You can cycle as a mode of transportation, for leisure activity, or as an intense exercise or sport.

Cycling is a wonderful workout that keeps you active. It can help shape a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally.
Bicycles provide tons of benefits in comparison with motor vehicles, including easier parking, increased maneuverability, and access to roads and trails.

With reduced consumption of fuels as a mode of transport, less air or noise pollution, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions,[9] cycling is environmentally friendly and greatly helps reduce traffic congestion.

Cycling is an incredibly sociable sport, regular riding allows you to meet fellow cyclists and build a sense of community.

Cycling Health Benefits

Talking about benefits, here are some of the ways cycling can enhance your fitness level and well-being.

Cycling decreased body fat levels. A fun way to get fit

Cycling will help increase muscle strength and flexibility

Cycling may lower cholesterol

Cycling boosts mental health and brain power

Cycling can reduce anxiety and depression

Cycling improved posture and coordination

Cycling may help prevent and manage medical conditions

Cycling improves balance, posture, and coordination

Cycling is a low impact option, a safe choice for older adults and people with weak or damaged joints

Cycling may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

Cycling can also help improve cardiorespiratory health

Cycling can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis

Cycling Disadvantages

There are a few drawbacks to cycling to consider. These mainly apply to outdoor cycling, which involves variables outside your control.

Risk of an accident

It’s important to keep caution while going through intersections and busy areas, even if you have the right of way. Invest in a quality helmet and any other protective gear you may need. Use bike lights and reflective gear for nighttime cycling. Always follow traffic laws.

Vulnerabilities when it comes to dangerous drivers

Even if you ride responsibly and behave cautiously, dangerous drivers are a cyclist’s worst enemy. Any collision can easily result in serious injury.

Hazards in the road

Fallen tree branches, stones, gravel, mud, oil spills, and small holes in the road can be disastrous for a cyclist, especially at night.

Inclement weather can also be an obstacle

On days when it’s not possible to cycle outside, you can do indoor cycling for a workout. For the hot season, when taking extended daytime rides, use sunscreen on all exposed skin. Consider investing in UV-protective clothing and sunglasses.

Basic level of fitness and skill is required for cycling moderately to long distances

Beyond simply riding, another skill needed for long-distance is riding efficiently and safely in traffic.

Air pollution

Choose to cycle on days when the air is cleaner or ride on less congested roads.

Prone to Bike Theft

Even if your lock protects your frame, someone can still steal another components of your bike with relative ease if they carry a few simple tools.

Overall, the benefits of cycling are immense. Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks? Care to share your comments?

Check out this article to learn more about Fatbike’s benefits and disadvantages.

References:

Wikipedia, Wiki/Cycling, accessed 18 May 2022, < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling>

Keeping active, Cycling – health benefits , accessed 18 May 2022,

Emily Cronkleton, December 15, 2021, 12 Benefits of Cycling, Plus Safety Tips , accessed 18 May 2022,

The post 12 Cycling Health Benefits and Disadvantages appeared first on Ride.Whattabike.

For our first story, meet brother Jason Nipas , he has unlocked the challenge of taking a solo ride from Manila to the Bicol Region Philippines.

High respect to this man for completing the adventure. It’s certainly not an easy route.

If you are not familiar with the region, Metro Manila is in the southwestern portion of Luzon while Bicol is at the southernmost end of Luzon (the largest island of the Philippine archipelago).

Bicol is a region popularly known for an active and renowned for its “perfect cone” the Mayon Volcano, spicy food, mountains, cliffs, natural parks, and white sand beaches.

There are various ways to get from Manila to Bicol, you can take train, plane, bus or car. By land taking bus or car, travel time is usually 12 to 15 hours.

Passing through towns and cities going towards Bicol is filled with winding roads and long highways. Aside from zigzag and sharp curves, slippery roads after rain showers, extreme weather conditions add to the challenge of the terrain.

Notwithstanding, there are no designated bike lanes on a long journey like this, and in some areas, there are single-lane roads, cyclist/bike packers are taking the highway bracing for the high-speed buses, trucks, and other fast motorists.

Bro Jason Nipas accomplished the journey of 478kilometers bike ride.
Day 1- Start 6:00am to 8:00pm C5 Pasig to Pagbilao Quezon
Day 2- Start 5:00am to 6:00pm Pagbilao to Tagkawayan Quezon
Day 3 – Start 5:00am to 10:00pm Tagkawayan to Daraga Albay

Kudos to Jason , a certified outdoor and adventurer, he’s into bike packing, bike camping, motocross, and moto camping to name a few.

This guy is one you can see everywhere, today you may see him in a mountainous rural area, and tomorrow you can see him doing totally different outdoor activities. He’s simply living a life.

Here are some of the highlights of this epic solo ride.

Ride photos owned by Jason

The post Epic solo ride on a long and winding road from Manila to Bicol appeared first on Ride.Whattabike.