Vehicular Cycling (VC) - Benefits of Cycling

We all know that it goes without saying that bicycling is helpful and beneficial, making things better.

Does anyone have links to studies done on how cycling is beneficial? i.e. prolongs life expectancy, improves cardiopulmonary health, improves focus, and efficiency, reduces the carbon footprint, raises sexual drive, promotes relaxation, etc. Statistics from reputable sources would be good. This is good information to make into an education 'pamphlet' stapled to a civilian cycling ticket to give to motorists.

Snowsurfer - At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we've created issue briefs that make the case for more walking & biking addressing different issue areas: mobility, public health, economic development and climate. They're at www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailadvocacy/issue_briefs.html (http://www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailadvocacy/issue_briefs.html).

We also have a "family and community" downloadable brief there, but it takes a very different (pictorial) approach.

We all know that it goes without saying that bicycling is helpful and beneficial, making things better.

Does anyone have links to studies done on how cycling is beneficial? i.e. prolongs life expectancy, improves cardiopulmonary health, improves focus, and efficiency, reduces the carbon footprint, raises sexual drive, promotes relaxation, etc. Statistics from reputable sources would be good. This is good information to make into an education 'pamphlet' stapled to a civilian cycling ticket to give to motorists.

Just curious, how much would you spend on such a study?

We all know that it goes without saying that bicycling is helpful and beneficial, making things better.

Does anyone have links to studies done on how cycling is beneficial? i.e. prolongs life expectancy, improves cardiopulmonary health, improves focus, and efficiency, reduces the carbon footprint, raises sexual drive, promotes relaxation, etc. Statistics from reputable sources would be good. This is good information to make into an education 'pamphlet' stapled to a civilian cycling ticket to give to motorists.


Sounds like its research paper time. Just google for benefits of cardiovascular exercise. Most of the benefits are the same as for biking and much of the information you get will address factors such as cycling being easier on the joints. For reduction of carbon footprint, have a wild tour of that topic.

#1 Reason to Bicycle:

It's fun. It's exciting. It's a whole lot more fun and exciting that driving. Which is neither fun nor exciting, unless the driver is doing something either reckless or illegal, or both.

Just a little anecdote on my personal reasons for bicycling, I find biking to be less stressful than driving, even though there's still the same ratio of lousy drivers with their lousy attitudes.
When I used to drive as fast as they did, I felt like I was in a chariot race, where some part of me wanted to take them down in a big way, so my stress levels would skyrocket, and then the bad mood went along with me when I got home, or went into the grocery market, bad moods are infectious. (So are good moods.) Once the chariot racers go out of sight when I'm cycling, I forget about it because of the degree of focus being on a bike requires. Plus it's changed my attitude toward getting there ahead of everyone else, or "winning the chariot race".