Maybe you're trying to save the planet, but by cycling for miles, you're also saving your brain cells, improving family relationships, exercising your lungs, adding "happiness hormones" to yourself. Isn't it great to ride a bike? Here are just 33 reasons why everyone should ride...

1 You will get there faster

Cycling through the UK's major cities will get you there twice as fast as by car, Citroen research shows. In fact, if you go during rush hour in Cardiff, you will spend 30 minutes standing still and your average speed will be 10 km/h, while you could easily move at a speed of 15-20 km/h on a bicycle..
Edinburgh transport leader Andrew Burns predicts that trains by car through the Scottish capital, which now takes 20 minutes, could take up to 1 hour in 2026, but bike rides will become shorter as infrastructure improves.

2 Improve sleep

Riding your bike early in the morning can be exhausting, but it will give you quality sleep when you finally get to bed. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine suggested that people who lead a sedentary lifestyle and suffer from insomnia ride a bike for 20-30 minutes every other day. The result: the time it takes to fall asleep has been halved, and sleep time has increased by almost an hour.

3 Look younger

Scientists at Stanford University have found that regular cycling protects the skin from harmful UV rays and reduces signs of aging. Harley Street Dermatologist explains: "Blood circulation enhanced by physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to skin cells more efficiently and flushes out harmful toxins. Exercise creates an ideal environment within the body, optimizing collagen production, which prevents wrinkles and speeds up the healing process."." However, before you leave, do not forget to put on sunscreen.

4 Improve digestion

According to experts from the University of Bristol, the benefits of cycling go deep. "Physical activity helps reduce the time it takes for food to pass through the large intestine. As a result, the amount of water absorbed back into the body; the stool becomes looser and easier to pass," explains Anna Raimundo, a Harley Street gastroenterologist.

5 Increase the power of the intellect

Need a spark in gray matter? Then pedal forward. Researchers from the University of Illinois found that a 5% improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness as a result of cycling leads to a 15% improvement in mental test scores. That's because cycling helps build new brain cells in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for memory that begins to degrade after age 30.
"The flow of blood and oxygen to the brain improves, which excites the receptors and leads to their regeneration. This explains why cycling prevents Alzheimer's disease," says study author Prof. Arthur Kramer.

6 Beat a cold

Forget about apples, a bicycle - that's what will allow you to forget about doctors. "Moderate exercise increases the activity of immune cells, their readiness to ward off infection," says Kat Collins, chief nutritionist at St George's Hospital in London.
According to a study from North Carolina State University, people who cycle for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week get half as many sick days as couch and TV lovers.
Who rides, he does not catch a cold.

7 Live longer

Researchers at King's College London compared 2,400 identical twins and found that those who did the equivalent of three 45-minute bike rides a week were 9 years "biologically younger" even after other factors such as body mass index (BMI) and smoking.
"People who exercise regularly have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, all types of cancer, high blood pressure and obesity," says Lynn Cherkas, a physician who led the study. "The body begins to more effectively protect itself and regenerate cells."

8 Save the Planet

20 bicycles can be parked in the parking lot for one car. The production of a bicycle consumes about 5% of the materials and energy used to manufacture a car. Bicycle pollution is zero.
Bicycles are efficient, you ride 3 times faster than you would walk on foot, spending about the same amount of energy; if you calculate the "fuel consumption", it will be approximately 2924 miles per gallon (0.047 liters per 100 km). It's all thanks to the weight ratio: you are about 6 times heavier than a bike, but a car is 20 times heavier than you.

9 Status symbol

Forget the car emblem, your bike will show off your social status much better. The Department for Transport (UK) National Travel Survey shows that the wealthier people are, the more they ride, the top 1/5 of respondents with the highest incomes average 2.5 times more miles per year on a bike than the poorest 1/5. The London Cycling Campaign claims that people with higher incomes have a better understanding of the health benefits of cycling.

10 Improve sex life

Physical activity improves blood vessel health, which can lead to increased sex drive. This conclusion was reached by experts in the United States. One Cornell University study found that athletes were sexually active 2-5 years younger; fit women delay menopause by about the same amount.
A study conducted at Harvard University found that men over 50 who cycle at least 3 hours a week have a 30% lower risk of impotence than those who do not exercise. (Scientists have studied the link between cycling and infertility. For more on this, see the separate article Does Cycling Make You Infertile?)

11 Good for posterity

Your future baby will benefit from the trip no less than you yourself. According to a study by the University of Michigan in the United States, expectant mothers who exercise regularly have easy and painless births, recover faster, and generally feel better during pregnancy. Your joy and pride improves the development of the nervous system and halves the chances of suffering from obesity.
"Without a doubt, moderate physical activity, such as cycling, during pregnancy helps keep the mother in good shape and protects the fetus," says Patrick O'Brien, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

12 Strengthen the heart

A study conducted at Purdue University in the United States showed that regular cycling reduces the risk of heart disease by 50%. According to the British Health Foundation, about 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be avoided every year if people kept fit. Cycling just 35 miles a week cuts your risk of heart disease by more than half compared to non-cycling.

13 Safer than ever

With more people getting on two wheels, the rate of cycling in the UK is now the highest in 17 years. This means more cyclists on the roads. Does this mean that more cyclists are killed by cars? Probably not. Department for Transport (UK) figures show that cycling use (measured in kilometers traveled) rose by 12%, but the number of cyclist fatalities fell from 136 to 115 in a year, the second-lowest level ever recorded.
It would be better for another 115 cases less, but the statistics are changing in our favor. Perhaps, indeed, safety is in quantity. (As of this writing, new quarterly figures have been released showing a significant increase in cyclist injury in the UK. We hope this is a temporary spike and that the full year figures will be less worrisome.)

14 Your boss will love you

No, we didn't mean to say that your lycra-wrapped figure will set your executives in a romantic mood, but managers will definitely be pleased, just as a bicycle will make you a more useful employee in the company. A study of 200 people at the University of Bristol found that employees who exercise before work or during their breaks better manage their time and workload, and that physical activity increased their motivation and ability to cope with stress.

15 Drive Away From Cancer

There is a lot of evidence that any physical activity is good for preventing cancer, but some studies have shown that cycling is especially effective in keeping your cells in order. A long study by Finnish scientists showed that men who exercise at a moderate level for at least 30 minutes a day are half as likely to get cancer as those who do not exercise. What moderate type of physical activity was indicated in this research? Biking to work. Other studies have shown that women who cycle regularly have a 34% lower chance of breast cancer.

16 Reduce saddle weight

Many people who want to lose weight find that running is the best way to start losing weight. Yes, running burns a lot of fat, but if you weigh a little more than you would like, then running will hit the body hard. Every time your foot hits the ground while running, your body takes on the equivalent of two or three times your weight. If you weigh 100kg, that's a decent hit. Instead, ride a bike, most of the weight will sit on the saddle, the skeleton will not be subjected to such shocks. Runs can wait...

17 You will earn more

If you're cycling, you're in for a waterfall of money... well, sort of. Unfortunately, the Cycle to Work scheme introduced by the UK government does not offer such a component, but this is the result of a study conducted at Ohio State University in the USA. Researcher Jay Zagorsky analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which surveyed 7,300 people regularly between 1985 and 2000 to find out how their overweight and well-being had changed over that period. Zagorsky concluded that a