My cardiologist opened our last appointment with a question: “Why are you here?” We had a meeting scheduled, I say.
He smiled. “Don’t waste my time or yours. I see you biking around town without a helmet, running red lights. You aren’t going to die of a heart attack; a truck is going to hit you.” Busted…
One UK study found that cycling to work carries a 41% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to driving or taking transit. A Copenhagen study estimated that cyclists gain up to 14 months of life expectancy from cycling, while the risk of injury costs five days—a 20-to-1 net gain.
In the U.S., though, accidents ranked third among leading causes of death in 2023, accounting for 7.2%. Bicycle deaths are up 37% in the past decade, rising as more people take up cycling, and as more cities add bike lanes. So, the trade-off of the truck hitting me is worth considering.
But the irony of ‘healthy' behaviors and ‘unhealthy’ risks speaks for itself.
Take a viral TikTok showing a young woman explaining how smoking is a proper breathing exercise.
Then, we drive without thinking of the 40,000 Americans who annually die in car crashes, and eat processed food and drink too much alcohol.
At the same time, we flinch at flying, vaccines, or anything that feels unfamiliar or outside our control. We avoid the sun to dodge skin cancer while ignoring how moderate sun exposure benefits the body — vitamin D, lower blood pressure, better sleep.
The pattern is consistent. We are surprisingly good at accepting risk when it suits us, and surprisingly bad at it when it doesn't.
And sometimes the ‘risks’ are still worth the trade-offs.
Cycling feels dangerous because a truck could hit you. But nothing beats an early dawn bike ride — empty streets and cool air. For me, that alone is worth almost any trade-off.
“A human being (v.), doesn't that sound splendid?” writes the Russian writer Maxim Gorky. On my bike, I am being.
Though my cardiologist was right to call me out, the answer isn’t to stop biking. It’s wear the helmet, don’t run red lights, and make the trade-off with eyes wide open and the odds understood.
And don't smoke.
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
