Four reasons why I cycle to school

For the past few weeks I have been cycling to and from Pinchot University where I am studying for my MBA in Sustainable Business. I believe this was the right decision for many reasons.

Cycling is so much faster than walking.

I am saving half an hour a day over walking and $5 over the bus per day. If I value one hour of my time $20, I am saving around $60 a week, $250 a month.

This is why I believe that most if not all trips shorter than 2 kilometers ( or a mile ) should be done by bikes.

It is so much more efficient.

You perhaps don’t remember one of my early posts on biking on how energy efficient it was.

A bicyclist burns about 25 Calories per mile.  One large egg supplies 80 Calories.   A cyclist can travel about three miles on the energy of one egg.

A person walking would require three eggs to go the same distance.

A loaded bus requires the equivalent of two dozen eggs for each person it carries three miles.

A train requires the equivalent of three dozen eggs for each person it carries three miles.

A car that gets 12.5 miles per gallon requires the equivalent of seven dozen eggs to carry one person three miles.

Even if you double the miles per gallon and double the occupancy a car will still use the equivalent of twenty-one eggs to make the trip — more than twenty times a bicycle.

Plus it keeps me even fitter.

Last year I blogged about how ”  Men who take transit are about seven pounds lighter; women, about 5.5 pounds lighter.” So if you want to lose some weight – or keep your current one – start walking, cycling or taking the bus to move around.

Leading by example.

If the Mahatma Gandhi stated that You have to “ be the change you wish to see in the world ” I believe that if I want more people to bike, I have to bike myself.

I just wished Seattle had more bicycle paths all around the city. Currently I am riding on the sidewalk – which is allowed – on part of my trips as there aren’t protected cycling lanes all the way.

Photo credits : myself, flickr.

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