Today is National Bike Day, an annual event held across the United States and Canada that promotes the bicycle as an option for commuting to work. Even if you don’t ride a bike to work, you may still appreciate these five facts about it. Hey, you never know: maybe it’ll inspire you!
- Worldwide, those who bike to work each day include the Dutch who top the list at 30 percent, followed by Japan at 15 percent and the USA trailing behind at less than 2 percent
- According to Bicycling magazine, more than half of all Americans live less than 5-10 miles from work, a trip that usually can be accomplished in under an hour.
- There are about 38,000 miles of bike paths and trails in the U.S.
- In a 2009 survey of major U.S. cities, New York City headed the major population centers who made it a habit of biking to work everyday at more than 22,000 people, followed by Los Angeles at 17,345 and Portland and at 16,846)
- The average cost of a new car in the U.S.? $30,000. The average cost of a new bicycle? $385