Reasons Why Bicycles Are Great

  1. They’re (mostly) ridden outdoors, and as such are a delivery mechanism for fresh air, the weather, and nature.
  2. Riding them is good, low-impact exercise. Exercise is a Good Thing.
  3. They’re beautiful objects. There are entire websites devoted only to the aesthetics of bicycles.
  4. They’re diverse. They can be made with materials such as steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, and even wood. They come in a vast number of variations: road, gravel, touring, track, mountain, BMX, trials…with numerous sub-categories under each of those.
  5. They’re functional. They get you from A to B, with no carbon footprint.
  6. There is a vibrant creative culture around them. For some reason, bicycles and art mix well.
  7. They can be very simple, for example, having only a single fixed gear and a single front rim brake.
  8. They can be very high-tech, for example, 20-some speeds with electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes.
  9. Either way, they’re fun to geek out about. There are entire professionally produced YouTube channels devoted to doing so.
  10. They facilitate adventure and exploration. There are not many things better than riding on a new country road, headed towards the unknown, propelled only by your power and the lightweight piece of two-wheeled machinery beneath you. It’s pretty great to get home and plug in the GPS unit and see where you went. There’s also the quiet pleasure of planning your next route. If that road went there, where does this road go?!
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