We are in the middle of National Bike Month, and cycling enthusiasts love to talk up the benefits of their favorite activity.
“It’s definitely my longevity drug,” says Brooks Boliek, 65, an avid cyclist of many decades, who used to commute to his office on a bicycle.
A substantial body of evidence supports the health benefits of cycling, everything from strengthening the immune system to boosting the likelihood of living longer. Now, a new study finds people who are in the habit of riding a bike are significantly less likely to have osteoarthritis and experience pain in their knees by age 65, compared to people who don’t bike.
The study, which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, and published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s flagship peer-reviewed journal, included about 2,600 men and women, with an average age of 64 years old. They were surveyed about their physical activity over their lifetime. As part of the study, researchers took X-ray images to evaluate signs of arthritis in their knee joints. “Bicyclers were 21% less likely to have X-ray evidence and symptoms of osteoarthritis compared to those who did not have a history of bicycling,” explains study author Dr. Grace Lo of Baylor College of Medicine.
Great news, bicycles are awesome and easy less expensive then buying and maintaining a car.
My family is down to one car and we rarely use it.
bicycles are awesome and easy less expensive then buying and maintaining a car.
That fully depends on what bike you buy. But starter bikes are definitely cheaper. Problem is every cyclist i know ends up with “just one more” bike. And they tend to get more expensive as you learn more about the sport and what you like in a bike.
All that said, everyone should buy a bike. You’ll have fun riding and get into better shape.
Buying a quality used bike is the best way to get started IMO, hit up your local bike shop if you don’t already have a ride!
And if you can’t afford a quality bike from a bike shop, and bought a cheap “big box store bike”, take THAT bike to the bike shop for a tune up. The assembly quality of cheap bikes is abysmal causing rubbing of brakes, slipping chain, misaligned derailleurs, and more. A $100 service visit for my $200 cheap bike made it behave nearly as well as the $500 bike. Haven’t had a chain slip in 2 years, all gears accessible and never slip. I was astounded how good the cheap bike was after the bike shop service. Worth every penny.
biking is great but it actually makes my knees sore and yes I size so im not hitting 90 degrees or smaller.
