Today is World Bicycle Day and many of you already know we could not love bikes more than we do; we love mountain bikes, we love road bikes, we love cruiser bikes and we love E-bikes! We love to get out and ride and we love to help people get out and enjoy nature on the best bikes made!
We all know the health benefits of biking, we know the mental benefits of getting out in nature and exercising, we also know the environmental impact bike commuting can have as well as the impact of traffic. The bike is also one of the most cost effective modes of transportation available, not to mention just one heck of a lot of fun. Bottom line bikes are pretty much great in every way. But at this time we just want to reiterate they are more beneficial while the entire world is paranoid about catching an infection from coronavirus.
Everyone is experiencing a major upheaval in live at the moment, between the tangible concern of catching this potentially dangerous virus there are restrictions in place on the way we can live our lives. But there are no restrictions on for biking, in fact the World Health Organization is supporting biking as an alternative means of transportation as well as for fitness. The bike is a great way to travel and maintain social distancing, especially in comparison to being in a crowded bus or subway car. The bike can also easily be sanitized and in that context you are no touching surfaces that hundreds maybe even thousands of other people have touched.
The United Nations celebrated the first World Bicycle Day on Sunday, June 3, 2018 making todat the third ever World Bicycle Day. UN officials, diplomats, athletes, and advocates of the cycling community spoke at the inaugural event in New York, sharing the many benefits of bikes. This was followed by events and initiatives around the world to promote biking.
This year those initiatives are grander than ever. In France the government is subsidizing bike purchases and add an additional 50 km of bike lanes to the existing 1000+ miles the city of Paris already has. In London the demand for a bike is so high it can take two weeks to get a new one. They are also adding 160 km of new bike lanes and even reducing the speed limits for cars to make it safer for bike riders. Bike share programs in Lyon are up a whopping 85% and cities are looking for ways to allow this trend to continue so people do not get back into cars.
The Union Cycliste International is doing their part to be part of a global kindness movement that’s launching on June 3rd, by partnering with World Bicycle relief to create a program called #CyclingActsofKindness. This program celebrates the idea that one act of kindness can change the world. And what better time than now to share kindness on two wheels? Click here to learn more about this amazing program!
WBR mobilizes people through “The Power of Bicycles”, by manufacturing and distributing rugged, specially-designed, locally-assembled bicycles to students, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs and workers in developing regions of the world where distance is a challenge.
So not only is the bicycle an affordable reliable means of transportation that is environmentally friendly and helps keep you fit, but the synergy between the bicycle and the rider encourages social engagement and fosters creativity. Because of this, this day has been set aside by the United Nations to encourage member states to make biking safer and more accessible to all, and in the process making the world a better place!