Bike wise

Rob Zorn shares nine reasons why you should start biking!

1. Cycling actually makes good sense when you think about it. It can save you a lot of money and make your life better in the process.
2. First of all, biking is fun. After a few rides you’ll realise that for every headwind there’s a tailwind, and for every uphill climb there’s a coast down the other side. Once your body has gotten the message that you’re serious about cycling, it stops resisting.
3. You get fitter, and your brain starts to release endorphins, those chemicals that provide a natural high.
4. With cycling, you can feel good while shedding all that extra ‘muscle’ you put on over Christmas. It's low impact, aerobic, and you don't need to get fit before you start. And unlike some exercise, biking can be a social activity. You can do it with your mates, your significant other, or with your family. Whether you're out exploring far-off trails or just doing a casual ride through the park, you’ll all get some exercise and your teenagers will be forced to bond with you. After all, it’s hard to text while riding.
5. Cycling is excellent therapy, too. There’s nothing so relaxing as enjoying the sun and scenery during a Sunday afternoon pedal. There are no feelings of carbon-footprint guilt to spoil the moment.
6. Yes, cycling is good for the soul. Using a smog-belching, fossil fuel-consuming car doesn't automatically make you a bad person, but using it less could help make you a better one. Completely giving up the car isn't a realistic option for most people, but taking the bike instead of the car for short trips might be a perfect way to make a start. 
7. You actually arrive at work before your colleagues. What’s more, you use up calories getting to work rather than several more litres of our dwindling fossil fuel reserves.
8. You don’t have to go overboard to benefit. You don’t need the lycra body suit or that strange, elongated racing thingy permanently fused to your head. The gear you need to ride safely, like a visibility vest and a decent helmet, will probably cost you less than a week’s worth of petrol.
9. In the end, it doesn't matter how expensive your gear is, how fast you can ride or how well defined your muscles are. Bike because you enjoy it, and take it at the pace that feels right for you.

[Reasons for biking is taken from an editorial, “Why I’m liking biking”, by Rob Zorn on 19 February 2008]