Are you a morning person? If not, 2021 might be the year to give sunshine and birds chirping a try — especially if you’re aiming to get fit. The early morning is the ideal time to boost your heart rate and get your blood pumping. It sets a positive, powerful tone for the rest of your day, it gets your cardio out of the way and your waterfront trail will be dotted with fewer beach cruiser bikes to slalom through, too.
More Benefits of Early Morning Cycling
Whether you’re partial to heavyweight mountain bikes or lightweight bikes you can easily transport in the back of your vehicle, the benefits of a morning ride are bountiful.
- There’s less traffic. If you’ve ever wanted to change lanes with impunity, ride the streets without signaling and give potholes the widest berth possible, then an early morning ride may be your jam. Cars and trucks are few and far between, which means the road is yours, and it’s devoid of car horns and truck exhaust. Even if you’re only on the road for a brief time, as you make your way to the waterfront or a dedicated hiking and biking trail, the lack of vehicles is refreshing.
- It’s the best time to spot animals. No matter where you ride, there’s a healthy critter population. Ever wanted to see a deer? Whale watch along the coast? Hurl insults at a raccoon on behalf of your perpetually knocked-over garbage cans? During the wee small hours, when most of the people are gone, the animals run wild.
- It’s probably as cool as it’s going to get all day. Temperatures stay low during the first few hours of the day, so if you’re testing out hybrid bikes in a warm climate or just looking to make it the “Summer of Cycling,” the early morning is literally the coolest time of day to get your workout in.
Music for Early Morning Cycling
When you’re ready to make a sunrise ride part of your routine, here are 20 midtempo songs to load onto your mobile phone or other device to keep you awake and motivated without going full Tour-de-France ferocity before you’ve scored your first cup of coffee:
- “Got To Get You Into My Life” – The Beatles
- “It’s Real” – Real Estate
- “Golden” – Harry Styles
- “You Can’t Outrun ‘Em” – Jenny Lewis
- “Saw You First” – Givers
- “No Starving Artists” – R.A.P. Ferreira
- “Always a Friend” – Alejandro Escovedo
- “Everywhere (Live in Burbank 5/23/97)” – Fleetwood Mac
- “Miracle Mile” – Cold War Kids
- “You’re My Best Friend (Tonight)” – Friendship Friendship
- “I Would Do Anything for You” – Foster the People
- “Can’t Do Much” – Waxahatchee
- “The Bike Song” – Mark Ronson and the Business Intl
- “Love You Madly” – Cake
- “The Ancient Commonsense of Things” – Bishop Allen
- “Free” – SAULT
- “I Saw the Light” – Todd Rundgren
- “Don’t Get Me Wrong” – The Pretenders
- “The Violet Hour” – Sea Wolf
- “Blinding Lights” –-The Weeknd
A regular bike ride first thing in the morning isn’t for everyone. That said, if you can get into the swing of things, it’s an excellent way to start your day and improve your physical and mental health. Choose a playlist that’ll keep you motivated and get ready to reap the rewards of an early morning ride.
