Many of us have fond childhood memories of riding our bicycle to school, over to a friend's house or even just for fun around the neighborhood. We probably never stopped to ponder the numerous benefits of bicycling, but Ryan McKenzie has. McKenzie is the Transportation Program Manager at EcoCity Cleveland, a local nonprofit environmental planning organization that helps people live in greater balance with nature in Northeast Ohio. McKenzie has been using his bicycle as a primary form of transportation since he was eight years old. “Bikes are good for your health, good for your wallet, good for the environment and they can be especially good for a child's development,” he says.

One of McKenzie's goals at EcoCity Cleveland is to stimulate people to think about how bicycling benefits adults, children and the community. As adults, we can choose to hop on a bike instead of into the car to run local errands. This simple choice supports the health of our bodies as well as our planet. For instance, car engines do not operate efficiently when cold, so short car trips create more air pollution than longer trips on a per-mile basis. And regardless of the length of a car trip, dust from brakes and tires and automotive fluids wash into storm drains and contaminate local streams.

Riding a bicycle is also an easy way to get exercise. Inactivity is now recognized by public health professionals as one of the nation's leading health threats. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should get at least 30 minutes of mildly intense physical activity at least five days a week. Turning small bicycle errands into a regular workout can save time and provide an enjoyable form of exercise.

The health benefits are just as important for children. Childhood obesity and diabetes have become a national health concern. Public health officials state that elementary school-aged children should be getting an hour of vigorous exercise every day. Riding a bicycle is a great way to get this type of physical activity. Plus, the ability to go to the park, school or a friend's house without a ride from a parent gives a child a sense of independence.

The Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op offers the “Earn A Bike” program through their shop in the Flats in Cleveland, as well as through schools and community organizations. They also hold classes for children and adults at the shop located at 1823 Columbus Road. For more information, visit www.OhioCityCycles.org or call (216) 830-2667.

A bicycle can also be a developmental tool if a young person is given proper instruction. “Bikes are a valuable means of teaching skills and increasing mobility and maturity,” says McKenzie. Too often adults mistakenly think of bicycles as toys, but truly a bike is a child's first vehicle. McKenzie claims that there is also a societal benefit for everyone when kids learn to ride a bike safely. “Learning the rules of the road on a bike is great preparation for becoming a safe driver. Defensive driving and anticipating hazards are just two of the basic bike skills that carry over to operating a car.” He proposes that teenagers would be better drivers if their automobile education began with bicycle-based training that includes both road etiquette and an understanding of the law.

The Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op (OCBC) is just the place for youth and adults to gain these bicycle skills. OCBC, a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization, offers repair and riding classes, customized local bike tours and the sale of reconditioned bikes and bike parts. Their main focus is the “Earn A Bike” program, which takes donations of used bicycles and helps kids earn one for themselves while they learn bike repair and skills for safe cycling. After putting in ten hours of work and ten hours of on-the-road training, participants receive a bicycle, a helmet and a lock.

OCBC director Jim Sheehan emphasizes the importance of teaching young people bicycle safety. “Seventy percent of all bike accidents resulting in trips to the emergency room don't involve a car… they are just from falling off of a bike after losing control. These accidents are easily prevented with bike-handling training. Accidents involving cars and bikes happen mostly at the same places as between two cars: at intersections. These can largely be prevented by learning and following basic traffic rules.”

Sheehan points out that bicycle rules for youth vary depending on the rider's age. Children under ten should ride on the sidewalk and follow the rules of a pedestrian. Older kids may ride in the street, obeying the same laws as drivers of other vehicles.

EcoCity Cleveland has been publishing articles, building relationships and conducting research for over ten years to promote smart growth, ecological design and better transportation choices for Northeast Ohio. Their efforts have resulted in RTA's inclusion of bike racks, the development of the nation's first urban EcoVillage on the west side of Cleveland and a new web portal (www.thetree.us) to provide information on every environmental activity in the region. Learn more or become personally involved by visiting www.ecocitycleveland.org or calling (216) 961-5020.

Once the whole family is educated on smart bicycling, a bike outing is a wonderful option for recreation. Most trails in Northeast Ohio do not connect to practical daily destinations, but planners from the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Ohio Canal Corridor are working to change that. Their Tow Path Trail project will provide an interconnected off-street route that follows 110 miles of the historic Ohio and Erie Canal through many communities. Upon completion, the trail will transcend recreation and become useful for daily transportation, extending from the downtown Cleveland lakefront, through Cuyahoga Valley National Park, south through the heart of downtown Akron, and ending at the historic village of Zoar, Ohio. For more information, visit www.ohiocanal.org.

In addition to trail riding, McKenzie encourages families to think about making trips to local destinations into biking opportunities. “Evaluate the path between your front door and the places you visit. Look at a map and think about where you'd like to go and turn it into a fun family adventure.” A three-mile distance is reasonable for a beginner. On a map of your area, draw a circle around three miles. You will be surprised at your options for destinations. Once you decide on a destination, study the map for comfortable route options. Then gear up and hit the road. With a good route, cycling smarts and a safe bicycle, trips to the store, library or ice cream shop can be fun and rewarding, as well as healthy for your body and the environment.

Adele DiMarco Kious is a freelance facilitator and researcher who works with many of Northeast Ohio's environmentally focused organizations. She is also partner of Smart Meeting Design. Feel free to contact her at adele@smartmeetingdesign.com or visit her blog at SicilianSoulFood.com.