Now for a little history lesson. Bicycles were first introduced in the 19th century. Today there are about one billion bicycles worldwide. They are now a popular form of transport in many regions.
There are three types of cycling I want to speak about. They are urban, recreational and racing. I will try to keep it short. The first is urban. Cyclists, pedestrians and motorists all have different demands on the roads, which may lead to conflicts. Some towns give priority to motorists and some give this priority to cyclists and pedestrians. Cycling is encouraged because it reduces our “carbon footpint.” Also, cycling is cheaper than running a car.
The next is recreational. All people of all ages use bicycles for fun or recreation. Some of us here may use a bicycle for this purpose. In Craigavon, for example, some of us experienced biking for the purposes of recreational, fun and team-building. Bicycles can be used to enhance your health, which I will talk about in a moment.
The final type is racing. After the introduction of the bicycle, competitions began. The most famous is the Tour de France. This started in 1903 ans still continues to capture our attention today.
These health enhancements, what are they? Well, the exercise gained from cycling is linked with good health and well-being. The World Health Organisation says cycling is a “highly sustainable activity.” But, with benefits come injuries. Most are probably road-related. Less severe injuries are caused by things like incorrect bike or saddle size and doing too many miles when you haven’t being training for very long. So, be careful!
In conclusion, thanks for listening. I hope you will have taken some new information from my speech this morning. I will now show a short clip featuring a cycling legend, Lance Armstrong. If you take nothing else from my speech, make sure you listen to Lance Armstrong speaking towards the end of the video. These words sum up my speech.
