We love biking here at Rudi’s, especially now that we’ve got our summer weather! Today, Friday May 18th is National Bike to Work Day. May is the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Month – they are working hard to make our cities and roads more bike-friendly!
Nearly half of kids rode their bikes to school in 1969 – today just 13% find their way to school on a bicycle. Nearly 20% of American children and adolescents are obese, according to the CDC. May more are overweight. Biking is a great healthy habit. Commuting by bicycle gets you exercising outdoors. For every mile you bike you burn about 40 calories, depending on your weight and speed.
For every mile you ride you also save about 50 cents for yourself and 1 lb of toxic emissions for the earth! Together, US bicyclists save $4.6 billion every year by riding instead of driving!
If you’re new to biking, don’t fret! Choose a bike based on where you’ll be riding: mountain bikes for trails and 
off-roading, road bikes for commuting at speed, hybrid bikes are great for commuting on questionable terrain and cruisers for fun in the sun! Fit is important for posture so make sure your bike is the right size! Here is a great chart for finding the right road bike frame size based on your height. I’m 5’11 and my bike is 58cm. Make sure your bike has reflectors and lights if you’re going to be biking after dark. Also buy a helmet. Personally, biking is most rewarding when I can fix my bike myself. I learned by volunteering at Community Cycles, a wonderful promoter of biking culture here in Boulder. The League of American Bicyclists has great guides for bike maintenance including fixing flats and adjusting brakes and derailleurs.
Luckily for us here at Rudi’s Boulder, CO is considered a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. We’ve got tons of bike lanes and paths and bikers make up 12.30% of commuters – #1 in the country.
Remember to always wear a helmet!
–Nikita
