Heart & Home

Six Reasons You Should Bike To Work

Riding your bike to work is beneficial to the environment and health and sure, there are downsides to riding your bike to the office each day — there's that whole "cars are big and metal and hurt when they hit you" thing — but the benefits far outweigh them. Let's review some. The following will show you exactly why you should be biking to work, and allow us to feel superior at the same time, which is always fun.

• It's Cheap. Not only does Congress now give you money for biking to work, it's tax free money. It's only $20 per month, but combine that with what you'll save from not paying for parking and gas, and it really adds up. Also, if your commute is particularly far — yes, farther than two miles — you could use biking as a substitute for the gym, which would save you even more. And don't even try to act like you wouldn't give up the gym in a heartbeat if you could. You won't miss Hairy Naked Man in the locker room every day, trust us.
• It's Healthy. Speaking of gyms, what better way to get rid of that gut than biking? And since you'll be knocking out your commute and your exercise simultaneously, you'll have more time to hang out and go to happy hour. Although if you're adding happy hours to your schedule it might defeat the benefits of commuting via bike, but hey, we're not your wife. Do what you want.
• No One Likes a Stinky Coworker. Biking to work can leave you a little stinky, but trust us, this is a good thing. First of all, it can be easily avoided by keeping a change of clothes and stick of deoderant with you, but if you prefer Greg from accounting keeping his distance, go the natural way and feel fantastic while doing it.
• The Earth will Appreciate It. If you use your bike and not your car, that's one less vehicle on the road, polluting the air. Some studies say that biking four miles per commute is enough to keep 15 pounds of pollution out of the ozone. You can use that stat to brag if you like.
• Biking is Cool. Yeah, we know. Saying something is cool immediately makes the opposite true, but dammit, biking is cool right now. Look at all those hipsters and their rebellious ways! You could be one of them, riding the streets without a care in the world. Just uh, don't do the handle bar mustache, okay?
• That Bragging Thing is Fun. If you bike to work you can automatically use it as a reason to act holier than those who do not. The best part is you don't even have to do much to mock them and their car driving ways. When they ask about your commute, you can simply reply, "Oh, I bike to work." Then watch as shame engulfs them.

[Pic via Flickr - Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious]