This past Wednesday, June 3, was World Bicycle Day! During this time of social distancing, biking is actually an activity that can be done easily without coming into contact with others. We at the Clog thought this would be a good time to take a few minutes to appreciate this form of transportation and talk about why we should all try to bike more often.

Biking is good for the planet

It’s no secret that we direly need to reduce our carbon emissions to combat global warming and climate change. When you choose to bike instead of driving, ride-sharing or even taking the bus, you produce zero carbon emissions. This makes it one of the most sustainable forms of transportation possible!

Biking is good for your health

Not only does biking help the health of the environment, but it also improves your own health! You get a great low-impact workout, particularly in your lower body and legs, that you can knock out on your way to your next engagement, saving all the time you would spend going to the gym. The extra time outside can also be beneficial to your mental well-being!

You don’t have to pay for parking

It can be pretty expensive — not to mention stressful — to park in Berkeley, but bike racks are always free! Buying a lock is a worthy investment to ensure your wheels are not taken and a much cheaper alternative to paying for parking.

You see more things from a bike than you might see otherwise

Traveling by bike is an interesting cross between traveling by car and by foot because you are out in the open air but moving faster than you’d move on foot. Therefore, you end up noticing things about your surroundings that you wouldn’t notice otherwise. It’s a welcome change in perspective during a time when we could probably all use a little bit of a shake-up to our routine.

Bikes are more reliable than the bus

Don’t get us wrong — we at the Clog love and appreciate AC Transit for all that it is. But one thing that buses tend to struggle with is reliability. Whether the bus arrives late or you yourself are late for the bus, there’s always a measure of uncertainty guaranteed to arise when you choose to take the bus. This isn’t the case with your bike, though! As long as you keep air in your tires and check in on any other possible mechanical issues, your bike will reliably be there to take you where you need to go. 

From where we stand, choosing to bike is a win-win-win-win-win situation! So honor this World Bicycle Day by getting out there on a bike. We promise you won’t regret it!