Despite not being much more older than the automobile, it often feels like biking has become a thing of the past for many Americans. This easy and efficient way to travel has fallen to the wayside, though there are many reasons it should be more popular than ever. Here are five facts you might be able to overhear at your local bicycle shop.

1. Bikes Are Actually Simple Machines

When most people see the word machine, they think of giant factories or an advanced computer. In reality, a machine is an item that uses mechanical power to accomplish something. Through its use of a bike chain, pedals, the bike chainring and more, the bike functions as a machine that propels the rider forward. The bike chainring is pulled through a sprocket by the force of the pedals, which drive the wheels forward. In a way, the bike chainring is one of the fundamental pieces of the bike despite being so tiny.

2. Bicycling is One of the Best Ways to Get Active

A study conducted by Glenn Stewart of Brunel University in London concluded that regularly riding a bike can reduce the rate of premature death by 30%, and decreases the risk of cardiorespiratory disease by 40%. That is an incredible benefit to cycling that can be a huge benefit to anyone. We all could manage to live a little healthier, and regularly riding your bike is an excellent way to do so.

3. It’s Hugely Positive for the Environment

Every single year, it’s calculated that bicycles save more than 238 million gallons of gas that would be used by a car to travel the same distance. As we become more focused on reversing the effects of climate change, switching to a bike instead of a car could be a huge boon to the cause. If society was to change focus from cars to bikes, it would be a huge step in the fight to protect our society moving forward.

4. The First Early Bike Was Invented in Germany in the Early 1800s

Baron Karl von Drais invented the very first bike around 1817, unveiling the invention to the public shortly after. This early iteration of the bike frame was very different from the modern bike, but steps were taken over the following 100 years to move the bike into the future. Eventually, pedals, brake levers and the classic bike chainring setup was put into place, and new advancements have been being made ever since.

How do you feel about riding bikes? Is it something you could see yourself doing more? Share your thoughts on the subject with us below, and happy biking!