By Michael Roberts, Outside

Early last year, a doctoral candidate at Portland State University in Oregon made headlines when he presented findings to the national Transportation Research Board showing that riding a bike makes us happy.

According to his survey of more than 800 commuters, bikers rated higher on a well-being index than people using any other form of transportation, including walking. To the country’s growing legions of everyday cyclists, the news was hardly a surprise.

A new kind of cycling lifestyle is on the rise. In cities large and small, bike lanes are being built, bike-share programs are taking off, and people who’d never considered pedaling around town are saddling up to save money on gas and get a little exercise.

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