Why Ride a Bicycle

Every time I go to the mall using a car, parking is an issue. During holidays and weekends, finding a parking space can be likened to a quest. If I just need to take a few bites or bring home a few stuff, I take my bicycle to the mall. The malls where I stay is just near enough to cycle. If I use my bike to the mall it is not stressful compared to using a car. It is more economical, no need for gasoline and the use of parking space is free. I also get to squeeze in minutes of aerobic exercise whenever I use a bicycle in going to the mall.

In Quezon City, there is an ordinance that requires malls, banks, supermarkets, and other major establishments to provide parking space for bicycles. The ordinance does not say whether the parking space to be provided is free for the public to use. Yet, in malls, I have been to they do not charge any fee for the use of the bike rack or parking space. I hope that this policy of malls not charging any fee remains for a long time.

Car Prices in the Philippines remain beyond the reach of the masses. Despite the very creative marketing schemes of car dealers meant to attract the middle class into buying cars in affordable installments, the car is not actually affordable if you factor in the costs of insurance, repairs, maintenance, and parking fees. Monthly car payments that will ensue for five years or beyond is very difficult on the pocket if your source of income is only from working the clock. Perhaps, buying a second-hand car is a better option.

The bicycle can be a good alternative to using a car if there would be more bike-friendly infrastructures and policies. If I can take my folding bike (Dahon D7 Curve) inside a bus, the MRT, or LRT, in a more accepting atmosphere, it would be more convenient to travel to farther destinations. Bicycle-friendly regulations will encourage more individuals to consider biking as a primary mode of transport in lieu of cars and even motorcycles.

If ever you need to go somewhere where it is just less than 10 km consider using a bicycle. A bicycle is a healthier and more economical alternative compared to a car or even a motorcycle. Just imagine the benefits to the environment if more people will take a bicycle to work. If you go to the mall using a bicycle, you will never worry about parking.

Discover the magical experience when you bike to your destination. By the mere act of balancing and pedaling, you immediately set in motion body and mind coordination. As you move along the street with your bicycle, you feel as if you are part of nature. You feel the wind as you bike. You smell the fresh air as you pass through the garden or a forested area. These are things, you only experience when you ride a bicycle.

In this time of a pandemic, the popularity of the humble bicycle has surged. Suddenly, almost everyone wants a bicycle. Everyone realized how a bicycle can be the most practical mode of transportation. When authorities prohibited public transport as a means of preventing the spread of COVID 19, the masses resorted to using the bicycle. 

It has been said that the key to a progressive future is the bicycle. The pandemic has proved the logic behind the statement. With that, the setting up of bicycle lanes should be given serious thought for the safety of cyclists.