Fact Sheet: Benefits of Biking 



Bicycling is great for health, good for communities, and a solution to many of our most pressing societal and environmental problems. Here are some statistics about the benefits of biking available at the Bike’s Belong online searchable Statistics Library. 

Bicycling is for everyone:

  • Bicycling is the second most popular outdoor activity in the U.S.
  • 47 percent of Americans say they would like more bike facilities in their communities.


Bicycling is the ideal way to take short trips:

  • Most trips Americans make are short: 49 percent are less than three miles, 39 percent are less than two miles and 24 percent are less than one mile.


Bicycling can help you live longer and better:

  • Three hours of biking per week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by 50 percent.
  • Women who bike 30-plus minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer.
  • Adolescents who bicycle are 48 percent less likely to be overweight as adults.


Bicycling boosts the economy:

  • The U.S. bicycle industry sold $5.9 billion in bicycles and equipment in 2008.
  • Each year, twice as many bicycles are sold than cars in the U.S.
  • Studies have shown that homes closer to bike paths are more valuable.


Bicycling is less expensive than driving a car:

  • The average American household spends over $8,000 per year on owning and driving their cars – more than they spend on food.
  • On a round-trip commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save around $10 daily.


Bicycling reduces road congestion and air pollution:

  • Traffic congestion wastes nearly 3 billion gallons of gas per year in the U.S.
  • For every one mile pedaled rather than driven, about one pound of CO2 is saved.


Bicycling is safe, and together we can make it safer:

  • The average commuter cyclist has just one accident every 8.7 years.
  • There is safety in numbers: the more cyclists there are, the safer bicycling is.

 

For sources, and more facts, figures and scientific studies that affirm the benefits of bicycling, visit the Statistics Library at http://www.bikesbelong.org/statistics.

More information for journalists: