Tucson Pathways

Every mile you choose to bike over driving will prevent 1 pound of CO2 from going into the atmosphere.

Over the next 20 - 200 years, roughly 3/4 of that pound will become carbonic acid in our oceans as it reacts in the air with surface ocean water.

By reading this, and choosing to even just go on 1 ride, on 1 day, for 1 mile - and prevent 1 pound of CO2 is something to be proud of.

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* Assumes 20mpg car.

Riding improves your blood pressure, insulin levels, cholesterol levels; and is strongly associated with reduce risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Exchanging your daily time spent sitting during a drive, for time spent bike commuting, is one of the healthiest upgrade to daily activity one can make without having to change larger behavioral habits.

If your drive to work is ~20 minutes, biking will only require you to leave your house 15 minutes earlier, and result in more than 1 hour of exercise by the end of every workday.

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Assumes non-highway (inter-city) commutes

There is no doubt that a car can unlock a level of convenience in city-transport, but if you can offset your need for a car for even 6 months, the money saved on insurance alone can justify a $500-600 bicycle purchase.

A majority of car costs occur come from ownership, not useage. Whether you drive it or not, purchase price, insurance, registration, parking, depreciation already establish a financial commitment before you even factor in driving your car once.

A well maintained used bicycle maintains its re-sale value much longer than a car. This makes it much easier to try commuting, and if its not for you, you can recoup the funds by selling a bicycle on craigslist much faster than re-selling a car.

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We know very well there is no 'magic wand' solution to finding happiness or curbing anxiety. Riding a bike may not change your life, but we beg the question: How could it hurt? One ride would provide exercise, sunlight, personal time, and a fresh perspective on how you see your world around you. How could that hurt?

With that said, numerous studies still show that 'lifestyle exercise' such as riding a bike, does boost one's mood, and reduces anxiety.

Most importantly, it seeds positive 'identity marker' - meaning you are more likely to self-identify as healthier, stronger, more resilient, etc. the more you ride a bike.

Source 1 / Source 2