Convenient- tired of waiting for the bus, or a train that never comes? Parking space hard to find? Hop on a bike and get there when you like.
Healthy- cycling is excellent cardiovascular exercise. Twenty minutes a day cuts risk of heart disease by 50%. Lose weight the low impact way - cycling doesn't wear out your knees and back like running. Cycling is effective at reducing the risk of diabetes.
Live longer- a study of 5000 middle aged to elderly Americans found that regular moderate exercise equivalent to 30 minutes of walking 5 days a week leads to 1 to 2 years longer life expectancy and half an hour a day of more intense exercise like running can add nearly 4 years. (SMH 16/11/05)
Fun- cycling reduces stress, increases mental alertness and lowers frustration - so commute to work or play by bicycle and enjoy life more! Bike it, you'll like it!
Efficient- few machines are more efficient than a bicycle. 80% of the energy expended by a cyclist is turned into motion, compared with only 25% of a car's gas tank reaching the wheels of a car. Bicycles increase the efficiency of the body by over 600% over walking. On a plate of beans you can cycle 50 km.
Environment- giving up plastic bags is great but if you really want to be green, shop by bike. Shop by car and you are using more energy/oil than growing the food or making the goods and getting it to market in many cases. Cycling cuts CO2 emissions and is a practical way of doing something about global warming now. Cycling also reduces noise and cuts down on need for more and more roads.
Cycling and public transport- getting to the trains or buses by bicycle is more effective than by walking, increasing by a factor of 3 or 4 the "catchment area" of public transport users, and eliminating the need for more car parking at stations.
Urban form and amenity - cycling saves space, encourages local shopping, reduces need for car parking, gives children and teenagers transport, cuts down on road traffic and need for more and more freeways.
Road safety- more cycling, particularly by young adults, saves lives because cyclists rarely kill other road users. Cities where cycling is more prevalent generally have a calmer and more tolerant traffic flow.