What better way to help save the planet than to ride a bicycle versus driving a car? Besides the added benefit of helping to reduce the amount of pollution that is in the air, riding a bicycle also helps you to get extra exercise!

Now, who is going to argue with getting a little added exercise? Not me. Riding a bicycle is also beneficial because it doesn't cost as much as it would to spend money on a vehicle. However, there are obvious drawbacks to having a bicycle versus not having a bicycle. For example, if you only had a bicycle, then getting to work would be extremely difficult for a lot of people. For instance, if you were a business woman or business man, and had to go to work in a suit and tie, the last thing you'd want to do is ride a bike (especially on a hot summer day) only to get all sweaty. Besides that fact, how far would it be for you to bike to work, and would you have to take the highway or could you take local back streets? What about your briefcase, portfolio or other items that you might've had to bring with you?

Obviously, it is not a very realistic thing for a lot of people. However, it is a good idea sometimes. For those of you who are interested, it is also possible to recycle your bicycle. If you've had your bike for a number of years and have deemed it totally inoperable, you can still recycle it. Many local recycling centers actually have a mixed metals recycling facility in them where you can recycle the metal parts of your bike. If you are unsure, simply contact the recycling center to find out the opening hours, which can vary for cars and vans. And yes, you would need some other form of your own transportation to get there besides a bike! Before you take your beloved bike to the recycling center, make sure that you remove any and all of the rubber or plastic parts of it such as the tires, inner tubes of the tires, saddles (those rubbery things that go over your pedals), brakes, plastic lights or other accoutrement, lock fittings bells and/or whistles.

If you don't want to take your bicycle to a recycling center because the thought of it being stripped and torn apart is too much than you can bear, than you can always feel free to donate your bicycle to a homeless shelter or other outreach-type program such as your local YMCA or Salvation Army. If you are unsure of the various community outreach programs in your area, simply call information, ask around, visit a church (they usually have local bulletins and postings or outreach groups within the church), or surf the Internet to find out. There is no limit to what you can do with your old bike or anything that you might have that you don't use anymore.

Remember that saying that states "one man's junk is another man's gold!" It's true. You may no longer have a use for you bicycle, but if you simply throw it out, you will never know how that bike could have possibly brought joy to another person's life.