Choose To Bike And Be Happy (VIDEO)

Why not cut 33 hours of wasted time this year and ride your bike to work?

According to the 2010 Annual Urban Mobility report, in a U.S. city of three million people, individual commuters can expect a minimum delay of 33 hours a year. Cities with less than half a million people waste slightly less time but can still expect to lose up to 25 hours.

As the number of cars in the world crosses the one billion mark, why not dust off your bike, and take back some of those lost hours with exercise?

Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint and save money, but organizations like the Sierra Club are also pushing the mental and social benefits of cycling with new videos such as the one below.

Regular exercise has been shown in studies to reduce stress and elevate well-being and self esteem, according to adultbicycling.com. (You may also get an extra boost from bypassing the chaos of screeching traffic in the morning.)

Videos aren't the only way that cyclists have been raising awareness of biking. Nudity has been embraced in some cities, namely through the Naked Bike Ride, occurring in cities from Portland to Los Angeles to raise awareness of the need to focus on cleaner transportation.

According to a post in The Atlantic, less than one percent of Americans cycle to work nationally. Notably, the top 10 U.S. cities for biking correlate with more affluent people, higher average wages and more creative jobs.

Studies show that if a person substituted one day of driving with biking each week, they would cut auto emissions by over 1,200 pounds of CO2, and save over $800 on gas and maintenance in a year.

WATCH the Sierra Club video:

Two Mornings from Sierra Club National on Vimeo.

---

Comments

[Kenz300]

12:00 PM on 09/06/2011

As the price of oil continues to increase we all will be looking for ways to save money on transportation costs. That vehicle is getting expensive to drive.

Biking, walking and public transportation may be an option for some.

Safe bike and walking paths from neighborhoods to schools, work or play would help, as well as, increased public transportation. We need more options for transportation.

[palindrom]

06:55 AM on 09/06/2011

This exact video was brilliantly deconstructed on "BikeSnobNYC" a few weeks ago. That guy is hilarious, if you have the right sense of humor.

[HellBank]

01:08 AM on 09/06/2011

I'm gunna be real happy riding my bike to work: When it's raining. When it's buttt freezing cold. When it's hotter then--you know. When I have to pass through a really bad neighborhood. When it's uphill all the way and when it's 25 miles away. Gosh, I'm gunna be alllllll smiles all day.

[nightingale801]

03:31 AM on 09/06/2011

That's why I wanted to buy a car instead but I can use public transportation now and then . . .

[quillsinister]

02:38 AM on 09/07/2011

So much better to have a culture of eternal war, crippling trade deficits, unmitigated destruction of the system we depend on utterly for our survival, etc.

Good thing the military personnel we've deployed to hostile lands in order to keep the oil flowing aren't so obsessed with creature comforts as you are. Enjoy it while it lasts, because the fossil fuel age is ending, whether we like it or not.

[ZMP]

12:39 AM on 09/06/2011

Biking is great for everyone! I am going to start biking one day a week after reading this article. Thanks for the inspiration!!