Apart from the obvious (easy way to get more exercise and time outside, cheap, good for the environment), something I really value is the different view of your city that it gives you.
You aren’t bound to avoiding traffic, and it’s usually safer to go avoid main roads, so you end up on some lovely backstreets that you never would have otherwise seen. You also get routed through parks and along the water. Because it’s so easy to pull over and park anywhere, you stop to enjoy things more often too.
I find I interact with and feel way more connected to my city as a cyclist. I‘ve found so many cool spots from having biked by them.
This is a photo from my bike commute before I moved🥲
