Biking has benefits including saving money and the environment

May is Bike to Work Month and in honor of that, The Advocate would like to advocate for students, teachers and just about everyone else to bike to school and work and to any other place they desire.

But we would like to discuss what might and might not appeal to students when making the decision to the put the foot to pedal instead of taking your normal routine to your destination.

MHCC has many bike racks on campus and there are several people who use biking as their main method of transportation to school. Taking a look around, it seems that Gresham does not have as high a percentage of bikers as Portland does, but it is still an easy area to bike as it is less populated than Portland.

Benefits of biking include that it is kind to the environment, kind to your wallet and kind to your leg muscles. Biking is environmentally friendly because unlike cars, it does not emit noxious and harmful gas fumes into the air.

It is also much cheaper. Yes, you may have to invest in a nice bike that may cost several hundred dollars but in Portland, people ride all year round, regardless of the weather, and you will avoid the constantly changing gas prices. Instead of spending money on gas, you can save your precious bucks for something much more tangible than gasoline.

In addition to saving you money and helping the environment, biking is also a great way to get your daily exercise. Many students may not have time to hit up the gym everyday with their busy schedules but if you are biking around town then you will get a pretty good work out.

Something’s that you may need to know before venturing out is to ride safely and to wear the proper rain gear when it is raining so that you may avoid what is known as the dreaded skunk stripe. This is caused by not having a proper fender and will leave a nasty stripe of water and road grime in your crotch and up your lower back.

When biking, you will want to have all your belongings in a backpack, so you don’t risk losing or damaging them and you should wear comfortable yet durable shoes and pants that will not get caught in the pedals. Make sure you have all of this and a helmet if you are under 16 or just clumsy, then you are ready to start your new routine of biking to school instead of driving.

Not everyone will be able to bike to work or school every day but taking this routine at least once a week can help the environment, help keep a little cash in your pocket and help keep you toned.