If Bill Nye said it, then it must be true.

“Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something wrong with a society that drives a car to work out in a gym.”
-Bill Nye

So, here I am, writing about bikes. Again. I promise this post won't discuss how I royally screwed up my breaks while replacing my tube, my crank that snapped off mid-rainstorm last Thursday, spandex, or any of my other shortcomings as a bike commuter.

Why I ride.

I don't have a car at college, and I don't have a car in DC. My car in high school occupies a corner of our driveway in Cincinnati. Right now, I don't want a car! I would rather ride my bike.

My friends don't get it (I tell them I bike to work, and they call me a hippie).

A lot of college kids don't get it (see the Facebook groups "Drivers who hate bikers that think they are cars," "For those who hate cyclists on the roads," and "I hate campus bikers" among others. Hate? Seriously?).

An unidentified taxi driver doesn't get it ("Move it, a**hole!").

The car is deeply ingrained in American culture as cool and necessary, and for people to change their habits and saddle up on bikes in droves would require something so outrageous that driving a car would be totally illogical. Like, say, gas prices above $3.50 per gallon.

But until that outrageous event takes place, let me suggest a few reasons to stop driving and start riding NOW.

• Exercise is good for the body. Save time and get a workout while getting somewhere.
• No paying for gas. I would rather rely on fuel that I cook in my kitchen.
  
• Exhaust stinks. There is strong evidence that the combustion of fossil fuels directly impacts climate change, but regardless of one's beliefs, car exhaust is not pleasant. I don't want the stuff filling my lungs, and I'm not going to contribute to it if I don't have to.
• And my favorite-it adds some adventure to the day! Try to describe your most exhilarating Metro ride to me. Still thinking?

I readily acknowledge that America's transportation infrastructure is not bicycle-friendly. In fact, in many parts of the country, a car is necessary in everyday life. Someday, I may rely on a car myself, toting around spouses and kids and kids' friends, and I promise that I'll be pedaling up to the day I trade in my helmet for a set of keys. But I think everyone, myself included, drives when it is not necessary to do so.

Give biking a try-at the very least, you'll make progress toward breaking a nasty habit.