Exercise and health is really a reason to cycle, more than it is a reason to be carfree. But sometimes cycling for health is the first step. The next step is time and efficiency. I don't have time to cycle 60 minutes a day for my health UNLESS I can kill two birds with one stone: Bike-commute 30 minutes to work and 30 minutes home, instead of driving 20 minutes each way. Voila! 60 minutes of exercise that uses only 20 minutes of additional time!

This is how you hook them!

But the other problem that many people--MAYBE MOST!--give as a primary reason for not cycling places: I'm not in good enough shape! I don't want to get sweaty and out of breath! I am fat and weak! I will die if I don't drive my car!

Seriously, this is a reason many people give for not bike-commuting. I've had several people tell me, "You can do it because you're in good shape. I never could." Most tune me out when I explain that a few years ago, before I started walking then cycling, I was NOT in good shape--I weighed 320 pounds and I had a heart attack! People are so illogical....