Guest Viewpoint

Cyclists, Shift Into High Gear!

By Gary Boulanger

May 19, 2001 - The facts are in, and they're not pretty: Our youth are getting fatter; our streets are more crowded than ever with pent-up drivers on cell phones; the air we breathe isn't as sweet as it used to be just five years ago; and none of the best-selling self-help books or spirituality gurus can slow these trends.

But as executive director of Bike Miami Valley, I have a simple solution to all of the above, one to make folks roll their eyes and cluck their tongues: bicycling.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the number of overweight children and teen-agers has nearly doubled during the past two decades. The survey indicates that in 1999, 13 percent of children ages 6 to 11 were overweight, up from 11 percent, according to the 1988 to 1994 survey. The number of overweight teens ages 12 to 19 increased from 11 percent to 14 percent in the same time period.

I thought for a moment about some of the children I see at my daughter's school, kids at our church and teens spending time at the mall. Sadly enough, I'd have to agree with the study. The best part from the study wasn't so much the eye-opening facts, but the solution:

Instead of pointing exclusively to diet, the CDC also attributes the rise in obesity to sedentary lifestyles, poor community design and an unhealthy reliance on the automobile. The CDC is encouraging people to do more bicycling and walking. It also recommends that schools offer more physical education that encourages lifelong physical activity; that urban policymakers provide more sidewalks, bike paths and other alternatives to cars; and that parents should reduce their children's TV and computer time and encourage outdoor play and activities.

According to the League of American Bicyclists, there are strong environmental benefits from increasing the number of trips made by bike. "If each resident of an American community of 100,000 replaced a car trip with a bike trip just once a month," according to a recent League report, "it would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 3,764 tons of per year in the community, in metropolitan areas such as Altoona, Pa.; Iowa City, Iowa; and Yuma, Ariz."

Ditto Dayton.

The League concluded with the obvious: "Beyond its enormous potential for reducing air pollution, bicycling has a wide range of benefits for both the individual cyclist and the community at large, including saving money and time, reducing traffic and improving health and fitness.

According to the New York Times, AAA now predicts that consumers in many areas will have to pay more than $2 a gallon for gas this summer, which may mean a $20 billion increase in the $125 billion Americans already spend per year on fuel. Bicycling is an ideal solution to the need for moderate physical activity. A 130-pound cyclist burns 402 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour. A 180-pound cyclist burns 540 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour.

Roll your eyes and cluck your tongues no more! Thanks to the vision of Horace "Huffy" Huffman, Jr. in 1965, there are more than 150 miles of paved bicycle trails in the Dayton area, with the heaviest concentration in Montgomery and Greene counties. Getting around town by bicycle has never been easier.

I realize not every Daytonian will sell his car and rely on human-powered transportation anytime soon, but if more people were empowered to bicycle commute by their employer, think of the impact that could make on our environment, our health and our future.

Children only need to look up to adults for direction. Become an inspiration for someone today: Ride a bike more often.

Gary Boulanger is executive director of Bike Miami Valley.




Two Wheels, One Voice.