Bikes and Cycling

Pedal power

Benefits of regular cycling: Basic list originated on www.fiohnetwork.org: full page

  1. The chances of getting a heart disease are likely to be cut by a half
  2. The likelihood of getting strokes, diabetes and some kinds of cancer will be reduced
  3. Improvement in general health
  4. Reduces the cost of travel. These shorter journeys are the most polluting ones and could be very easily shifted to cycling, public transport or walking.
  5. Bicycles occupy less road space than motor vehicles per person and increase the efficiency of existing roads, while reducing wear and tear of road surfaces.
  6. Bicycles offer door to door mobility and you are not constrained by public transport timetables.
  7. Bicycles can be obtained at reasonable cost, are reliable and economical to operate.
  8. Cycling is a low-cost alternative transport option for people below driving age or without a car, especially in outer metropolitan areas and rural towns.
  9. Cycling is much faster than walking and, in congested urban areas, is as quick (or quicker) for short journeys as other forms of transport.
  10. About 16 bicycles can be parked in the space required for one car. Bicycles occupy less road space than motor vehicles per person and increase the efficiency of existing roads, while reducing wear and tear of road surfaces.
  11. Increased bicycle use by school children would result in savings in school transportation.
  12. Reduces stress and helps reduce weight. Less than 50% of Americans get any real exercise, and less than 10% get enough.
  13. Surprisingly a person in a car will breath in more exhaust pollutants than someone riding a bike in the same situation.
  14. Can increase alertness and reduce tiredness at work
  15. Cyclists are a considerable boon to other road users but motorists rarely think about how little space cyclists take up on the road as opposed to a car. The motorist should regard the cyclist as a friend and yet often adopts an antagonistic attitude towards the cyclist.