5 reasons to go by bike

In honor of National Bike Month (May, 2012), I've compiled a list of five reasons to go by bike, accompanied by my own thoughts as to why this should inspire you to do the same: Fitness, Money, Eco-Reasons, The Sky (bear with me), and your sanity.


Check it out after the jump.


1) Fitness
27,567 - The number of calories I've burned simply from commuting by bike over the first six weeks of this project.  That's an average of 656 calories a day over those six weeks - put another way, 1.3 lbs/week.  Yep, and though I've NOT been losing weight (I'm pretty much where I need to be), I have noticed the other benefits of exercise.  Increased energy (especially in the morning), improved mood and a redistribution of body mass (better physique), just to name a few.  I know, I know, my ride is really far.  But, if you replaced 20 miles of car commuting a week with cycling, you're still looking at increased burn of around 1000 calories/week.  Doesn't seem like much, but consider what you would be doing otherwise (sucking up A/C and probably eating while driving), and biking starts to look like a good fitness option.  Also, I like to keep track of the amount of time that I spend commuting and then subtracting the amount of time I would've been driving.  For example, yesterday's commute took ninety minutes - it would've been seventy minutes by car.  So, in essence, I got a 90-minute workout in 20-minutes.


2) Save money

By my reckoning, I've rescued some one-hundred and eight of my hard-earned dollars from a fiery fate within the hungry belly of the internal combustion engine.  These numbers are based on average gas prices in Baton Rouge, taken on a day-to-day basis.  My commute ends up being around 24 miles, round-trip, which is a little bit longer than the typical commute (the average commute in the United States is 18 miles, round-trip).  But, add that to the smaller trips that I take (to the library, the grocery, the gym, etc.) and things add up pretty quickly.  In fact, if you were to bike just twenty miles a week (4 miles/weekday, which would be a paltry two-mile ride to and from work - 10 minutes, tops) you'd end up saving just over $3 a week.  Doesn't seem like much, but over the course of the year, you're looking at $150!  Also, just over three years ago, the Federal Government passed the Bicycle Commuter Act, which allows to employers to provide a fringe benefit of $25/month for bike commute related expenses!  The Bike League maintains an FAQ here.  This is not a requirement, so not all employers (regrettably) can be expected to offer the benefit, but it can't hurt to ask your HR department!

3) Save the world?
When I began this project, I had no idea that THIS would be the most controversial issue.  Global warming, climate change, carbon footprints (feetprint?), vehicle emissions, etc., seem to have divided Americans right down the middle.  A recent gallup poll shows that a little over half (53%)of Americans believe global warming is caused by pollution and other human activities, while 41% believe it is a natural process.  This DATUM! can become more confusing as more polls are compiled (DATA! is hard).  Consider that the same poll shows that 58% of Americans believe that most scientists agree that global warming is occurring (why this information is relevant, I'll leave to the statisticians to decide).  Regardless of public opinion, scientific consensus or political bent (generally, Republicans are less inclined to view global warming as a threat than Democrats), common sense tells me that the less pollution I emit, the better.  It may be the case that we aren't causing climate change or that it is a myth, but if I can clean up the air just a little bit, I (and you and my kiddies) will be able to breath a little easier.


4) The sky
Take a look at this photo...

Beautiful, isn't it?  "Breathtaking", others might say.  The colors of the trees, the way the light plays upon the clouds, the shadows dancing across the forest below, the mountains in the distance standing as sentinels, guardians of a history a thousand times older than man, all giving one a greater sense of the overall meaning of "it all."  That's the kind of landscape to inspire poets and lovers, scientists and artists, motorists and cyclists - it's an image that John Muir would say can "heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike."  Such a view, he would say, must go unobscured.


Look again...

Magnificant? Sublime? Transcendent?....Nahhhh.  None of those terms comes immediately to mind.
One of my favorite things to do as I'm sitting at a red light (or in any other way am delayed by traffic), is to LOOK UP.  It started out with the perfectly utilitarian purpose of checking the weather.  But then one day, after thus scanning the sky, I noticed the motorist to my left leaning forward and craning her neck to see what could be so interesting.

It reminds of the scene in Blast from the Past where Brendan Fraser has first exited the fallout shelter after being born therein thirty years earlier.  Gazing intently at the pristine firmament above, he's mesmerized.  Passersby begin to take notice and follow his stare into the apparent nothingness above.  "What is it?" they ask.  "THE SKY!" is the simple and excited reply.  "Where?"  "I don't see it!"  But of course, it's been there all along...but who has time for the sky anymore?


5) Sanity
I was not designed to live in a box.  Most of us live in a box (house), drive in a box (car), work in a box (cubicle or office, sometimes without windows), exercise in a box (gym), and are entertained by a box (TV).  Heck, we even communicate with our closest friends and oldest acquaintances through a box (computer or smartphone via skype, facebook, etc.)  To use the old adage, perhaps it's time to think outside the box.  One of my co-workers recently recently expressed his condolences (on an especially lovely day) to those who were stuck in traffic on their way to the gym to ride on a stationary bike.

Honestly, for those contemplatives out there, this would be that secret moment of realization, that turning point at which the boring, stagnant doldrums of everyday life fade away and there is a sort of awakening.  Almost like, "What have I been doing with my life."  I know, that sounds pretentious and whatever, but you probably know the feeling...that feeling of being stuck, in a rut, in a slump, you've lost your enthusiasm for either a particular project or for some of us, life in general, and then POW!  It hits you!  I need to make a change - the status quo just isn't working anymore.  Small change, big change, whatever the case may be, it takes those sort of profound EUREEKA!s to show us the solution to our slow loss of happiness, identity, desire, etc.

The problem is, most folks wouldn't see it that way.  They'd continue in there everyday activities as if nothing amazing had occurred.  As a teacher, I find it useful to be consistent with my students.  They like to know what to expect when it comes to grading, expectations, etc.  However, over the course of the year, the routine that we adopt tends to wear us down and instill a sense of familiarity that results in boredom.  That's why I also like to take opportunities to break that routine on occasion.  We'll sit outside and read, or simply go for a walk during our discussion.  Such activities tend to reignite even the dullest internal flames.  I guess the trick is to recognize the dullness of that flame - I suppose that's my job.  And the job of anyone with whom we have a relationship.  By spending time with others and really connecting with them, we can see ourselves more clearly, and ultimately achieve a deeper sense of personal dignity and identity.

As always, be safe, and see if you can't find some opportunities to ride with your local bike community this National Bike Month!