If you've seen some of the info at RideTHISbike.com, it's obvious that I believe in the value & benefits of riding a bike. If you need convincing that bicycling is good for health, saves money, reduces dependence on foreign oil, and improves quality of life, here are 5 stats that demonstrate the value of bicycling.

5 Reasons Why To Ride A Bike:

1. Bicycling can help you live longer.
Just three hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%.

2. Riding a bike is much cheaper than driving a car.
It costs about $11,000 a year to own and drive a car and as little as $120 to ride a bike.

3. Bicycling reduces obesity.
Today's kids are less physically active and 3x's more obese than the previous generation. Unfortunately, it's no coincidence that kids today ride bikes 70% less. Bicycling is a fun way to burn off energy & pounds.

4. Bicycle commuting beats gridlock.
Rush-hour auto commuters waste an average of almost 50 hours a year stuck in traffic, costing more than $63 billion annually in lost productivity and wasted fuel as well as needless stress and anxiety.

5. Bicycling reduces our dependence on foreign oil.
If all drivers in the USA used a bike instead of a car for just 0.5% of the driving they do, the US would save 462 million gallons of gas a year.

Sources for these statistics included the Centers for Disease Control, the US Environmental Protection Agency/Department of Transportation and the Texas Transportation Institute. For a complete list, visit BikesBelong.