On Your Bike!

On Your Bike!

With new audiences engaging all the time, cycling is an increasingly popular sport and leisure activity that offers a wide variety of benefits. 

Ranging from your fitness and mental wellbeing to your bank balance and the environment, they all stand to gain from you taking up cycling.

A growing trend, cycling is accessible to all. Everyone from toddlers to pensioners can hop on a bike and start reaping the benefits instantly. You may be a professional, novice, experienced or casual cyclist like myself, but most of all biking is fun and depending upon your ability this pastime can be tailor-made for your personal requirements. 

To start you on the best path choosing the correct equipment is essential. With the warmer weather approaching, many more of the seasonal cyclists will be heading for the bike shed to unveil their equipment, which has probably been hibernating since last year. There may be a series of repairs or replacements required, all hugely important for a more enjoyable, safe ride. Looking after your cycling equipment is also vital for its longevity.

The styles of bicycles have changed with time and they have also become increasingly faster, the quality of the materials and components is higher than ever before, therefore to keep up to date I have searched for a bike platform, which has everything from a new bike if required to cycle clothing and accessories and found it with Bikester. Replacing my old pump and storage facility for my summer vacation plans have been efficient and simple allowing me to focus on more important aspects of my leisure plans.

Cycling can clearly be fun and as I have mentioned a great pastime for all. Here are my personal top reasons to encourage everyone to cycle:

Social– Forget walking the dog (not literally) Cycling is another incredibly sociable pastime and the ideal way to grow your social circle. Joining a cycling club or group is a good starting point and if you’re new to riding – you’ll probably find all the maintenance and training advice you may have been looking for there, too.

Freedom– Cycling allows you to integrate that simple feeling of exhilaration into your daily routine. This gives you the chance to observe your surroundings, listen to the birds and feel the wind blow through your hair! 

Environmentally friendly– there is no doubt in the fact that bikes are a lot better for the environment than motorised forms of transport. Less pollution and of course they take up less space. 

Money saving–Naturally, there is the initial outlay for your bike and necessary accessories, however long term as a mode of transport you certainly will be saving on those pennies.

Happiness – Cycling can make you happier and have a positive impact on your wellbeing.   In cities, cycling is also often a faster and more convenient option than driving, saving you stress, traffic jams, and parking difficulties. Cycling, particularly to work can actually transform your daily commute into a moderate form of happiness therapy. 

Fitness – While the exact calories burned on a ride varies between each person, as well as the speed you may be going and the terrain you may be covering, cycling on average burns as many calories as jogging, with considerably fewer negative impacts on the joints. Cycling improves cardio-vascular and aerobic fitness, lowers blood pressure, boosts energy, builds muscle, and improves coordination. This, in turn, can help with weight loss and as a result, it’s among a selection of forms of exercise recommended by the NHS as being healthy ways to cut your risk of developing major illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

Health – Is cycling good for you? Absolutely! Riding is a positive way to keep the doctor at bay. Moderate exercise makes immune cells more active, so they’re ready to fight off infection, helping you to get through your daily grind with ease. 

Poppy Watt

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