Time was, ninety or a hundred years ago, almost everyone rode bicycles. The cars were too expensive, roads were poorly constructed, the petrol supply was sparse in many suburban areas, and safety in design was not a primary concern for early manufacturers. As technology advanced, both public and private, the bicycle became largely the way of the competitive athlete and prepubescent schoolboy. Gradually, like preppy style and the fedora, the bicycle has come back into fashion with the hipsters of Brooklyn and Hollywood. Vintage single-speeds have started to be snatched up out of the PennySaver and off Craigslist. Groups of hundreds of cyclists are again taking to the streets of Los Angeles and New York as they had decades before in San Francisco and Philadelphia. There are many reasons you should grab a bike, whether you are young, old, tall, short, rich or poor.

Exercise

Let’s begin by stating the obvious. Riding a bike is better for you than sitting in a car. The average adult male can burn as many as 650 calories in an hour of moderate riding. The average female, about 450. Of course this means more pedaling than coasting, but the effects are hard to argue. Even if you replace a few rides to the store or the mall every week, your body will be getting some extra exercise. Replace your car with a bike for the majority of your rides and you can begin to see some noticeable changes.

Money (That’s What I Want)

Especially if you live in a city, the miles and thus money that you save riding a bike over driving a car can become substantial quickly. At a mean average of $4.00 a gallon, many cars are reduced to 11 or 12 miles a gallon in the city. Replace a car with a bike for your average commute of 4 miles daily (work, store, movies, dining) and you could easily save a couple hundred dollars a year. That would be enough for you to finance a much nicer car, which would be the true Freddie thing to do. Have a BMW or Ferrari for when it matters, but choose to ride the bike on a daily basis.

It’s Cool, Cheap and Easy

Riding a bike is as cool as it’s been in recent memory, and the coolest thing about it is that fashionably single-speeds can be had for just a few hundred dollars. Great companies like Republic and IRO are making custom bikes at prices everyone can afford. You can get them in any color you want, mixing and matching to suit your taste. And being in shape is always cool, so a bike is a plus on that front as well. Oh yeah, and a DUI is not so cool(In some cities, you can actually get a DUI while on a bike so make sure to check with your local authorities.).

These are just a few of the reasons to get a bike. Feel your herbal, hippie roots if you have to, but jump on two wheels and take to the streets. Check the net for some of those rides we mentioned at the beginning of the article. They’re a fun way to meet people and are certainly times you will remember for the rest of your life. So grab a bike, save some cash, get in shape, and have some fun. Aces in the spokes are optional.