Cycling has a lot of health benefits, which is why it is a good idea to incorporate it into your daily life. However, that is not always as easy as it seems, as forming new habits and sticking to them can be challenging. If you are thinking of making cycling part of your daily routine to find areas where cycling would work as a great alternative to walking or driving, below, we will look at some tips that can help you make cycling part of your daily life.
Buy The Right Bicycle
It may seem obvious, but the first step into making cycling a part of your daily life is purchasing the right bicycle. The bike you choose will depend on the types of activities you are interested in. For example, if you are into recreational cycling, you should consider an electric road bike. These are lightweight, efficient bikes that are specifically designed to be ridden on pavements and other such areas. A modified version of the road bike that you can also consider – an eBike! This one can be especially useful if you want to start cycling regularly, but don’t have much practice. With its electric assist, there are a host of other things you can do with it too, like track your rides and navigate with ease.
If you are more adventurous, you might want to consider mountain bikes. These have flatter handlebars and wider tires with a lot of traction, better suited for riding on dirt trails. Other types of bikes you can consider include utility, electric, park, and fitness bikes.
Depending on the type, make, and manufacturer, your bike can end up costing anything from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. To ensure you are not at a loss when something happens to the bike, you should consider getting bicycle insurance. Bicycle insurance from providers like Velosurance covers incidents such as loss, theft, and accidents on the bike. The insurance can cover a lot more including medical bills and personal liability arising from a biking accident. Velosurance can also extend your bicycle insurance coverage worldwide if you so wish.
Use Your Bike to Commute
If you still work at an office, you might spend a lot of time sitting in traffic or maneuvering through traffic if something happens on the road. You might end up wasting precious time commuting to and from work. Cycling can help you make better use of your time.
In cities with dedicated bike lanes, cyclists end up spending a lot less time commuting. This reduces the stress and frustration that comes from sitting in traffic, translating into fitter and happier people.
With this being more said, you are more vulnerable when on a bike when compared to being in a car. You should read the highway code for bicycles and make sure you know when you need to give way. If you ever do get hit and it wasn’t your fault, contact a bicycle injury lawyer to see if they will be able to get you compensation. But, as long as you respect the rules of the road, wear bright protective gear, and keep an eye out for dangerous drivers, you shouldn’t have any issues.
Run Errands
Even in cases where you do not have to commute to the office, you still have to run errands from time to time. A bicycle is a great alternative to your car for its health benefits as well as fuel savings. Bikes are also faster here because you do not have to spend extra time looking for parking space as there are lots of parking spaces available for bicycles. Also, if you secure your bike well enough and find a safe area to chain it up, you can leave your bike anywhere that is relatively safe.
Ride Every Opportunity You Can
You do not have to buy a bike or even ride outdoors to make cycling a part of your adventure. There are several alternatives you can explore that will lead to the same result. For example, most gyms have stationary bikes available. Stationary bikes are also cheaper than they used to be and you can always purchase a second-hand one online.
The other alternative is bike share. Granted, this option is not available in many cities, but if it is available in yours, you can take one out for an hour a day and still get the health benefits that come with riding.
Attend Social Events
Many bigger cities have a cycling community. These communities meet from time to time and might also organize riding events or competitions. The included social aspect of cycling can help you get on your bike even when you are not feeling like it. You can think of it as going out to meet your friends instead of going on a bike ride. However you think of it, you still get the health benefits that come with cycling to these meet-ups, events, or competitions.
Switch Up Your Cardio Workouts
If you already work out, there are chances that you have a cardiovascular routine in your workouts. To make cycling a part of your life, you could try switching things up and going cycling instead. Cycling is a great cardiovascular exercise that can be used as a stand-in for the usual cardio exercises.
Plan Regular Trips
When people think about biking trips, they think of long distances and weeks of planning. It does not have to be this way as a cycling trip can be about visiting and riding in different parts or other recreational areas in your town or city. You can use this opportunity to enjoy nature and discover new areas in your town or city. Eventually, as you start getting the hang of it, you could ride for longer distances and take bigger bike trips. Who knows, the love for biking could lead you to consider Triathlon training at some point in the future! Be sure to get some swimming and running done in between too, though, if you do think about taking up the feat of participating in a triathlon.
Cycling is a total workout with numerous health benefits. The good news is that you can get into the habit of cycling regularly if you start small and build up. Start by riding around the neighborhood and soon you will be taking whole weekends for your cycling adventures.