“Although I can’t claim to cycle to work very often, when I did it was quicker than the bus (or walking), giving me a slightly longer lie in in the morning!”
– Ellie Grebenik
This week we’re celebrating Cycle to Work Day on Thursday 5 August – a chance to take part in the UK’s biggest cycle commuting event.
With offices in England now open, why not swap the car, bus or tube commute for your bike? And if you’re still at home, you could try a ‘fake commute’ and go for a short cycle before or after work.
Cycling is a great way to get around. It not only improves your health and wellbeing but helps reduce your carbon footprint and saves you money. Choosing to cycle just one mile and back once a week instead of taking the car could see fuel savings of £16 and 27kg in carbon dioxide annually.
We asked members of Energy Saving Trust’s transport team why they choose to cycle to work. Here are their answers.
Quicker than the bus (and walking)
Feel energised in the morning
“I’m permanently home-based, even before Covid-19, so I don’t cycle to work, but following a house move last summer we are now a bike-ride away from school for my children, so we do cycle to school most days.
“I find it a really helpful way to start the day as it helps to clear my head and make me feel more energised. On days where I get up and just don’t feel like cycling, I always feel better after the ride to and from school (once I’ve got my breath back from cycling up the hill to our house)!”
– Richard Drew
Beat the tube delays in London
“I only joined Energy Saving Trust in March so haven’t made it into the office yet, but in terms of cycling to work in general, some of the benefits for me include:
- The ability to feel smug in comparison to your colleagues as you arrive with a glow of sweat first thing.
- Lower risk of tube strikes or faults causing a terrible start to the day.
- Justification for an extra piece of cake with lunch, and an afternoon snack, and maybe an extra five biscuits with my morning tea!”
– Abby McDougall
Saves money (and time) at the gym
“I used to cycle into the Edinburgh office almost every day. My cycle to work is downhill so I just needed to freshen up when I arrived, then cycling back uphill is a good post-work work out. It’s a very low cost mode of transport, saving me money and time at the gym, and because of the regular exercise I’m able to eat anything I want to.
“Cycling also gives me the freedom to do some fun detours / social meetups / errands on the way back from work. A benefit that I really noticed is my mental health. Cycling is a great way to separate the work day from the evening, as well as destress after work, get fresh air, and gain confidence and independence.
“It’s also good training for being fit outside of the commute, and I see a few of my colleagues when I’m out on the road, so it’s been social at times and I’ve been known to race them back once or twice!”
– Sophie Forbes
Helps to beat stress
“I used to commute by bike every day before the pandemic hit (and I started working from home) as cycling is a fun way to get fit, helps to beat stress and is better for the environment.”
– Jessica Restrepo
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