Do you remember one of the greatest thrills of your childhood? Of course you do! And if you’re like most kids, you have a very favorite memory of that thrill–getting on a bike and starting to ride. Especially that moment when you could do it yourself and you started zooming along on your own, with no one holding on any more.
That feeling of freedom, the crazy wind blowing all around, the speed, the pumping…all things converge in this experience. A cyclist becomes liberated, free from the shackles of gravity and weight (or so it seems)…ready at any moment to lift off and fly.
Exhilaration like this…oh, if it could only last forever! Then, all of a sudden, one day you wake up and twenty-five years have passed. You are an adult, in an adult world with adult responsibilities. But there is still a world of freedom out there. The cycling world, a world where you can be your own wheelbuilder and keep that cycling dream alive.
You’re not alone in this longing to cycle. In the spring of 2017 in the U.S., for example, it was reported that within the previous 12 months, 66.21 million people had gone cycling. That is a lot of folks, many of whom are in the world of spokes, toe clips, track chain maintenance, aero brake levers and handlebar end caps while they take on the role of their own wheelbuilder.
Who doesn’t love the fact that something that is as much fun as cycling is also so good for you? You could spend 40 minutes in the gym for five days straight to burn as much fat as you burn biking to work, according to a 2017 study. Cycling lowers the risk of developing cardiorespiratory disease by 40% and the risk of premature death by 30%, according to research conducted in London by Glenn Stewart at Brunel University.
And cycling is eco-friendly, too. There are twice as many bicycles as there are cars in the world, totaling one billion bicycles. And consider that over 238 million gallons of gas per year are saved thanks to the use of bicycles instead of cars, plus reducing the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.
So, if you haven’t already, maybe it’s time for you to choose a bike frame and jump on the seat. And if you are already a cyclist, you can find specific parts online as you continue with your wheelbuilder activities. Experienced cyclist or novice, the world of cycling is ready and waiting to take you back to that fantastic feeling of your first, independent ride.
Commuting by Bike A Great Investment
