There are many reasons to commute to work by bicycle. One commuter, Tim Goldby, recently demonstrated a great reason: it is often faster to commute by bicycle than by car. You can watch as Goldby zooms by 589 cars on his way to work in Melbourne, Australia. He even subtracted the cars that passed him, showing just how superior a bicycle commute can be.  Check it out:

Besides saving time and avoiding rush hour traffic, commuting to work by bicycle has many other obvious benefits. A commute to work can double as your exercise for the day, and most cycle-commuters report that they feel energized and less stressed when they get to work.

Commuting by bicycle can also save money. When gas and parking are no longer a daily expense, it seems frugal to splurge on a pair of nice panniers – a bicycle bag for carrying your clothes to work.

Of course, one of the greatest benefits isn’t just a benefit to you, the cyclist. By taking a sustainable option for your daily commute, you help make the air in your city a little bit cleaner and the carbon in the atmosphere a little bit less. Limiting your use of natural resources, while saving money, time, and improving your health is a great reason to ditch the car and hop on a bicycle.

Ready to get serious about improving your commute?

A number of bloggers offer tips for commuting to work by bike. In fact, some blogs, such as CommutebyBike.com are entirely dedicated to news and safety advice for bicycle commuters. Resources abound for someone ready to get serious about riding to work. One important safety tip for city riders lacking dedicated bicycle lanes is to claim the lane, rather than ride on the shoulder of the road.

When you’re ready to start commuting by bicycle, resources to help you on your way are as plentiful as the reasons to leave your car behind.

This post was inspired by a post on TheCityFixBrasil by Louisa Zottis. Photo by James D. Schwartz.