Talk Someone Into Biking
Once you get into cycling, it can be hard to stop. However, most people never get that chance, as they think of cycling as a waste of time. It's not, and you need to let them know why it's not!
Steps
- Talk to them about the health aspects of biking. While you bike, you develop your leg muscles through repeated use. It helps prevent and reduce arthritis, as your joints are getting repeated workouts as you pedal. Biking has also been proven to increase your lifespan by over a year. Do more research, and present these points in your argument.
- Point out the environmental impacts of biking. For every gallon of gasoline a car burns, about 20 pounds of carbon emissions are directly released into the air. Ask them how many miles to a gallon they get in their car and how many miles they drive. You will quickly find that even a leisurely ride to the nearby park cuts down on a huge amount of gasoline.
- Show them the money put back in their pocket. Gasoline is used up every time you drive, and it costs money. The average American spends over $2,000 a year on gasoline. With the average number of miles a person drives a year being 13,476 miles, that's an average of $6.738 spent per gallon. Biking a mile could save you that much, maybe less, maybe more, but it adds up.
- Point out the car traffic and the bike lanes for your area. Biking can bypass most traffic with major cities implementing better bike-friendly infrastructure, making it a breeze to go anywhere. A long commute in which your car sits idly for half the time can be slashed if you decide to bike instead.
- Offer them help and advice. People are more likely to go into this sport if they know that someone experienced will guide them. Offer to teach them how to change a flat tire, or offer to bike with them around in case they ever need help with something. Support will cause more people to enter the world of biking.
Tips
- Respect their decision, and do not pester them if they say no. All it will do is put their back up.
- Remember to let them have aa word, and let them voice their concerns.
Warnings
- Do not give the impression that it is an argument.
Related Articles
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084
- http://www.glumac.com/greenresources/gr_carbon_emissions.html
- https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-the-average-person-in-America-drive-each-year
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/04/gas-prices-infographic_n_1316919.html
