​Why Riding a Bicycle Is Good For You

If you’re not riding a bicycle at least once a week, you’re missing on a lot of fun.

So, why pedal?

Because you probably sit too much

They say sitting is the new smoking. It’s bad for your gut and heart. The heart is a muscle, but it can only be “worked out” through the other muscles. The leg muscles form one of the biggest muscle groups in the body – pedaling works them nicely.

Makes you go slower than your car

That gives you the opportunity to take in the scenery, the faces of the people, and smaller details you wouldn’t notice in a car. On a bicycle, you can also control your speed – go slower when you feel you have to.

Relieves stress

Pedaling works out your muscles without tiring you, while at the same time helping you burn the little frustrations of everyday life that can turn up into stress.

Lets you spy on people

When you see someone interesting ahead of you, you can slow down and follow him or her with your eyes. You can pass by them and come back to check on them some more, all this without appearing suspicious at all.

Easy maintenance

A good bike is easy to maintain. Even if you sometimes need to change a tire, it’s fairly easy work. Not always clean, but chain grease or tire dirt feels good on your hands. Smells a bit like adventure, too.

The bell is fun

It can be amusing to see other people’s reaction to your little twinkles. Picture a park alley. People ahead of you. Old people, young women, men talking about things. Twinkle twinkle! They jump out of your path like you’re a very important person. Some will even apologize as you go, supposedly for blocking the way.

You can shop

Add a little basket to your handlebar and you can fill it with books, paint supplies, CDs, bottles of wine, or groceries. It’s environmentally friendly. You know everything about this already. If medieval knights had bicycles, they would have ridden them instead of horses. Well, maybe not into battle, but at least before the ladies at the court. Then they would have not needed to recite long poems. A second saddle would have been enough to carry them away.