I believe there’s no person on Earth that could say “I have no hobbies”. I believe everyone’s in love with doing something – knitting, origami, painting, skating, playing various sorts of games and so on. Some are even luckier as they turned their hobbies into their main profession and even started to make money out of them.
I fell in love with cycling sometime ago. For me though, cycling is not just a hobby, but a way of living, especially because it changed my life radically. Looking back now, I couldn’t be happier that I took up cycling a few years ago.
It makes me happy
If someone was telling me that doing any sort of physical activity makes you happier, I would’ve laughed in their face thinking “You feel tired after doing sports, not happy!”. Well, I’ve changed my opinion. After a few months of cycling on a daily basis, my friends and family were the first ones to notice a change in me, saying that I look happier, more optimistic and fresher. And so it was. I felt better and more energetic.
It saves me time
When I bought my first bike, I did it thinking that I’ll only ride it during weekends, or whenever I felt the need to disconnect from technology or the work I had to do. This is how it all started actually. After a while though, I said to myself one morning “Why not ride to work?”. It used to take me nearly one hour to get to work, regardless of my choice for transportation – by bus or by my own car. Now, the same distance only takes me around 40 minutes on bike. I know it’s not a big difference, but if you think of the entire time you spend in your car on the road to work and (most importantly) in the parking area trying to find an empty space, it certainly takes you more than 40 minutes.
It saves me money
Before I bought my first bike, I spent more than £300 every month on public transportation monthly passes and on gas for my car. I didn’t even think about it back then, as I considered this aspect “normal” and something that “had to be done”. Obviously, I don’t share the same opinion today. Cycling has helped me save a great deal of money during the past few years. I even did an experiment – I saved all the money I used to spend on monthly passes and gas in a piggy bank. I was surprised to find out after more than one year how much money I raised. Happy to say I’ve recently spent all of them on some home decorations.
All these things I’ve just mentioned above may seem insignificant to others, but to me, they are the proof that cycling has significantly improved my life.
For those of you who want to invest money in their first bike, my advice is to not rush into buying the first bike you find online. Take your time and consider the way you want to use your bike. You can choose between mountain bikes, road bikes or even one of those fancy bikes that come with a basket. It’s your choice. Just make sure you enjoy it!
Eva Henderson is a writer, traveler and content coordinator at oddsdigger.com. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially cycling and skiing! If you want to learn more about her and her hobby follow Eva on Twitter.
Image courtesy of AOMSIN.
