The benefits of cycling as a means of travel

The list of the benefits of cycling is long. Whether it is used as a means of transport to get to work or for group and individual sports, the bike is a tool that undeniably does good and does not pollute.

But the growing number of people who choose cycle tourism (that is, who opt to travel by bicycle in Italy or abroad) makes us understand that the advantages are not only about the physique and the environment. Cycling tourism is a slow approach to travel, which includes getting to know places and cultures and experiencing a new opening of the mind.

In this article, you will find an overview of the main benefits of cycling. But above all, you can read a first-hand account that tells us how riding a bike can improve us as a person.

The benefits of cycling: health, environment ... and more

Sport and exercise outdoors are very beneficial for physical and psychological well-being. And the well-known benefits of cycling for the mind and for the body are a good place to start.  
Cycling improves cardiovascular and respiratory performance plus tones and shapes the muscles. Mainly from a muscular point of view, the benefits of cycling on the abs, buttocks and legs are the most obvious.

As long as we take routes that are suited to our fitness levels, both in terms of intensity and length, cycling is a way to discover new places while doing something good for our health.

Then there’s the environmental factor. Indeed, one of the main issues with tourism is linked to pollution caused by aeroplanes, cars and polluting vehicles. Cycling is an alternative form of traditional, zero-impact tourism.

Many people are choosing this travel mode precisely because it is eco-sustainable. However, there are also other reasons to discover cycling tourism and they concern the very essence of the trip. Thanks to the bicycle, we rediscover a slow way of travelling that allows us to be attentive to all the details that we would otherwise not be able to grasp.

A slow way to travel to discover places and cultures

At the beginning of the article, we promised you a direct testimony from someone who has already experienced cycling as a slow approach to travel.
So, what are the most extraordinary benefits of cycling as a tool to face the journey?

Giulia Baroncini of @semicercatesonoingiro tells us about these benefits, after her adventure going by bike from Milan to the USA was at the centre of our two previous articles on the topic of cycle tourism.

Giulia, what does riding a bike mean to you?
Giulia Baroncini: 

“For me, cycling is about discovering the world from a different point of view and fully immersing myself in what surrounds me. By bike, you can see all the details, which at high speed you would not see.
It is not only a discovery of our surroundings but also of new cultures and new people – a total openness to the world. 
Travelling by bike is also a way of getting to know yourself, your potential but also your limits and learning to accept them.”

What are the best memories that will stay with you forever?
Giulia Baroncini: 

“The best memories are all the people I met on the trip. The fact that people opened their doors to me, especially in the US, without knowing who I was, giving me the keys to their house was incredible.

So, the most beautiful memories are these: the fact of feeling at home and an integral part of a family, not being treated like a foreigner. Knowing people enriches you culturally. You know new ways of thinking and this opens your mind a lot. 

Having travelled alone, without them my trip would have been boring at times and instead, they allowed me to create beautiful memories.”