On June 3rd, we celebrate World Bicycle Day. So, let’s make this day an opportunity to acknowledge why we love, celebrate, and ride bikes around the world.

Here are some reasons why we should all love bikes:

• Bicycles are simple, affordable, and diverse. Anyone can ride them.

• Bicycles are a clean and environmentally sustainable means of transportation.

• Bicycles can make the longest distances manageable, making education, job opportunities, and healthcare more easily accessible to all.

• Riding a bike forces you to be more present while going from one point to another. This way, you also get to know your local environment.

• Cycling can be beneficial to your health and heart rate. According to cyclingweekly.com, it can improve your mental well-being, promote weight-loss, build muscle, improve lung health, reduce the risk of heart disease and various types of cancer, improve sleep, boost your brain power, boost spatial awareness, and strengthen your immune system.

If we want to make a change in the world, we should start with simple actions, like riding a bike, a symbol of sustainable consumption that also promotes a message of sustainable production.

I rode a bike and I liked it!

I grew up in a little town close to Medellin, Colombia. For years, my bike was my most prized possession. I loved cycling, jumping, and going down hills as fast as possible. Unfortunately, as I grew up, priorities changed and I forgot about my bike. That was until a few months ago when I bought a new electric bike. I even gave her a name. So, meet Anacletta. (I know, she is so Latin.)

The history of the bicycle started in the 16th century with the discovery of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches from 1493, which included simple designs for a bicycle. But it was only in the 19th century that Karl von Drais began to work on his own version of a Laufmaschine (or running machine), a four-wheeled, human-powered vehicle. In 1817 Drais debuted the revolutionary two-wheeled vehicle.