20 Reasons Why You Should Ride a Bicycle

You learned how to ride a bike when you were a little kid, and maybe after a couple of years, you gave it up. You're holding off on getting your freedom till you score your driver's license (or maybe you already have your license, but you're sick of paying for gas and fighting with your parents over car privileges).

Maybe you should consider dusting off that old bike of yours. If you're not convinced, here are 20 good reasons.
You don't need a license to ride a bike.

You'll get where you're going way faster than by walking.

Biking is a proven stress reliever. If you're stressed about school or friends or your family, hop on a bike and it'll clear your mind.

Bikes beat buses any day. You don't have to wait at a bike stop for your bike to come and take you to school.

It's a good excuse to buy a chili-pepper-shaped bicycle bell.

Biking burns 500 calories an hour. If you bike an hour a day, you'll shed about a pound a week.

You'll never have to pay for gas.

Bikes are way better than cars for the Earth (you know, that big blue thing you're going to inherit).

You'll have one more thing in common with Pee Wee Herman.

Going for a bike ride with your boyfriend or girlfriend makes for the perfect summer date.

Your friends can't mooch bicycle rides off of you and then refuse to give you gas money.

You can be part of an exclusive bicycle group. There are cycling clubs in tons of cities, like Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh and Portland. Search your city page to find one near you.

You'll never get pulled over by a cop for riding your bike too fast.

At the end of a long bike ride, you feel really good all over. It's the same burst of endorphins that creates a runner's high.

The President of the United States rides bikes (even if he does it wearing mom jeans).

If you're good enough at it, they'll give you a gold medal.

You don't have to worry about traffic.

You'd look pretty foolish wearing a disco ball bike helmet just walking down the street.

You don't have to circle the block looking for parking spots.

You might never look as classy as Audrey Hepburn on a bike, but it'll sure be an improvement.