June 13, 2022 3 min read
Did you know that almost two-thirds of all journeys in the UK are less than five miles (GOV UK, National Travel Survey: 2020)? We think that riding a bike should become the norm for short journeys like grabbing a pint of milk rather than jumping in the car, do you agree?
You don’t need to be cycling fast to make a difference - go at your own pace and enjoy the journey! You also don’t need to have an expensive bike or fancy kit to cycle to the shop or to the park. Jeans, work clothes or whatever you normally wear is totally fine.
With fuel prices hitting an all time high, we know that we can save serious money by leaving cars at home for particular journeys where possible.
There’s chat about electric cars being the future - but what we really need is less cars on the road, not more - and this is where e-bikes come in. As cities all over the world try to remove cars from roads and get more people on their bikes, e-bikes will become even more of a feature in our daily routines. Amazing if you live in a hilly area or could do with a little assistance every now and again. It has been great to see so many e-bikes out on the streets recently. In a recent road.cc piece - a new longitudinal study has found that e-bike riders undoubtedly cycle more and drive less. So e-bikes are here to stay!
Myth one about cycling - “It always rains”. We do love to talk about weather, but as it goes, if you are riding your bike for 15-20 minute journeys each day, the chances are - you aren’t going to get wet.
The WHO recommends that all adults aged 18–64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week. That’s only 21 minutes per day! And all those little journeys here and there add up, so by simply cycling to the shop, to work or to the park (depending on distances is absolutely perfect for getting your recommended amount of fitness.
Making shorter journeys by bike (where you can) can contribute to reducing congestion. Which will in turn mean that you’ll breathe in fewer toxins while cycling in busy areas. It will also lead to a reduced strain on our health services.
There is a perception out there that cycling is much more dangerous than it really is. In truth, all activities carry a risk - and driving a car is also one of them. Riding out on the roads and lanes for the first time can be daunting, but cycling is safer than you might think -
Burn calories, not cash. And we mean cash on parking fees, fuel, insurance - it doesn’t make sense for a short journey. In this piece by CycleScheme, they explain how much money cycling to work can actually save you (hint, it’s quite a lot).
Of course, with a healthier body comes a healthier mind, as well as safer, less congested roads. A study in Science Direct showed that aerobic exercise, of which running and cycling are great examples, can significantly reduce feelings of anxiety
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