Originally Posted by
Weakling
If it has a good saddle and the dimensions are suitable for my body then it is
much much more comfortable and faster to roll on such bike than to walk.
On the other hand, evolution or God designed us to walk. That's not to say that riding isn't fun and practical, but if more of our countrymen walked a bit more, there'd be less of them falling down dead at unnaturally young ages and fewer weighing in at gargantuan mass and becoming sick.
Here in the UK, more and more people have become ridiculously huge in the blubber department. British women have added on average an extra six and a half inches to their waist measurement since 1951 and have gone from 9 stone 10 (136 pounds) to a 2004 average of 10 stone 3 1/2, or 143.5 pounds. American women now weigh in at 155.5 pounds.
Data
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3616904.stm
In the last decade, the average American lady has increased in weight by 7% or 11 pounds to 163 pounds.
British men now weigh on average 176 pounds, Canadians 182 pounds and Americans 180 - 190 pounds.
Data
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_weight
Cycling burns a lot less calories per mile, something like 35 as against 90 for walking the same distance. I have to say that riding is much more fun. Driving a mile on the other hand consumes about 2 calories.