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Cycling to work 

In larger cities, walking and transit get a much larger share of total commutes, but biking is still the laggard. Car commuting remains the overwhelming favorite, making up more than three-quarters of all trips even in major metro areas with long commute times. 

As an enthusiastic cyclist and proponent of eco- (and wallet-) friendly transit alternatives, I find these numbers disappointing. However, I’m also a realist. Due to low population density and dispersed employment in the exurban belts around major cities, commuting by bike just isn’t a viable option for millions of workers. The good news is that it is also possible for quite a lot. 

For many who make the switch to bike commuting, health is a big reason why. Even if you ride at a leisurely pace, you get more exercise than you would by sitting behind the wheel of your car. An 80-kg person riding at about 24 km per hour — a brisk but not aggressive pace — burns more than 400 calories in a 30-minute ride. For someone of the same weight, a more leisurely 18-km per hour pace burns 245 calories in 30 minutes. By contrast, according to a Harvard study, an 84-kg person burns about 45 calories during 30 minutes of driving. 

Office work is even less energy-intensive. Per the same Harvard study, sitting at your

desk or in a meeting burns roughly 70 calories per hour. If you weigh more, the caloric benefits are actually greater, as heavier people tend to burn calories faster. 

You may have heard that “sitting is the new smoking.” There’s still debate about just how unhealthy it is to sit for long periods, but few experts argue that it’s good for you. Studies have linked prolonged sitting — as in, a typical day at the office — to increased risk for certain cancers, blood clots, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions. If you’re an office drone, starting and ending your workday on a bike and not in a car can cut out a significant amount of daily sitting time. 

It’s important to note that biking to and from work isn’t a cure-all. Studies suggest that exercise alone may not completely counteract the negative health effects of sitting. If you’re really worried about what all that time in an office chair is doing to you, you should stand up periodically (five minutes of standing per half-hour of sitting may help) or invest in a standing desk. 

If you plan to regularly commute by bike, certain equipment and clothing can help make your experience easier and more tolerable. Depending on your current biking habits, you may already have some of this stuff. In many cases, the bike itself is the largest part of this investment. Even if helmets aren’t required by law in your area, wearing one is still important for your safety. Location is everything. If you live somewhere with a wet, four-season climate, you need more equipment and clothing compared to riders in drier, milder places. 

Biking isn’t just for kids anymore. For growing numbers of workers, it’s a viable altiernative to driving to work or taking public transit. Of course, it’s not right for everyone. If you live in a far-flung exurb or rural area, you probably have no choice but to drive unless you have the ability to work from home. But in more densely populated areas, commuting by bike may be easier and less costly than you imagined. With a few tweaks to your schedule, you could soon trade the nerve-grating cacophony of car horns and engines with the exhilarating rush of the wind in your hair.