Pledge, cycle and party your way to a better commute this Cycle to Work Day

12 September 2017

Tomorrow (13th Sep) is National Cycle to Work Day! Let see some reasons to cycle to UCL. Some might be obvious, but others might surprise you!

It is Fun

Cycling must be one of the most exciting ways to get to work. Nobody likes sitting in traffic, cramped in a bus or stuck on a slow train. Why not remove that stress from your daily grind and see how cycling can make your day that little bit happier. The act of cycling has been shown to help reduce stress, meaning you get to the office in a calmer state

Sneaking in exercise

Keeping fit can be a challenge, especially when leading a busy life. However, cycling provides a sneaky panacea to this; cycling can often burn as many calories as jogging, it is low impact so your joints won’t hurt, and is proven to lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular fitness. This all means that cycling to work can form part of your exercise routine. As it is your mode of transport, you are essentially doing exercise unintentionally, when you would otherwise be sitting on a train, bus or car. This frees up your down time to pursue other interests. Who needs that expensive gym membership now?

Eat what you like

All that sneaky exercise means you’ll be sure to feel peckish; morning and evening are the best times where you can seriously affect your metabolism. By commuting by bike you will keep your metabolism raised throughout the day. As well as feeling more energetic, your body will demand more calories and process food much better. This means you can eat more and you won’t need to feel bad for eating that naughty treat in the office. However, you should always have a well-balanced diet.

It’s quite often quicker

Cycling to work is often the quickest choice of transport, especially in London. Where busses and cars get stuck in jams, and trains delayed, cycling is a quicker, attractive alternative. People that don’t cycle to work or are new to cycling tend to overestimate how long it takes to cycle short distances, such as a commute to work. Try having a chat with a cyclist at work, they might be able to estimate your commute for you. It might surprise you!

Flexibility

No, cycling won’t make you touch your toes. What we mean is you are flexible to go where you want, when you want. No waiting around for public transport or catching the cheaper off-peak train. By cycling to work, you can arrive and leave according to your watch.

Make friends

Cycling is all about being sociable. By cycling to work you will quickly meet other colleagues that do too, maybe even individuals you didn’t know. Furthermore, it gives you a common interest to discuss in the office, which can lead to great conversations.

New perspective

Cycling (and walking) gives you a different view of your environment. By cycling to work you will see the streetscapes in much more detail compared to being cooped up in a bus. You will be amazed at what you find, from interesting architecture to a tasty new restaurant or a hidden bar. Keep it up and you will feel like you just moved to the area again.

You don’t have to cycle to work every day

You don’t have to cycle every day. Even by doing it just 1 day a week you will start to gain all these benefits. You might even be able to cycle part of the way and be multi-modal. Planners are realising promoting multi-modal journeys are key to increase uptake in cycling. You may cycle to a station and take the rest by train, or drive and park and then cycle the rest of the way. Do what you are comfortable with and build up from that.