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When you decide to ride your bicycle instead of driving a car, you do yourself and the earth a big favor. While on the surface it may seem like a chore to ride a bike, it holds many advantages over driving beyond the environmental ones. It’s much more healthy, cost-efficient and convenient to name just three. But before you embark on your first two-wheeled commute, you may want to keep in mind the following facts for both motivation and safety.

Environmental Benefits
Unlike cars, trains and planes, bicycles produce no emissions, so by choosing to cycle, you prevent significant amounts of pollution from being released into the environment. According to the Worldwatch Institute, a four-mile bike ride can keep 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air. Driving a car, on the other hand, releases toxic pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. According to the Earth-Works Group, author of 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, cars cause most of the world’s ozone pollution.

Although pollution is a major environmental concern, bicycles also reduce road kill, noise pollution, depletion of our natural resources, road wear, water pollution, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and the strain on your household budget.

Health Benefits
Riding a bicycle is a low-impact activity that can help increase your strength and mobility. When you don’t exercise, your body becomes less flexible and overweight, which makes you more at risk for injuries and health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc. Putting forth the effort to stay in shape now can lower your healthcare expenses in the future.

If you work full-time, it’s likely that you have difficulty fitting exercise into your schedule. However, if you ride a bike to and from work, you strengthen muscles, increase endurance and burn calories. According to the International Bicycling Fund, a bicyclist burns 25 calories per mile, so you can stop paying high prices to go to a gym.

Also, getting your heart rate going early in the day can increase your productivity at work, because the blood is flowing and your mind and body are active.

Financial and Other Benefits
It may be clear to you that riding a bike is beneficial to the environment and to your health, but if these advantages are not enough to persuade you, you might want to consider the monetary benefits. The cost of gas, parking and car purchase and repair expenses are eliminated or significantly reduced by riding a bike. Plus, you will have the satisfaction of biking past traffic jams and finding closer parking spots to your destination. Many workplaces provide a special room for cyclists to store their bikes. How’s that for close?

Training Wheels
Love the benefits, but feel intimidated by the thought of biking several miles to work? Then gradually work up to traveling longer distances. One way is to practice riding to stores, restaurants or coffee shops that are closer to your home, and then assess your performance. If you are out of shape, you might need to do some preliminary training before you are able to ride farther. Try exercising on a stationary bike while you watch TV or go riding in a local park. This is not only beneficial to your health but will increase your endurance for your office commute and your longer distance errand runs. Don’t want to lay out the bucks for a stationary bike? No problem. Buy an indoor bicycle trainer, which converts your outdoor cycle to a stationary bike at a fraction of the cost of the real thing.

Bike Safety
Before you jump on your bike and head across town, remember these safety tips. Riding a bike requires that you obey all of the same rules and regulations that apply to the road’s cars, trucks and motorcycles. In addition, the California Department of Transportation recommends that your bike be properly sized and adjusted, that you carry a basic toolkit, and that you equip your bike with a white headlamp and red rear reflector. An annual bike tune-up is also essential to your comfort and safety.

Don’t forget to check your state’s laws on bicycle helmets. In California, everyone under 18 must wear a helmet; in New York, people 14 or younger must do so. Wearing a safety helmet at all times regardless of the laws is a safer way to travel, especially in the heavy traffic flows of a big city.

Other ways to stay safe include riding with traffic, wearing bright or reflective clothing, using proper hand signals, keeping a safe distance from other vehicles (including parked cars and trucks whose opening doors may suddenly appear directly in front of you) and obeying all traffic signs and signals.

You can attach a rack to the front or rear of your bike to store heavier items like a briefcase or books. This is much safer than carrying them. And you can make your commute more palatable by carrying a backpack with an extra change of clothes and toiletry products.

Making biking a regular part of your transportation regime can’t help but benefit you and the larger world. Good health and clean air versus the hassle and wasted time of traffic congestion… could there be an easier choice?

Updated 6/20/10; originally posted 1/19/09.

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