Kids Who Cycle Gain Independence and Sense of Community
Stories From The Bicycle Path from roadURon on Vimeo.
It was Albert Einstein who so aptly reminded us that "Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. "
As someone who is an avid cyclist - alternating between mountain biking (when I am feeling brave) and road biking (when I have the necessary stamina) and doing errands around town without having to worry about parking, I have always loved the feeling of wind in my face, speed and the need for balance as I move.
When I was asked to produce a video showcasing the importance of encouraging our kids to cycle, I could not help but take a pause and remember the first time I pedaled a two wheeler on my own. When I heard the sound of my dad clapping behind me, as I bobbed and swerved in an effort not to crash, I knew I was beginning a love affair that would last forever.
Whether you are a cycling enthusiast or stare at your rusty machine leaning against the wall of your garage with guilt, make sure you get your kids cycling as much as possible - it fosters both a sense of independence and community. And with their first bike, they will become part of the more than a billion bicycles that are out there in our world - which is twice the number of cars.
These facts and figures may help you get pedaling:
- A short, four-mile round trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.
- According to the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, 25 percent of all trips are made within 1 mile of the home, 40 percent of all trips are w/in 2 miles of the home, and 50 percent of the working population commutes 5 miles or less to work. Yet more than 82 percent of trips 5 miles or less are made by personal motor vehicle.
- Even if you only pedal 14 miles an hour, a 130 pound cyclist still burns 402 calories.
- In Holland, nearly 85% of the population owns at least 1 bicycle. There are about 16 million bicycles in Holland, slightly more than one for every inhabitant. About 1.3 million new bicycles are sold every year.
- About 18.5 million bikes were sold in US in 2007 ( 5.4 million were kids-sized).
Follow Technorati