am now at, I'd be trying. I also agree with Susan, the roads are dangerous areas. Seems like most people forgot there is a speed limit and that if behind the wheel of a vehicle that they own that road!
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