You might have dumped your bicycle at the garage or probably do not own one anymore. However, here is the WorldWatch Institute advising you to take up cycling once again.



Recently, the institute published information on the many uses of bicycles — we are not familiar with, and it sure is insightful - making me want to take it up promptly.



Some highlights:



Comparing energy used per passenger-mile (calories), bicycles need only 35 calories, car needs 1,860, bus and trains fell about midway, and walking requires 3 times as many calories as riding a bike the same distance.



Measuring ‘Persons per hour that one meter-width-equivalent right-of-way can carry’, Rail scored top with 4,000 persons, autos in mixed traffic the worse rating with only 170 people. Bikes did pretty well, relative to cars, achieving 1,500 persons per hour.



Cycles have a direct contribution to a nation’s health. For example, in a country with 30.6% obese adults, only 1% of urban travel in the US use bicycle. In contrast, in Netherlands only 10% are obese but has 28% of urban bike users.



Via: Green Car Congress