Cambridge: A Cycling Paradise
Nihan Uğurlu · Keyfi Yazılarım ·
Travel memories from 2015. Hours and prices may change; check official links before visiting.
Personal travel notes, discoveries along the way and photographs from the original story.
Travel notes
Cycling is common around the world, particularly in Europe and America, though sadly less so in our country. England is one of the places where it is widespread. In Cambridge, so many people cycle: from three-year-olds to ninety-year-olds, and I am not exaggerating! They cycle to work, school, the shops, to meet friends or simply to explore. It is practical and enjoyable here because Cambridge is flat, without hills, and drivers are polite and patient with cyclists. They wait slowly behind without honking or gesturing—something that would be harder to imagine back home 🙂
Cyclists have so many facilities: cycle paths, parking everywhere, even multi-storey bicycle parks! The other day I even saw a bicycle ambulance 🙂
Cambridge's multi-storey bicycle park
Cambridge
London
Cambridge
I am definitely buying a bicycle this week. People look so happy riding that you can't help wanting to join them. Seeing ninety-year-olds on bikes makes me feel rather ashamed of myself 🙂 You get where you are going quickly, and it is great exercise. Parents ride to school with their children from a very young age, whatever the rain or mud, getting them used to it early. I think that is wonderful. We might say, 'Poor child, it's cold, it's raining, they'll get tired,' and drive them right up to the school door. I think that is the wrong approach.
Cambridge
Now, on to the benefits of cycling:
The benefits of cycling
Benefit 1: Cardiovascular fitness. My original list described 30 minutes of cycling a day as beneficial for the heart, blood vessels and respiratory system.
Benefit 2: Burning fat. Compared with always travelling by car or public transport, cycling uses more energy. The original post also claimed that it slims the legs, particularly for women.
Benefit 3: You don't sit in traffic. You can reach your destination sooner, avoid being late and take care of your health at the same time.
Benefit 4: Better sleep. The original post cited a Stanford University study in which people with sleep problems reportedly slept more easily after a period of cycling for 30 minutes a day.
Benefit 5: A younger appearance. I also cited a Stanford study as suggesting that regular cyclists showed reduced effects of radiation and younger-looking skin. This is an unverified health claim preserved from the original article.
Benefit 6: Digestion. The article referred to research at Bristol University which reportedly linked regular cycling with better digestive function and relief from sluggish bowels.
Benefit 7: Resistance to illness. The original list claimed that cycling strengthens the body and makes it more resistant to disease.
Benefit 8: Longevity. The original list claimed that people cycling for 30–45 minutes daily live longer.
Benefit 9: Protecting the planet. In communities that cycle more, air pollution and the environmental harm caused by vehicles can be reduced, helping us towards a healthier world.
Benefit 10: Sex life. The original article associated regular cycling with better cardiovascular function and circulation, and consequently a better sex life.
Benefit 11: Work. Being more energetic and productive could help you become known as someone hardworking who doesn't tire easily.
Benefit 12: Weight. The original list presented cycling as a way to help keep obesity at bay.
Benefit 13: Setting an example. Cycling regularly can inspire younger generations and help today's children and young people overcome prejudices about bicycles.
Benefit 14: Saving money. If you travel by bicycle, you can keep more money in your pocket and use it for other things.
Benefit 15: Other sports. The original list suggested that regular cycling could help you play sports such as basketball, tennis and football more effectively and healthily.