Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. Persons engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bikers", or less commonly, as "bicyclists". Apart from two-wheeled bicycles, "cycling" also includes the riding of unicycles, tricycles, quadracycles, recumbent and similar human-powered vehicles (HPVs).

Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number approximately one billion worldwide. They are the principal means of transportation in many parts of the world.

Cycling is widely regarded as a very effective and efficient mode of transportation optimal for short to moderate distances.

Bicycles provide numerous benefits in comparison with motor vehicles, including the sustained physical exercise involved in cycling, easier parking, increased maneuverability, and access to both roads, bike paths and rural trails. Cycling also offers a reduced consumption of fossil fuels, less air or noise pollution, much reduced traffic congestion. These lead to less financial cost to the user as well as to society at large (negligible damage to roads, less road area required, but a many cyclists clustering at peak times create a CO2 issue when exhaling. By fitting bicycle racks on the front of buses, transit agencies can significantly increase the areas they can serve.

Among the disadvantages of cycling are the requirement of bicycles (excepting tricycles or quadracycles) to be balanced by the rider in order to remain upright, the reduced protection in crashes in comparison to motor vehicles,longer travel time (except in densely populated areas), vulnerability to weather conditions, difficulty in transporting passengers, and the fact that a basic level of fitness is required for cycling moderate to long distances and so is unsuitable for the average pensioner.

As yet there are no requirements for tests, insurance or means of identification of individual cyclists on the roads, or even a strict requirement for a cyclist to be restricted to cycle lanes, where they are designated. However, due to increasing poor behavior and increasing accidents with pedestrians, principally because of using pavements and ignoring road signage, there is local and national government consideration that some or all of these requirements may be introduced