Bike riders from Boise, Idaho, to San Francisco, California, to Washington, D.C., may be ready for some test today after their efforts to both get themselves to and participate in yesterday’s Earth Day. The fact that Earth Day 2017 also coincided with the March for Science, in fact, likely meant that many bike riders are even more tired than they are on other Sunday mornings.
In an effort to protest what many feel are the scientifically ignorant early decisions by the Trump administration, many people across the country viewed this combination Earth Day and Science March as a way to climb on their mot comfortable bike seats and make a statement. And while smaller events in places like Shreveport, Louisiana, may have allowed bike riders to join in the events on their two wheeled form of transportation, the largest marches provided advice on where to park bikes, as they were not allowed on the marches themselves for safety reasons.
Whether you are a bicyclist who rides every weekend or you only dare to travel by two wheels on the once a year Naked Bike Ride in San Francisco’s Earth Day celebration, few things are more important than comfortable bike seats. For hard core bikers who travel hundreds of miles in a week or the recreational riders who use this exercise more for relaxation and pleasure, understanding the right kind of equipment can make your travelers more efficient and comfortable. The most comfortable bike seat for a long distance rider, for instance, may be something very different from the recreational rider who prefers to ride a wide tired bicycle on the beach. Either way, however, the bike seats you select will often determine how long and how enjoyable your rides are.
Is a Bike Ride Part of the Schedule for You This Weekend?
As the Easter Sunday festivities and first communions wind down and before the chaos of graduation weekends begin, this Sunday after Easter may the best chance you have for a family ride with the children or a long training ride by yourself. Spring weather, of course, is the time when many athletes and recreational bikers set their sites on getting more hours on their bikes. And while yesterday’s Earth Day and March for Science may have been perfect opportunities to get our on a bicycle, the summer months ahead also provide many more opportunities for this healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the increasingly popular activity of both recreational and competitive bike riding:
- $6.2 billion in direct sales is what the bicycle industry in the U.S. saw in 2015 the year.
- $1.2 billion in used bicycles were sold in the U.S. in the year 2015.
- 36 million Americans older than the age of six rode a bicycle six times or more in the year 2015.
- 1 billion bike riders mean that there are twice as many bicycles in the world as there are cars.
- 46% increase is the statistic that most states across the nation claim as the new number of people commuting by bicycle since 2005.
- 25% of all bicycles sold by specialty bicycle stores in the year 2012 were mountain bikes.
- $81 million is spent yearly on bicycling gear in the U.S. This compares to $51 billion spent on airplane tickets and fees.
- A study conducted by the British Medical Association indicated that coronary heart disease was reduced by as much as 50% when people bicycled 20 miles a week.
Whether you are an event biker who only brings out the two wheel modes of transportation for special times like Earth Day of the March for Science, or you are a regular biking enthusiast who rides for exercise or conservation reasons, few things are more important than the bike you select and the accessories that you chose. At the top of the list for many bicyclists is selecting bike seats that make this sport and activity more comfortable. Who knows? Maybe a new bicycle seat for your husband for Father’s Day will be just the motivation needed to start your family on a great spring tradition that will carry you clear through the cooler days of fall.
