In younger years, you may have placed playing cards in the spokes or rode your best friend on the handlebars, but somewhere along the way you lost inspiration for riding a bicycle. However, whether due to a lack of exercise or a regained interest, you’re ready to get back in the saddle again. Here are more than a few reasons to get back on the road and on top of a new bike.
It’s Exercise
Young and old alike are in need of exercise. However, there’s a difference between going to a gym and riding a bicycle. A gym requires membership fees, driving to a facility, and engaging in awkward movements in front of complete strangers. But, biking is a fun way to stay in shape, burn calories, and increase cardiovascular fitness. Plus, you don’t even have to leave your house if you get a stationary trainer. A trainer is also great for days or parts of the year that are either too wet or cold to get out on the road.
It’s Green
Car emissions destroy the ozone layer and plague the environment around you. Of course, it’s likely that you need to drive, but you can limit the number of times you do by taking your bike to work, school, the grocery store, a friend’s house, etc. Carry your stuff along in a pannier purchased from Circle City Bicycles. Moreover, the more you ride, the easier it gets and the faster you’ll arrive at desired destinations. If you’re concerned about doing what you can to save the environment, becoming a cyclist is a smart, responsible, and green decision.
It’s Cheap
With the cost of gasoline resting at brow-raising rates, it pays to adopt the sport of cycling. Plus, by using your car less, you’re elongating time between oil changes and repairs associated to ongoing wear and tear. After the upfront cost of buying a reliable bike, it requires minimal investment to be a biker. Rather than dollars, you’ll be shedding pounds while increasing your level of health. Additionally, you’ll never have to worry about finding parking and paying associated fees. You’ll just need to invest in a lock and chain.
It’s Fun
Perhaps you need to take a new bike on a spin around the neighborhood to remember why you used to love riding so much during your younger years. There’s something about the wind against your face, the fresh air, and the feeling of soaring on the open road that makes cyclists happy and the sport so fun. Try comparing getting stuck in a traffic jam as you breathe in fumes to the feeling of gliding through the air.
It’s Stimulating
Bikers notice things in their environment that go unnoticed while riding in a car, such as smells, sights, and sounds. When biking, you notice the flowers blooming, the birds chirping, and the fresh scent of a spring morning. When riding in a car, you’re too concerned about paying attention to the road while enveloped in an enclosed cabin to notice most surrounding stimuli. At times, it’s the littlest things that make major impressions and arouse the senses. You lose opportunity to experience when speeding through life at a car’s pace.
It’s Social
Check your local listings for cyclist meetups, races, and social gatherings. Plenty of people are getting involved in cycling due to the need for exercise, saving money, or because it’s fun. It’s easy making friends when you’re young due to being in school, but it’s harder to meet people when you’re older unless you have things in common. You’ll be surprised to find how many social doors open when you start engaging in the sport of cycling.
It’s Inclusive
Perhaps you’re searching for a way to bond with a family member, such as a son or daughter. Cycling is a great way to bond. Moreover, tandem bikes allow for even more intimacy and fun for couples or parents with young sons and daughters. Get your son or daughter interested in biking at a young age so they can go riding with you on their own bike in coming years. Do you have trouble finding something to do with an aging father or mother? Get them a bike!
It’s a Lifestyle
How do you feel about staying in shape, having more fun, and finding more friends in addition to things to do with family members? It sounds great, right? Cycling is a lifestyle rather than an occasional hobby for so many enthusiasts because of all the associated positives it brings into one’s life. Unlike your previous, younger self, when you become a biker as an adult, you’ll find that you’re a biker for life. Once you get back to the saddle seat you’ll understand!
Ed Pope is co-owner of Circle City Bicycles and an avid touring cyclist. His longest cycling tour to date is from Indianapolis to New Hampshire. He has served as vice-president and board member for the Central Indiana Bicycling Association. A graduate of Purdue University, he worked as an engineer at Rolls-Royce for thirty years. Circle City Bicycles is a bike shop that serves the Indianapolis area and also sells high end touring equipment over the Internet.