8 Un-Environmentalist Reasons to Get on a Bike & Help the Climate Anyway

Jun 15

People That Could Care Less About the Environment Can Probably Still be Sold on the Benefits of Cycling. Europe Agrees…and Maybe It’s Time for the States to Give it a Try. *Read on for More…*

Photo by The Lazy Artist Gallery: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-bicycle-on-asphalt-road-1289107/

From the Archives of my First Blog Iteration of Move The Journey, 2017-2020, this blog post may be out-of-date. Please refer to the references listed at the bottom of the article for any numerical information that may have been updated. This article will be updated in due time.

Over the last several years,

I’ve managed several backpacking trips to Europe. One thing that has never ceased to amaze me is how prevalent bike riding is. Cities were filled with these two-wheeled lovers: commuters in Amsterdam, athletes in Copenhagen, shoppers in Dublin, and beach bums Nice … everyone is getting on bikes! I was stunned. Living in the states for most of my life, I couldn’t even fathom… people do this normally? It’s not just a nice thing to do one weekend when there’s no good movies in the theater? Some of them don’t even own cars!! WHAT?!

Reality is that Americans are co-dependent on vehicles. As you look at our transportation infrastructure, we’ve been groomed for it. As quoted by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, “Our nation’s roads and bridges are the lifeline that keeps the economy moving.”1A look at the Budget Highlights Report from the Department of Transportation shows zero federal tax dollars being allocated to bike infrastructure.2 Though some state governments are helping to pick up the slack, (the United States only has 11,053 miles of US Bicycle Routes compared to the over 4 million miles of road)3,4, the convenience of road driving means a lot of green-ish folks need more reasons to bike than just saved CO2 emissions.

1) It’s good for your health and eating habits

Riding a bike is a good exercise, we know that. What a lot of people don’t know is that exercise actually helps you with that pesky dieting issue you’ve been having as well. Per the US National Library of Medicine, exercise triggers brain activity that essentially acts as an antidepressant, keeping you away from the things you’re addicted to5… like that tub of ice cream or box of frozen chicken wings you just finished during Netflix Night last weekend. It’s much easier to keep to a green diet, like your trainer and Ecoblogger Joel keep telling you to do, when you get in that work out. See Joel’s post for more: http://theecoguide.org/double-whammy-updating-your-health-and-minimizing-your-environmental-impact-your-fridge

2) Gets you outdoors and out of the gym

Bike riding is fantastic for multi-taskers out there. You’ve essentially combined your workout for the day with your commute, potentially taking your need to go to the gym out of the picture. Once you’re outdoors and looking around, you’ll really gain an appreciation for your local community and the natural environment you miss outside your car window staring down the road. From personal experience, I never noticed so how much trash people threw onto the roads until I became a cyclist. You’ll never look at throwing your gum/soda can/plastic bag out the driver’s side window the same way again. Nor did I notice how beautiful some of the forests and fields near my town were… places I now believe are worth preserving.

3) Also relieves stress by getting rid of the commute

That commute where you’re wasting all those CO2 emissions out of your car every day? Think about the freedoms you experience when you’re on a bike. Minimal waiting at stoplights since you can cross with the pedestrians or traffic, straight to the front of the line at any stops, traffic jams or security gates, VIP parking at the front of your building rather than walking from the back of the parking lot? Yes, please!

4) Getting your dose of charity in for the year

Charity Rides are a huge deal in the Cyclist community. If you are the type of person that’s always looking to do some charity work or are a solid philanthropist, perhaps sign up for an event like the Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride in Massachusetts, which is earning money to protect clean water in the surrounding bay region. http://support.savebuzzardsbay.org/site/TR?fr_id=1090&pg=entry

5) It’s a social gathering sport

Cycling is a VERY social sport. Clubs are bouncing up in communities across the country. It’s a great way to get to know people in the area. If you are more outspoken about your love for conservation and the environment, many people love to chat on these group rides and will provide you a listening ear. If you aren’t so much the eco-steward type, then perhaps you’ll just find a buddy that would like to bike commute with you as well… taking another car off the streets and giving you some company on your daily morning ride!

6) Encourages city infrastructure for non-motorized vehicles

There are plenty of safety precautions you can take to be safe on the roads when bike lanes aren’t available, but as more people hit the streets, Cities and States are being driven to provide more bike paths to provide the safest environment possible for cyclists. These paths can provide shortcuts that cars can’t take, or just be plain fun for you. By being a bike commuter before the paths are made, you have essentially become a part of the movement in your hometown. The environment will get a bonus too… easier and safer bike transportation decreases a need for car transportation, meaning less cars, less road maintenance, and less resources and pollution.

7) Less Maintenance and Care Replacement Costs

This one is pretty simple. Look at the amount of rubber on the tire of your Ford 150… now look at the amount of rubber on your bike tire. Now compare the bill to replace your truck’s tires… to that of the entire bicycle. The case rests.

8) Sleep more deeply/Have more Energy

Consistent exercise has been shown to help produce better sleep and make increase energy.6,7 These both mean you’re probably going to have less of a need for those 3 cups of Joe you’ve been having. But isn’t coffee environmental friendly nowadays? For some brands, sure. But Bioscience of Oxford Journals shows the big picture. Though environmental friendly, “shade grown” coffee production has increased, it hasn’t been able to keep up with the faster increase international demand. In fact, shade grown coffee only makes up 24% of coffee production today, as opposed to 43% in 1996.8 With all that extra sleep and energy, you aren’t going to have to take the chance on picking the wrong “shade.”