Happiness and Bicycling - Happiest countries in the world, such as Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and the Netherlands, have high rates of bicycling [1][2] - Bicycling can positively impact public health, access to opportunity, tourism, recreation, and community connection [3] - Mental health experts suggest getting outside and moving your body to improve happiness and mental health, which bicycling provides [8][9] - Bicycling boosts serotonin and dopamine, lifting mood and easing pain [9] - Just 15 minutes of bicycling can lower cortisol levels and improve mood; regular riding reduces depression [10][17] Infrastructure and Policy - Studying best practices from happy countries helps create happier communities by understanding policy frameworks, safe infrastructure, and social culture [12][13] - Protected bike lanes lead to 44% fewer deaths and 50% fewer serious injuries for all road users [19] - 62% of Americans would ride bikes more if separated from cars [19] - Nearly 1,000 bike projects have been built or are nearly complete in the last three years [20] - Cities rated good for bicycling in the US increased from 33 in 2019 to 234 this year [21] Bicycling Trends - A record 112 million Americans rode a bike last year [21] - Youth cycling is up 11% after a steady decline [21] - Over 50% of trips in the United States are three miles or less, easily bikable in about 15 minutes [17]