Exploring on two wheels is something everyone should experience at least once.
Whether it’s a matter of getting out of your comfort zone or building up your fitness for a specific goal, cycling is a simple and accessible type of low-impact exercise.
And once you’re a confident cyclist, the opportunities only multiply. You could try joining a local club, entering a triathlon, or simply exploring beyond the country lanes you know. But that’s not all: we’ve covered the best reasons to ride your bike below.
- You can go at your own pace
Cycling can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. With so many bike models to choose from, including top-spec electric models, you can either pedal hard and build fitness or simply breeze through the park on laid-back outings.
Whether you’re cycling on forest trails with your family or simply getting from A to B, there’s never any pressure to go faster. But if you’d like the chance to get competitive, joining your local club could give you easy opportunities to go faster in a group.
- It’s good for you
There are so many studies confirming the health benefits of cycling. In addition to helping us reach the NHS-recommended physical activity guidelines each week, it’s great for our mental health and wellbeing too. After we move our body, it releases hormones that help us feel happy and relaxed, like serotonin.
Because cycling gets the cardiovascular system working, it reduces the risk of some chronic health conditions. These include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer. It’s estimated that more than 1,180 early deaths could be prevented each year in the UK if more people started walking and cycling.
- You’ll see new places
From discovering different cultures to meeting friends along the way, cycling makes it easy to cover greater distances than ever before. You can easily go much further than you’d be able to on foot, but you’ll still travel slowly enough to take in your surroundings – and all the new landscapes you cross.
If you’re into overseas adventures, it’s easy to fly with your bike on commercial airlines too. Off-road races are becoming increasingly popular in Spain, so why not take your gravel bike and cover new terrain at some of the biggest events on the cycling calendar?
- Emissions-free commutes
If you commute through the city centre, going by bike could make an enormous difference to your carbon footprint. Along with reducing your use of public transport, which often still relies on vehicles with diesel engines, you can leave your own car at home too.
Travelling to work on a pushbike is invaluable for those living in inner cities, especially if they pass through Clean Air or Low Emission Zones. It’s a brilliant way to avoid pesky fees and keep fit in the process, all while enjoying the calmer side of rush hour.
- Ultimate flexibility
Finally, when you go by bike, the world is your oyster.
You’ll be in control of every detail on your itinerary, from the time you leave to your final destination – and all the stops along the way, too. And once you’ve made some cycling buddies, you’ll have a great circle of friends to make plans with too.
No matter where you’re headed on the bike, you’ll be in charge of the route. Simply tighten up your shoes, put your helmet on, and get set for a wonderful ride.
