ING Australia’s latest study revealed bikers were much happier than motorists. The survey interviewed drivers and bikers to gauge their happiness levels while operating a vehicle. 82% of bikers said driving hade them happy while only 55% of motorists enjoyed their drive.

Another study by UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience monitored hormone levels and brain activities in bikers and motorists before they went on a drive, during the drive and while they were resting. Bikers registered a 28% reduction in biomarkers associated with stress.

An older study by Kawishima at the University of Tokyo used a test group who rode motorcycles every day to work and another group who didn’t. Both groups were given a long list of numbers to memorize to test their cognitive skills. The bikers improved their scores by 50% after riding to work every day for two months while the other group’s scores decreased slightly over the same period.

The Economic Times Of India (ETOI) use the first two legitimate studies to flesh out some benefits of biking.

• Since bikers aren’t stuck in traffic while biking, they experience less anxiety and stress.
• Biking requires concentration and focus which improves brain health. The UCLA study found that this mental stimulation was the equivalent of drinking a cup of coffee.
• Biking burns more calories than driving a car. Depending on terrain, bikers can burn up to 600 calories an hour as they maintain balance and counteract the bike’s movement.
• Many bikers are part of the biking community and social interaction has been shown to improve mental health and reduce stress.

Of course, none of this is news to bikers who already understand the stress-busting benefits of a long bike ride. Now you can write off your rides as your mental and physical workout for the week!