Bike Viking Research Paper

Once again Dad and I were stuck in a traffic jam. The trip from our house to the library usually takes five minutes, but this time we found ourselves sitting in the midst of a river of cars that crawled ahead a few feet at a time. Up ahead, we saw that three lanes were merging into one. Two cars had collided in a fender-bender, and not only that, but they had done so in a work zone where one lane was already closed. As I watched pedestrians on the sidewalk leave us behind, I complained, “I could almost have walked to the library faster than this. I certainly could have biked there much faster.” That was when it occurred to me: If more people rode bicycles instead of driving cars, they would save money, be healthier, and contribute to cleaner air.

In the United States, many people ride bicycles as recreation. On any weekend, the country roads outside my town are dappled with helmeted riders in yellow and blue and green jerseys. However, only 2 percent of Americans commute by bike, and that figure includes students. In contrast, almost 20 percent of Japanese students and almost 10
percent of Japanese workers commute by bike (Survey: Commuting, http://www.japan-guide.com/topic/0011.html). In Holland, there are more bicycles than cars, according to the Wall Street Journal online (http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=evo-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle_print%2FSB116010158918484570.html). There are many benefits, so why don't Americans think of their bicycles as vehicles of transportation, instead of just as exercise machines?

First, bicycling saves the rider a great deal of money. To commute by bike, a person needs to spend only a few hundred dollars (or less) on a bicycle, plus occasional small amounts for minor repairs such as fixing flat tires. A car is a huge expense by comparison. The typical driver spends thousands of dollars per year on the combined costs of monthly car payments, insurance, maintenance, repairs, gasoline, and parking. Comparing the cost of a bicycle with the cost of a car is like comparing a few light flurries of snow to a blizzard.

Second, bicycling has health benefits. Driving a car is not a physical workout, and riding as a passenger—which most teens do until they’re old enough to get their license—is completely passive. Every hour riding in a car is a wasted hour. In contrast, bicycling is vigorous exercise. A 175-pound person, riding a bike 15 miles per hour, burns up 515 calories an hour (How Stuff Works, http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question527.htm). You get in better shape when you’re riding a bike; can you say that about riding in a car? Third, and perhaps more important than the individual benefits, commuting by bicycle helps decrease pollution. Car exhaust is a major contributor to air pollution, and air pollution is harmful to the environment and to the economy. In fact, air pollution damages crops and costs billions of dollars per year in health-related expenses (California Air Resources Board, http://www.arb.ca.gov/html/brochure/arb.htm). If more people rode bikes to work, to school, and to stores, less air pollution would result.

Some people may say, “One person riding a bike instead of driving a car won’t make a difference in air pollution.” It is true that replacing one car with one bike won’t make a difference, but replacing a few million cars with a few million bikes will. And a change like that has to begin with individuals. If you and I begin riding bikes, then people will see us and say to themselves, “Hey, maybe I’ll ride my bike to school tomorrow.” As people see their neighbors riding bikes, a trend could start. I have put this idea into practice. I bike to my friends’ houses, to the mall, to soccer practice, and, of course, to the library. I believe that I am making a difference in the world and staying in shape while doing it.

Finally, bicycling is easy in our city.
Our main streets have wide bike lanes, and many of our public buildings, malls, and parks have bike racks. In my opinion, people don’t bike more because they don’t seriously consider it as an alternative to driving. They don’t seriously consider it because they don’t see many people doing it. This situation is a vicious cycle: Not many people do it because not many people do it. As a neighbor of mine, Joe McManus, told me when I interviewed him recently, “People in my position drive to work, and that’s all. If I rode my bike there, I’d feel like people were staring at me.” People like me, who want to see more bikes on the streets, need to work to change that attitude, and the best way to change it could be just to get out there and ride. So, come on, everyone. Get on your bikes and ride toward a healthier future for yourself and the
world.