Story perspectives

Bicycles: The Most Efficient Transport, Experts Reveal

3/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Scientific American report states bicycles are the most efficient transport, surpassing salmon and birds, based on calorie cost per gram per kilometer.
The report explains bicycles reduce energy expenditure against gravity and friction, enabling coasting.
Tyson Hedrick, a physiologist at the University of North Carolina, says bicycles transform movement into a more efficient form.
The report notes the only path to further efficiency is aerodynamic designs like velomobiles.

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Story summary

A Scientific American report states bicycles are the most efficient transport, surpassing salmon and birds, based on calorie cost per gram per kilometer.
The report explains bicycles reduce energy expenditure against gravity and friction, enabling coasting.
Tyson Hedrick, a physiologist at the University of North Carolina, says bicycles transform movement into a more efficient form.
The report notes the only path to further efficiency is aerodynamic designs like velomobiles.