Two-Wheeled Wonder: The glory of lungs, legs, and steel

[Tad Staley]

Eric Sorenson's book, Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet: Everyday Things to Help Solve Glob..., is a short book with seven low tech ways to improve your carbon footprint. At the top of the list, is the bicycle; in fact, on the page on the Sierra Club website promoting the book, they allow readers to vote on "the coolest" of these devices, and so far the bicycle is leading the tally.

Here are some of the interesting insights about the value of bicycles as they relate to addressing climate change:

• The bicycle is a masterpiece of physics. It harnesses human muscle power directly to that old-time marvel--the wheel--and yields a vehicle more energy efficient than any other devised, ever, by anyone.
• A human on a bicycle is more efficient (in calories expended per pound and per mile) than a train, truck, airplane, boat, automobile, motorcycle, skateboard, canoe, or jet pack.
• Cycling is more efficient than walking, which takes three times as many calories per mile.
• Pound for pound, a person riding a bike can go farther on a calorie of food than a gazelle can running, a salmon swimming, or an eagle flying.
• Bicycles outnumber automobiles almost two to one worldwide, and their production outpaces cars by three to one.
• About 50 million U.S. adults ride their bikes at least once each year, but only about 2 million are regular bike commuters.
• More than a quarter of all trips in the United States are less than a mile. Nearly half are three miles or less. These are eminently bikable distances.

Have you read any books recently that provide interesting insights or stories about bicycles and biking. If so, please consider writing a quick review and description here as a blog entry - the Needham Bikes community would benefit from your insight and reading experience!

[Todd Humphreys]

In one of the many books about Lance Armstrong's career there was a comment that the Peloton - the big grouping of bikes in a pro bike race - has some pretty impressive aerodynamic properties as well I will look for the stats and post them.