How Cycling Benefits the Environment: A Detailed Guide

How Cycling Benefits the Environment: A Detailed Guide

The benefits of cycling are too many to count. Cycling is effective for health, economic, and environmental reasons. And it's never been easier to get your wheels spinning!

How Cycling Benefits the Environment - man cycling over a bridge

Whether you want to stay in shape, save money on fuel and parking, or do your part for the environment, there are plenty of reasons to hop on a bike. Read on to learn how cycling benefits the environment.

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How Cycling Benefits the Environment

Cycling is a great way to help the environment. By choosing to ride instead of drive, you are reducing the amount of noise, carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions released into the atmosphere. Below are some of the main ways that cycling can have a positive impact on our environment:

Changing mindset and behaviour

By choosing more environmentally sustainable ways to travel, you will be making a difference simply by adding social proof. This can include walking and cycling. By using these alternative modes of transportation you are validating them as enjoyable and attainable, and most importantly, adding to the critical mass needed to inspire others and create a new normal.

Reducing noise pollution

Noise is unwanted sound. It can annoy people and make them feel stressed. It can also damage the environment. Noise can make animals feel stressed and drive them away from the area that they live in. This is called habitat loss. When animals leave an area, it can cause problems for an entire ecosystem.

That's because all the different species need to be there for the ecosystem to work. If some of them disappear, it can cause problems for the others, including humans ultimately. So, we need to reduce noise in the environment. This means that we need to reduce the number of motor vehicles on the roads. This will help to reduce noise.

Protecting biodiversity

As mentioned above, biodiversity is important because it is responsible for the quality and variety of our food, the air and water - our habitat. If you switch to walking or cycling for more of your shorter journeys, you will create less noise, less air pollution and fewer emissions that are warming the atmosphere.

We can help to protect our green spaces by showing their importance to communities, and to plant and wildlife. With mass adoption of low impact forms of transport such as bicycles, we can lower the risks of these spaces being transformed into new roads or motorized transport links.

Reducing air pollution

Motor vehicles are a significant source of air pollution at ground level and at a global level. Combustion engine create air pollution because they burn fossil fuels and release CO2, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. 

If we all opted to walk and cycle more for short journeys, it would dramatically reduce air pollution locally and globally, and have more fun and less stress doing so!

Bonus section: Personal Benefits of Cycling

Cycling is great for the environment, but it doesn't hurt that cycling is also great for you! It can help improve your physical health and mental well-being while reducing your carbon footprint.

Here are some ways cycling benefits you directly:

Cycling reduces air pollution

Pollution from cars is one of the leading causes of global warming, as well as many other environmental problems. Simply by swapping out one car for a bike, you can massively reduce your personal envirnomental impact on the world.

Cycling saves money on fuel and parking

Fuel prices are always going up and the price of public transit is always going up too. Biking to work or school is an excellent way to save money on fuel and parking fees.

You might even be able to make back the money you spent on a bike within a year just by avoiding those expenses!

Cycling keeps you fit

Exercising outdoors is better than exercising indoors in terms of both mental health and physical health. Cycling provides a great workout while benefiting both your mind and body at the same time.

And if you're worried about how far away your office might be or that you might have to take a shower at work once you get there, don't fret, you can always opt for an ebike!

Riding your bike will actually burn more calories per mile than walking, but  you'll ave time getting to your destination - and still have time to hit up that gym after work if you want to (or sneak in another ride before).

Conclusion

Cycling is a sustainable, low-impact form of transportation that has many benefits. Not only is it good for your physical health, but it also improves mental well-being, helps you live longer, saves money, and reduces your carbon footprint.

If you already use your bicycle a primary mode of transport or leisure, congratulation and thank you! If you don't yet, I hope these arguments will make you want to hop on your bike all the more! If you still need some inspiration, take a look at our ready to ride bike tour Experience guides. 

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2 comentarios

Started cycling to cut down on commuting and it quickly became my number one means of transportation. Luckily, our town has great cycle lanes. I always see couples with children riding their bikes to and from school. It’s fun, sustainable and a great way to workout.

Lillian

Hi, I just read your blog post about the benefits of cycling. I found it to be very informative and was pleasantly surprised that you included a table of contents at the beginning of your article. I’m not usually one to comment on blog posts, but I wanted to make sure to leave a compliment because your blog post was amazing!

Sally L.

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