Working at a bike shop, I hear all kinds of riding stories, from crazy backcountry adventures in the Rocky Mountains to the humble commute to work. That second one is what I want to talk about today – riding your bike somewhere you’d otherwise drive.

I’m only going to cite one statistic at you in this article: 48% of all car trips taken in the U.S. are less than 3 miles. For context, biking 3 miles takes about 15 minutes. Ignoring all the other benefits of not driving like saving money, reducing carbon emissions, getting exercise, etc., it’s an excuse to get outside.

The one problem I hear about most often is how folks are hesitant to ride places if there are high-traffic roads along their route. For less experienced riders, busy streets can be nerve-racking, and rightfully so! One way I have found to get around this is the cycling feature on Google Maps. Maps will prioritize lower-traffic roads and even use bike paths and trails when possible. It isn’t perfect, but Maps does offer some assurance that your route will be as bike-friendly as possible.

I’ve been mostly using a bike to get around over the last 6 months. Commuting, grocery trips, going to hang out with friends all by bike. Would I get where I’m going faster if I drove? Almost always. Would I enjoy driving as much as biking? Never. Other than biking just being more enjoyable, I’ve noticed I’m less stressed and more focused when I ride somewhere.

I’ll admit, as the days grow shorter and the weather gets colder, going outside isn’t getting any easier. Even with my short commute to work, the car keys have started to look pretty enticing. Yet I still ride because, for me, biking will always be more fun than driving. So go and find your reason to ride, it could be simple like getting more exercise or how you’re in a better headspace when you get to your destination.