Cycle Sense

About a year ago I jokingly decided to do a 200km bike ride with a friend…what was once a minor thought became reality as I found myself signing up to do the Ride to Conquer Cancer earlier this year. As I busted out my bike and for the months leading up to the ride, I was unknowingly becoming addicted. Biking had taken over my life…so much so that I was even declining getting picked up by my parents and instead choosing to bike the solid 50km back to their house on weekends.

Apparently this true love is not an uncommon thing. Many commuters who ditch the 4-wheeler for a smaller, more eco-friendly model (the road bike) actually find they are much happier. There’s something so liberating about biking to work; it’s much quicker than walking, and much more convenient than driving. The science behind it undeniably promotes the use of cycling; it can positively affect the Triple Bottom Line in countless WONDERFUL ways:

Cycling spares driving stress

There is a surprising amount of stress that comes with driving; researches at HP found that;

In rush hour traffic a driver’s heart rates runs as high as 145 beats per minute; that’s more than twice the average heart rate of a healthy young adult.

This is actually much higher than the stress levels of people in high-stress careers such as fighters and riot police because there is an abundant feeling of impotence that runs high in drivers that have the freedom of transportation but the constraints of traffic. That is comparative to giving a starving person a chip and saying don’t eat the rest of the bag. What cycling does is create more freedom that even public transportation can’t provide. By acting as an automobile on the road but having the option to dismount and walk on sidewalks, cyclists have limitless opportunity in transportation.

Cycling burns fat while driving makes you fat

Surprise, surprise…cycling is a great source of exercise! There is extensive research to back up the notion that cycling is a great for your health. But understandably so, with the notion of biking to work, some obstacles seemingly begin to surface. The major issue for those long distance cyclists is the shortage of showering facilities within their office. GOOD NEWS!! Many businesses are hopping on the sustainability bandwagon by providing a large number of bike spots in their parking garages as well as showering facilities. Organizations such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) actually reward credits for buildings that provide cyclists the option to bike to work and clean up before getting to their desk.

Cycling reduces carbon emissions

Nothing makes me happier than finding new ways to reduce my carbon footprint; and what’s a better way to get around than on a bike that creates all of ZERO carbon emissions :) Carbonrally states that:

Each gallon of gasoline burned in an average car’s engine blows 19.4 pounds of CO2 out the exhaust and directly into Earth’s atmosphere.

Therefore by biking we eliminate the potential CO2 emissions and promote a healthier environment. Now one might ask “but Diana, doesn’t it take energy and resources to physically make a bike? That’s not sustainable.” Yes you would be correct…however a bicycle on average requires 1/10th of the embodied energy that is needed to make an average car. And once the bike is in the consumer’s hand, there is virtually zero embodied energy produced from that point on.

Cycling reduces noise pollution

Noise pollution is often not even thought about in terms of sustainability, but in this 21st Century, we have the ability and more than enough resources to create mass amounts of it.. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that:

Noise can increase the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenalin in the body, even during sleep. The longer these hormones stay in circulation around the bloodstream, the more likely they are to cause life-threatening physiological problems.

Noise pollution can come in the form of industrial machinery, sirens, HVAC systems, and any other unwanted noise. AUTOMOBILES just happen to be the worst offenders…fortunately for us, we have the power to change that because a bike produces almost no noise pollution. Many cities are even taking leadership in creating regulations that control it. For instance, Vancouver 2020‘s action plan is geared towards a more sustainable city; within that they highlight the plan for reduction in noise pollution from transportation and the promotion of sound from nature… and one of the more obvious solutions is biking. Wonderful :)

With that being said, I think it’s safe to say biking is the greatest, most sustainable form of transportation. I promise you will become as addicted as I am the moment you realize a bike’s true potential. It makes you happier, healthier, and the earth cleaner… it’s literally the best thing in the world. <- and I endorse that.