16 May 2008

Some Bicycle Thoughts for Bike Week

The Plain Dealer reported this week:

When you have to stuff three $20 bills into your gas tank to fill it, riding your bike becomes good for your wallet. You don't have to shell out for a car payment, a license, insurance, gasoline, oil changes, or roadside assistance. And a new set of tires doesn't cost $500.

It's good for your body. Cycling makes you healthier and younger. Cycling as little as 20 miles a week can cut your risk of heart disease by more than half. On average, a regular cyclist has a fitness level equal to that of a person 10 years younger.

It's good for the environment. Bicycles produce no exhaust, damage no roads and can last decades, instead of just years. In addition, about 100 bicycles can be built with the same energy and resources it takes to build one medium-size car.
  1. Twelve bicycles can be parked in a typical automobile parking spot.
  2. 15% of Japanese workers commute by bicycle, 1.67% of Americans commute by bicycle
  3. $29,299: The average cost, including finance charges, of a new vehicle (car or SUV) in the USA, $385 average cost of a new bicycle.
  4. 2 to 1: The ratio of bicycles to cars on Earth.
  5. 100 calories: The amount a person uses to bicycle 3 miles.
  6. 833 -- Bicyclist deaths in the United States in 1995, 773 - Bicyclist deaths in the United States in 2006.

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