Background
Cycle to Work Day is celebrated nationally on an annual basis.
Cycle to Work Day was founded by Cyclescheme to encourage individuals to cycle to work, according to Cyclescheme’s website: “Cycle to Work Day is absolutely for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t cycled in years or have never cycled at all. This is just about giving it a go.”
Cyclescheme was founded by Gary Cooper and Richard Grigsby. According to Cyclescheme: “Born out of passion for cycling as a practical and sustainable form of transport, Cyclescheme Limited was incorporated in February 2005, meeting the governments three cycle to work objectives: CO2 emission reduction, Congestion reduction, and improved public health and wellbeing.”
This year Cycle to Work Day will place on the 4th of August 2022. The hashtag used for this event is #CycletoWorkDay.
Why should I cycle to work?
There are multiple reasons why cycling to work can help you, we have listed a few below:
- Saves money – Cycling to work will lower the amount of fuel you are using, which saves you money.
- Lower your carbon footprint – by ditching your car, even if it is for one day, you are lowering the amount of greenhouse gasses that are entering the atmosphere, which lowers your carbon footprint.
- You might enjoy it – you might enjoy the ride to work, no more traffic jams and you can enjoy the fresh air and maybe take a scenic route into work.
- Lowers the risk of heart disease – According to an article posted on www.health.harvard.edu: “bike commuting was associated with a lower risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or cancer.”
What if I don’t have a bike?
If you don’t have a bike and would like to join in Cycle to Work Day, there are many ways to participate:
- Hire a local bike – many cities now have pay-as-you-go bikes as a way to promote cycling, if you are unsure, get in touch with your local authority.
- Visit a local bike shop – many small and big retailers have options which allow you to rent a bike for an occasion or a small period of time.
Is there any schemes that can support me with purchasing a bike?
There are many ways to purchase a bike:
- Vouchers – from time to time, the government release discounted vouchers to financially assist the general public with their purchase, please speak to your local authority for further information
- Salary sacrifice schemes – there are many different schemes out there, which allow you to spread the cost of a purchase through payroll sacrifice – please speak to your employer as there may be a provision which exists already for employees or to bring to their attention.
You can use Cyclescheme’s cycle to work scheme, where you can hire a bike for 1 year or 4 years, at the end of your hiring period, you can choose to pay an additional payment to keep your bike. If you would like to find out more about the cycle to work scheme, then please go to www.cyclescheme.co.uk/how-it-works.
How do I join in Cycle to Work Day?
You can join Cycle to Work Day by:
- Cycle to work – Dust off your bike, check the tires and brakes and cycle to work, please remember to wear a helmet and use your arms to signal if you are going left or right. Why not encourage your neighbours and colleague to do the same and ride as a group?
- Sharing on social media – By sharing this article and other articles and information about Cycle to Work day, you can encourage others to also cycle to work, and you can also post some selfies of your journey to work.
- Join Cyclescheme’s Love to Ride community – According to Cyclescheme’s website: “All the cycling action will be happening in our free Love to Ride online community. You can sign up with Facebook, Strava or simply by entering your details, and then connect a smartphone app so you can log your rides.”
If you would like to join the Love to Ride community or would like to find out about Love to Ride, then please go to https://www.lovetoride.net/cyclescheme.