Why commute by bike?
After convincing four people in the office to start riding a bicycle to work, and with mum coming off of her bike a few days ago, it’s a hot topic in the workplace. I was talking to a co-worker this morning about driving to and from work and how much it stresses me out.
I enjoy driving. I consider myself to be a good driver. Safe, but able to handle myself at faster speeds and what not. With that said, I’m a lot more sensible now that I don’t have a fast car. When you don’t have the power there to use, you simply don’t need to drive fast anymore.
Put me in traffic though, and I end up frustrated, and often in disbelief at how terrible other road users are at driving. About two months ago, I sold my car and try to rely solely on my bike, and public transport. I used to work in the city a few years ago, and literally rode every day of the year. Since changing jobs, the distance has doubled and I ride far less than I’d like.
While I do have the soft option of driving (mum’s car, as she doesn’t drive it to work), I try to ride as often as I can.
Why do I ride to work? It’s relaxing. Sure, physically it can be demanding, but mentally it gives me time to think. To me, the ride is a wind down. Plenty of time to ponder my thoughts and figure out what I want from life. I can deal with things in my head so by the time that I get home I have some clarity. It gives me a lot more energy to use too.
Cycling is low-impact exercise (maybe less so when you ride like I do), and it’s great for your health and general well-being. It has been well proven that fitter employees are more productive while at work, and take less sick days during the year. It’s a win win for both the employer and the employee.
Now sure, it’s not as easy as just making the decision one day to go and ride to work. Incidentally I saw a girl riding home from the city yesterday that had obviously made that decision. Wearing a short skirt and knee high boots while riding a bike isn’t very convenient by the looks of it, but it was a sight to see. So it’s not as easy as just jumping on the bike and riding to work, but it’s not that hard to get started either.
A general list of things for riding to work include:
- Finding a safe place to lock your bike, and getting a good quality lock.
- Making sure you have comfortable clothes to ride in (very important during winter).
- Finding a good route to ride (I try and stay off of main roads).
- Having an emergency kit (multi-tool, pump, tyre levers, spare tube).
There are other things to consider, but usually they are easily fixed. Most workplaces have showers now, and if they don’t I have heard of people using baby wipes or just a sink and towel to wipe themselves down. A comfy backpack is good too, and setting your bike up to suit your situation (mud guards, panniers, lights, seat height, etc) help you to get comfortable, but this is something that will develop over time.
While fitness may be a challenge at first, it really doesn’t take long to “get up to speed” either. After riding to work the first time on a singlespeed I thought I’d made a bad decision. Two weeks later though I was riding it as easily as any other bike.
If you are sick of the rat race and want to slow your day down a little, give it a shot. Commuting by bicycle is a great way to mentally unwind, get some fitness, and save some money too. I love it, and I’ll be riding for as long as I can. Maybe even in Copenhagen next year!