Riding is the ticket

For many families, including Golden’s Macarelli family, riding bikes together provides benefits that definitely outweigh the costs.

“One of the biggest benefits we’ve seen as a family is the time together on the bike –; that’s present time,” said Katie Macarelli, mother of two teenage daughters.

Together, the familiy bicycles recreationally and as a sport around Golden and the Jefferson County area. And from the health benefits of daily exercise, to the quality time with one another as a family, bicycling offers riders more than a trip around town, Macarelli said.

“The time you have with your kids outside the car is invaluable,” she said. “On the bike you’re fully present to who you are with and your surroundings –; it’s a happy time together.”

Healthy side of things

A workout for the heart and lungs, cycling helps people get into better physical shape, toning and building muscles. It also helps decrease the risk for coronary heart disease and can protect against certain types of cancers, according to a Discovery News article.

Cycling also helps boost mental health. A New York Health Department study found people who integrate physical activity, such as biking, into their daily lives greatly improve their emotional health along with their fitness.

Those benefits, said Lakewood bicyclist Gary Harty, are his first priority.

“Our lifestyles have changed,” he said. “We’re seeing an increase in obesity in our young kinds, an increase in Type 2 diabetes because of an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. But families who bike together are decreasing that trend and putting a stop to those things.”

Environmentally friendly

Bicycling requires only one main source of energy –; human power –; making it an environmentally friendly hobby, sport and vehicle.

“We’re in our car very little,” said Macarelli, who rides her bike to work daily. Her family often rides to the grocery store, school and for other errands in town rather than use the car. “You find so many good paths right around your house. You just have to ride around and maybe get lost a little, but that’s OK, too.”

The Macarelli family is one of several who use bicycling as an alternative method to get to school and work.

The national Safe Routes to School program encourages school and neighborhood communities to build infrastructure and awareness for alternative methods to get to school, other than by bus or car. At many participating schools, bicyclists and physical activity personnel promote bicycling, hosts bike rodeos and educate students about the benefits of cycling and how to safely bike to school.

“It’s an opportunity to open up a whole new world of mobility,” Harty said. “It’s an important program that addresses the needs of a more active community.”

All about the time –; family time

A hobby you can do by yourself, in tandem with another or as a group, biking is something many families said has one outstanding benefit –; time.

“It’s a great family bonding experience and there are so many great opportunities across our state to do it,” said Evan Lee, director of marketing at Wheat Ridge Cyclery, 7085 West 38th Ave. “It’s such a great way to spend really quality time together around a fitness activity.”

By riding as a family, parents are teaching their children a new sport, giving them a little independence while fostering a love for exercise, and spending quality one-on-one time together.

“Camaraderie –; you’re out there sharing a sport with your children,” Lee said. And “it’s a skill that you can do for an entire lifetime. Whether commuting or competing –; you can do it forever.”

Macarelli agreed.

The time she shares with her children while pedaling is her favorite aspect of their hobby.

“The best conversations my daughters and I have are on the bike,” she said. “It truly makes the world a better place if you can get your kids on bikes.”

Golden Transcript – Latest Stories