Wouldn't you like to stand out from the crowd by commuting to work or school on a stylish and cool bicycle?

To do that, a city cycle (mamachari) simply won't do.

Mamachari can carry a decent amount of luggage and can handle slightly rough roads.

Its drawback is that your bottom hurts when you ride long distances, but it can also be purchased relatively cheaply.

But that's not what we're looking for.

Let me tell you about a higher-grade bicycle that is faster and cooler than a mamachari.

■ Road bikes can cut commute/school time by about half

Many mamachari weigh between 20 kg and 30 kg.

On the other hand, road bikes weigh around 7 kg to 15 kg.

They are quite light.

It's hard to understand without experiencing it, but a light bicycle makes starting and pedaling much easier.

Mamachari typically travel at about 10 km to 15 km per hour.

Even pedaling at full speed, swaying from side to side, you can only reach about 20 km to 25 km.

Sports bikes, on the other hand, can effortlessly reach about 20 km per hour.

Fast riders can even reach around 50 km per hour.

Even if you go slowly, going from 10 km/h to 20 km/h means your commuting or school time will be halved.

Imagine this.

If your commute/school time is halved, you'll have a lot more time in the morning.

■ Smooth starts and exhilarating top speeds with gears

Some mamachari don't even have gears.

Starting to pedal feels heavy, doesn't it?

Stopping at traffic lights is depressing.

However, some road bikes have 20 to 40 gears.

Simply put, if the number of gears doubles, you can pedal with half the effort.

And at top speed, you can comfortably experience the maximum speed with almost no effort.

The speed you achieve on a mamachari, huffing and puffing and swaying from side to side, can be effortlessly and smartly surpassed on a road bike.

■ You can also expect a diet effect

Riding a mamachari for an hour burns about 360 kcal.

Riding a road bike with a similar effort burns about 750 kcal, more than double.

You might think that mamachari burn more calories because they are harder to pedal, but it's actually the opposite.

This is likely because road bikes make it easier to engage in aerobic exercise.

By riding a road bike, you can expect to get slimmer thanks to its dieting effects.

Choosing a cool bicycle might make the rider cool too.

This might be good for people who like to start with the aesthetic.

You start with the aesthetic, enjoy riding your road bike, lose weight, and get results.

■ What you need to ride a road bike

There are several things you need to ride a road bike, and one of them is a helmet.

It's safety equipment to protect your head, but it also looks cool.

Please be sure to prepare a helmet when riding a road bike.

There are cool, streamlined helmets specifically for road bikes.

I also recommend buying lights.

Mamachari have generator-powered lights fixed to the frame, but these add considerable drag.

In a way, they act as a braking element.

Road bikes don't have such cumbersome things.

You'll want to attach a light near the handlebars.

You'll also want to prepare something like a strap to prevent your pant cuffs from getting caught in the gears.

What do you think?

Why not upgrade your bicycle and earn respect from those around you?