By Amy Wolf, Sunset travel editor

Did you ride your bike to work today? You’d better have answered yes. It is national Bike to Work day, after all. But even if it weren’t, biking to work is simply the cool thing to do. Here’s why.

1. You’ll see things from a whole new perspective. Like Crystal Springs Reservoir (shown above; photo by Kevin Collins), which most people know only as the blur they speed by en route to or from work on Interstate 280.

2. You'll discover things you never knew about. I usually ride my bike 25 miles to work from Burlingame to Menlo Park along Skyline Drive and Canada Road (which is especially fun to ride on Sundays, when it's closed to traffic—but it's not bad on weekdays either). But this morning, to mix things up in honor of Bike to Work day, I tried a new route: Highway 92 (toward Half Moon Bay) to Highway 35. This is a stunning road unbelievably woodsy and untrafficked. It's edged by redwood forests, horse pastures, and tempting-looking open-space trails, with views of the Peninsula shimmering below.

2. You might discover the town of your dreams, and decide your life’s destiny. This happened to me, just this morning. I decided, right there on my bike, that when the time is right I’m moving to Woodside so I can see this beauty every day, and hang out at the legendary Alice's restaurant (pictured at left), where bikers of all kinds congregate.

3. You can let your mind have a rest, and dream up trippy thoughts, while your legs do the work. I rode my bike 35 miles to work along Highway 35. I swear, I did 35 along Highway 35—how weird is that? This is better than drugs!

4. Speaking of legs, riding to work will make them look better than you ever imagined they could. Why do you think I’m a devoted Tour de France spectator? So I can gape at all those gorgeous legs!

5. You can build up major karma points by treading as lightly as it’s possible to tread as a commuter. Biking to work is even greener than carpooling, or taking the train. The only gas you’re burning is your own.

6. You can burn enough calories to justify having an extra grande latte when you get to work. Or an extra homemade corn dog, which is what was being served in Sunset’s test kitchen this morning. (You can check out our test kitchen, and you should—it has nine stoves!—at this year's Sunset Celebration Weekend.

Ready to try it? Post your comments on your most beautiful ride to work. We’d love to hear from you.