6 Benefits Of Biking To Work Every Day

Although many cities across the country have made great strides in improving cycling infrastructures, there is still a minimal percentage of the American population that bikes to work.

This is unfortunate because the benefits from cycling to work are substantial and include financial, health, and environmental advantages. Curious? Consider these reasons for leaving your auto in the garage and opting for travel to your job on two wheels.

The Benefits Of Your Biking To Work This Year

1. Biking Costs Less

If you’ve filled up your gas tank recently, you already know how fuel prices are emptying your wallet. Consider how much you spend to fill the gas tank and how often you need to fill it per month to get to work and back home. Now multiply this cost by the number of months your climate will permit you to bike to your job.

That’s quite a bit of money you could be saving and dedicating to something else like savings, a house down payment, a vacation, or that new gadget you’ve been eyeing. If you add in car payments, maintenance, and insurance, you spend a lot of money.

Bikes cost considerably less to purchase with an average bike costing between $250 to $1500 relative to the brand, bike model, and any extras you may want, and yearly maintenance may not even cost you $100.

You’ll need a bike lock, lights, and maybe a water bottle holder, cycling bags, or a basket or briefcase mount but these are usually one-time purchases. Even if you choose an expensive model, it will still cost less than your car.

E-bikes may be a little pricier and require some energy, but they’ll get you there faster, more rested, and still cost considerably less in the long run.

2. It’s Better For Your Health

Heart Disease specialists maintain that regular cycling can shave up to ten years off your fitness age. Your vitamin D levels will increase because you are cycling in the great outdoors.

Mental health experts insist that exercise leads to not only improved bodily health but also better mental health. If you ride approximately a half hour to work and a half hour to get back home, you’ll get in an hour’s exercise daily without even feeling it.

If you want to lose a couple of pounds, you’ll be burning calories and your metabolism should stay revved up for several hours afterward. The exercise will also release more endorphins, so you’ll be in a better mood when you start your workday and after you’ve ended it.

Exercise has been shown to slow cognitive decline and improve learning, memory, and focus. You may end up with better work performance.

Your lungs may also benefit because, unlike cars that take in the exhaust from the car directly in front of them, bikers have the benefit of fumes being dispersed in the open air and you can always choose a less trafficked route. Plus, by improving your health, you’ll also potentially weigh less on the health care system.

3. You’ll Get To Your Destination Faster

If you drive most of the way to work on the expressway, this may not be the case, but if you travel within the confines of the city limits, or once you enter, you’re going to save time on a bike, not stuck in traffic.

If you travel in the big city, a bike will get you to your destination sooner. You also won’t need to look for a parking place and you’ll save even more time if your employer offers bicycle parking.

4. It’s Environmentally Friendly

That biking to work is much more eco-friendly than a car with gas emissions, is well-known, but it doesn’t stop there. E-bikes are also a low-emission means of transportation and maybe even more so than regular bikes.

By using an e-bike you will be employing fewer categories meaning you need to eat less food. Less food production means less green gas emissions. If we multiply that by a substantial number of bikers, it will make quite a dent toward protecting the environment. 

E-bike batteries are also considerably more eco-friendly than electric car batteries as they require approximately 5% of the materials and energy used for electric car energy. Finally, biking does not produce CO2 or air pollution.

5. You’ll Get More Enjoyment

There is nothing more stressful than being stuck in traffic. But even if you ride a bus, subway, train, or people mover, when public transport is canceled or delayed that can send stress levels through the ceiling. Biking exercise relieves stress, reduces depression symptoms, alleviates anxiety, and releases endorphins to improve mood.

Biking in the winter can be more challenging but can still be enjoyable with the right gear and preparation. Bike apps can also provide alternative routes to spice up your daily travel.

6. Biking Is Safer

Although biking does have risks, the more bikes there are, the fewer auto collisions there will be and drivers will tend to be more careful with more bikes on the road.

What’s the result? Through biking, you can save money, save time, save the environment, and save yourself.