There’s no time like the present to make some positive changes to your lifestyle. 2020 may already be in full swing, but it’s never too late to start working towards your goals. If you want to save some money, whilst reducing your carbon footprint and improving your overall health, it’s easy to swap your car for a bike. Here, full suspension mountain bike retailer Leisure Lakes Bikes explore the top 3 reasons why you should leave your car at home this year!
1. Cycling improves your physical health
Cycling is hugely beneficial when it comes to improving your physical health. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, then cycling is a fantastic (and free) alternative that you can easily fit into your daily routine. According to a meta-analysis published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine cycling can dramatically reduce your risk of cardiovascular illnesses. The study accounted for both people who cycled for sport and people who used a bike for their daily commute. Not only did this analysis conclude that cyclists have a 22 %lower risk than non-cyclists for cardiovascular illnesses, but they also had a lower BMI on average.
Furthermore, cycling can also improve your overall mood. As well as the fact that cycling gets you outdoors, and allows you to release endorphins, this form of exercise has also been proven to drastically reduce stress.
2. Cycling helps you save money
Many people start off the new year with the promise to lose a few pounds – but how about saving a few? Driving to work each day can be truly damaging to your bank account. Not only is there the initial price of the car, but the maintenance, road tax, and fuel costs all add up, resulting in a needlessly expensive method of commuting. Switching out your car for a bike can reduce these costs tenfold.
One cyclist that we interviewed reported savings of £6 per working day since switching over to cycling on a 15-mile round trip. So, on average he saves £30 a week and £1,150 a year! Even a few pounds saved each day can make a huge difference, and when you pair this with the health benefits and the environmental pros, the positive points really stack up.
The initial cost of the bike should also be taken into consideration when working out the overall savings. Luckily, many employers engage with the “cycle to work” scheme which could save you a lot of money if your looking to purchase a new road or mountain bike. As a result of making monthly salary sacrifices, this scheme will allow you to purchase a bike tax-free, saving up to 42 per cent of the over all value.
3. Cycling reduces your carbon footprint
We all need to do our bit to protect the environment and even a small effort is worthwhile. Unfortunately, driving is still most Europeans’ transport method of choice — at great cost to the environment. Not only do cars produce huge amounts of CO2, but the initial production of a car is far more environmentally damaging than that of a bike. According to calculations from ECF, the production of a car alone accounts for 42g of CO2 emissions per kilometre. When combining this output with the output CO2 from each kilometre actually driven, the total comes to around 271g CO2 per kilometre.
Biking is very eco-friendly compared to taking the car. Contrary to popular belief though, a bike isn’t completely carbon neutral, as we have to take into account the energy used in production. However, this small output is minimal compared to that of a car. Taking production into account, a bike is accountable for 5g of CO2 per kilometre — miniscule in comparison!
If you want to make some positive changes this year, there’s no harm in trying out cycling. It may be difficult to force yourself out of bed a little earlier for the sake of exercise, but your health, your wallet, and the environment will all benefit from it! Why not give it a try in 2020?
