76 stainless steel spokes represent my own personal freedom. Salvation rides along with me as the moist morning airbrushes my face and saturates my lungs. Whizzing past traffic, in and out of cars, breaking every traffic law on the way to my destination, I feel truly above the law. I feel untouchable.

Riding a bike keeps my arteries clean and my mind clear. The complete disregard of pedestrian right of way by nearly every car on the road keeps me on my toes and my days exciting. I wouldn’t trade my bike for the world.

Research shows that the average American is getting fatter every year. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, almost two out of every three Americans are obese, and about one out of every eight deaths in America is caused by an illness directly related to obesity. So why not get on that bike? Why not have a good time and better your mental and physical health at the same time?

Childhood obesity is at an all time high and seems to only be getting worse. What better way to combat this then instill a lifelong love for cycling and exercise?

Get the whole family together and go on a bike ride. Not only will you burn calories together, you might just get a little bit closer. Watching people die too early from a disease as easily curable as obesity, is something that we shouldn’t have to deal with as the intelligent creatures we are.     

There are so many things that can be gained through bicycle transit. Some of the benefits are obvious, like improving your health, while others aren’t so easily recognized. For example, the satisfaction attained from effortlessly gliding past a traffic jam is something that is likely to bring a smile to your face, even on your darkest day.

Become a surveyor of the urban sprawl, a wandering observationalist not afraid to take the time to soak up all the beauty suburbia has to offer. By separating yourself from the distractions associated with being behind the wheel, and the stress brought on by congestion, you are afforded the opportunity to just look around and take in the world for what it is, a work of art.

With that thought in mind it can be said that biking brings you a better understanding of the world. It helps you realize the intrinsic beauty of your surroundings and can put you at peace with the utterly insane world we live in.

It brings understanding, when you bike through the year, you not only see the changing seasons; you feel what the changes of each season brings with them.

The biting cold of winter mornings that brings with it the most refreshingly moist and cool air imaginable, the beautiful spring mornings that bring with them the warmth winter stole, the dry, almost unbearable heat summer brings that sends you pedaling at top speed to any friend who has a pool at home, and the taste of gnats during spring when riding through their swarms is inevitable.

The earth will also thank you for biking. Not driving not only cuts down on greenhouse gases, it reduces congestion and leaves the parking spot you would have used open to a person who may not be able to ride a bike, and might really need that parking spot. You will also save money on gas, oil, and whatever other products you might need to keep your car running, and who couldn’t use a few extra bucks right about now?

Flat out. If your carbon footprint concerns you at all, get on a bike.      

There are a million different reasons to ride a bike and they are all proprietary to the individual. Go for a ride and see if your inner peace rides an Schwinn Le Tour, or if you were meant to conquer the trails on a Specialized. It’s all up to you.

I ride a bike every day, everywhere I go (almost).  Although I have a car, I choose to use it only when absolutely necessary. I believe the future of this planet rests almost completely in the hands of  man and the decisions we make. Although the benefits to my health are obvious, they aren’t why I ride. I ride because I love it, and all that matters in this life is finding what you love.