By: SEAN YANG
Staff Writer
Biking is better. The only reason why bikes have not taken off as our primary mode of transportation in the United States, and North America in general, is because of how cars and car-dependent infrastructure have held this continent—and many other countries—hostage. Even if it is simply too dangerous for many people to commute by bicycle regularly for many suburbanites due to unprotected bike lanes and roads that are built solely for the use of transporting two-ton death machines (whether efficient or not), I wholeheartedly believe that cycling could be the greatest form of short, personal, and urban transportation.
To get the obvious out of the way: bikes are much cheaper than cars. Most great bicycles for commuting start at a price of about $500 at any bike shop (even cheaper if buying used), while cars that can be financed by the average American are incomparably more expensive—in the ballpark of $50,000 on average for new cars, and maybe as low as $3000 if buying a decent used car. That is not even accounting for the amount of money spent on gas (or electricity for EVs). While it is still important to have a good bike maintenance routine, it is nowhere near the cost of maintaining a car.
Not only is it cheaper to commute by bike than by car over short distances, but it is also significantly healthier for both the rider and the environment. There is no carbon emission from riding bikes—unless you’re using a motorized bike, it’s impossible! While the engine of a car has to create power to accelerate using gas, you are the engine itself on a bike, burning calories along the way as your fuel. If you commute by bike, it’s valuable time for free exercise and cardio that doesn’t need to be wasted at a gym or a park (though it certainly helps) if commuting by car. Even if you must commute over longer distances, the current rise of e-bikes makes these commutes much easier to do.
Plus, the overall change in attitude when commuting by bicycle versus by car cannot be understated. Sure, you may have the comforts of a climate-controlled box, but you’re not exactly getting anything done at all when you’re sitting in traffic the entire time. On a bike, you will feel better both during and after the ride and even lose weight. Studies on exercise prove these physical and mental benefits time and time again. Unless you’re an adrenaline junkie on the highway, you’ll find your comfortable commute sluggish and forgettable. Though we’re still not yet there as far as infrastructure goes towards making cities more walkable and safer for cyclists, it is clear that, sooner or later, Americans will realize just how freeing bicycles are.