Percent of American adults age 20 years and older who are overweight or obese: 66
Pounds a new bicycle commuter can expect to lose during the first year of bicycle commuting: 13
Percentage of heart disease/ stroke among leading causes of adult American deaths: 33%
Hours of bike riding per week necessary to cut the risk of heart disease and stroke in half: 3
Minutes per day Americans spend on a daily car commute (2004 average): 49
Cost of owning and operating a car in 2008 (10,000 miles): $12,672
Percent of the world’s oil supply consumed by America:25%
Average price of gas on Aug. 25, 2008: $3.69
Average price of gas on Aug. 25, 2007: $2.75
Read Danny Cross’ feature story “No One Rides for Free”
Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CIA World Factbook, American Automobile Association, U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, League of American Bicyclists, Bicycling Magazine.
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2008.