In the entire history of the world, no one has ever complained that they had “too much cycling” in their life. Riding bikes is one of those activities that it’s really hard to overdo. Spending more time on the saddle of a bike, and less time slumped into the seat of your car stuck in traffic, or glued to your glowing screens is a surefire way to improve the quality of your life.

But, while just about everyone agrees that hypothetically, riding a bike more would make them happier, it’s much harder to come up with concrete steps to make that happen. So instead of riding your bike more, you spend your days saying wistful things like “man, I wish I got to ride my bike more.” Don’t worry though, we’ve got the knowledge and ideas you need to get out on your bike and start collecting miles, instead of just hanging it in your garage with your old bike gear to collect dust.

Spending more time cycling, and less time in your car, or glued to your glowing screens, is a surefire way to improve the quality of your life.

Try Bike Commuting

This is the most obvious way to integrate cycling into your daily routine, so it’s also probably the method most people have tried and given up on. That’s ok though, if you’ve already tried bike commuting and hate it with a burning passion, you can just skip ahead to the next session. If, however, you’ve never tried it, or you’ve given it a half-hearted chance, but never really committed, we’ve got some ideas to help make it more convenient and enjoyable.

The first thing to remember is that this isn’t something you can just start cold turkey. Don’t dive in all the way, commit, and then quit when it’s not immediately easy. Instead, work your way up to the full bike commute. For example, if you usually take the bus or a train to work, start out by just bringing your bike with you, and getting off a few stops early to ride your bike the rest of the way. Every day, get off one stop earlier until you’re riding from home. This will allow you to gradually build fitness and endurance instead of just throwing your body in the deep end.

The factor that can have a huge impact on bike commuting is your level of preparedness. Nothing sucks more than riding your bike to work, realizing you have an important meeting, and being stuck in wet, sweaty clothes for your presentation. We highly recommend commuting in a separate outfit from the one your work in. Get a waterproof bag for your work clothes, and change into them once you’re at work. That way you can enjoy your ride to work, instead of it feeling like a chore. And don’t forget your bike helmet!

Try New Forms of Riding

If bike commuting isn’t for you, that’s fine, we totally understand. It can be stressful and logistically challenging. That doesn’t mean you can’t still integrate some form or riding into your life. In the old days, it used to be that you either bike commuted, rode a BMX bike at the skatepark, or rode a road bike in tight spandex. Nowadays though, there are plenty of alternative riding styles that make a lot more sense. Here are some of our favorites that are worth a shot.

Gravel Riding

Gravel or “Adventure” riding can be whatever you make of it. Instead of focusing on big miles and high speeds like road bikers do, gravel riding is all about the adventure. You can use whatever bike you have, a commuter is great, an old mountain bike will be just fine, or you can just throw knobbier tires on your road bike. Then set off to find new routes off the beaten path.

Even if you don’t live anywhere near gravel roads, you can still string together bike paths, back alleys, and dirt trails through vacant lots to build new loops that let you casually explore new parts of town without dealing with traffic. As you gain fitness and confidence you can expand your horizons to include short sections of mellow mountain bike trail, abandoned railroad grades, and anything else you can conceivably ride your bike on.

Pump Track Riding

In the last few years, more and more cities and towns have built public pump tracks and bike parks. These are usually dirt courses with berms and rollers that allow you to practice your fundamentals while playing around and learning on the bike. Basically, they cram a huge amount of entertainment into a tiny area. Pump tracks are especially fun if you have small children, they can play around on their run bikes and enjoy the banked corners while you work on your pumping and jumping. It’s a low-risk, high-reward way to burn a few hours every day on the bike.

There are not many more relaxing activities than sessioning a pump track with your family and friends after work. The stresses of the day disappear and you can focus on the simple pleasures of riding your bike.

Mountain Biking

Finally, if you want to expand your horizons, mountain biking is an addictive pastime that makes it easy to integrate cycling into your daily routine. More and more trail systems are being built every month, and it’s never been easier to ride straight from your house to the trails. Head into your local bike shop and ask them about mountain bike opportunities near you. They’ll probably even be able to set you up with a rental bike or recommend the best gear to pair with your ride.

There has never been a better time to get into mountain biking. The bikes are really easy to ride, the trails are fun, and the community is welcoming. So give it a shot, you might find yourself falling in love with a new hobby.

People who find ways to integrate more cycling into their lives are happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. But it doesn’t have to take the boring form of commuting by bike. So give one of these types of riding a shot, and reap the rewards.