Next week is National Bike to Work Week, and the timing is perfect, with the weather finally warming up. We may live in a car culture, but if your lifestyle allows you to ride your bicycle to work from time to time, it’s a great idea. As this article from Business Insider points out, there are a lot of very good reasons to pedal on your commute. For example:

It’s cheaper. If you already own a bike, your cost is minimal — you may have to purchase a lock or lights if you’ll be riding in the evening, but you certainly don’t need anything fancier than your old 10-speed, if it’s in good working order. And even if you have to buy a bike, if you spend $200 or $300, it won’t take long to recover that money in the form of trips you don’t need to make to the gas station, given the rising cost of fuel.

You’re exercising while you travel. A study cited by the article says regular bike commuters lose an average of 13 pounds over a year. Even if you don’t lose that much, you’ll feel way less guilty about not making it to the gym.

The air is cleaner. Not only will your lungs be happy about the cardiovascular workout, but you’re also likely to inhale less exhaust and fewer germs while you’re on your bike than if you rode in a car or took the bus.

Parking is way less of a hassle. No more hunting for a spot — just pull up to the bike rack, lock up, and head inside.

You can learn more about Bike to Work Week events taking place in Wisconsin here. If you do bike to work this week, please email Wellness Coordinator Lynn Jack a photo at ljack@northshorebank.com so she can share it with Shorelines! We’d love to see you riding. Good luck, and have fun!