Get on your bike and pedal those pedals

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Cycling is a great way to get around. It is quicker than walking, less sweaty than running and saves plenty of CO2 versus driving and obviously causes no pollution. Often the talk of CO2 emissions leaves out the fact that we have been concerned with pollution from cars and trucks ever since the good old Hippie days in the 1960s and 1970s.

And as a bonus bicycles can zip through traffic, go to nice places where cars don't stand a chance, like the beach, and help you shed loads of pounds whilst saving you shed loads of money on parking costs. It also means you don't have to fork out for gasoline, the prices of which are going through the roof and no matter of using up the strategic oil reserves will make a difference there.

Here is one little statistical note... 600,000 Britons already cycle to work. It is true, I can see more and more new people on a daily basis joining the throng of cyclist commuting to work, taking their children to school, visiting friends or going to the shops.

As well as living longer, together they save the same amount of CO2 every quarter of an hour as one car would produce driving around the world, and they get to work faster too. On average cyclists travel at 12-15mph, double the speed of a city car in cross town traffic.

So, why not join them and ditch the car and get on your bike...

© 2012