9 reasons to cycle to work more often
Annoying traffic jams, delayed trains, packed buses – if you commute to the office by car or public transport, you risk being in a bad mood even before you get to work. And on the way home, all that stress again. Does this sound familiar? Then it’s high time you started cycling to work! And once you’ve caught commuting fever, the cold half of the year won’t even be a problem for you either, because, with the right clothing, anything goes! Here are nine reasons why you should commute to work by bike.
Contents
- Expand your comfort zone
- More fun in day-to-day life
- Save time
- Quality over quantity
- Electric assistance & bike leasing
- Save money
- Explore your local area
- Health and happiness
- Environmentally conscious miles
Expand your comfort zone
Everyone knows those days when you feel like you haven’t got anything done, even though you’ve been busy all day. But when you get on your bike after a hard start to the day or after the long-awaited end of the day, this resentment disappears in no time at all. Because as soon as you start pedalling and the wind blows around your nose, you can’t help but be in a good mood. This way you arrive at work and back home relaxed. At some point, even wind, drizzle and other bad weather will no longer deter you and you have expanded your comfort zone without even realising it. And you also have fun doing it!
More fun in day-to-day life
Speaking of fun: in the grey daily routine, it can quickly be swallowed up by appointments, deadlines and dates. And even when you get back home, it’s hard to come down, because there’s still at least one full laundry basket waiting to be thrown into the washing machine.
It’s easy to end up in a permanently low mood. That’s why it’s all the more important to find little moments of fun in everyday life that stimulate the happy hormones in our brains. And what better way to do that than by bike? Whether it’s going to kindergarten with the whole family or pedalling to work on your own, cycling is always fun in some way!
Save time
Hard to believe, but true: in most cases, it either takes just as long or is even faster to cycle to work than to get into a car. The only difference is that we have accustomed ourselves to all the inconvenience that goes along with commuting by car. And maybe you even dawdle around because you think you’ll get there quickly by car and end up in a traffic jam. Perfect chaos! But as mentioned in point 1, once your comfort zone has been expanded, you’ll be putting your bike helmet on faster than reaching for the car keys.
Quality over quantity
No, you don’t have to set new records and best times right away! Even if point 3 may have given a different impression: if you want to cycle to work, quality goes before quantity. After all, getting used to your journey is most important. You can start out by cycling once or twice a week to work if you want to take time to get accustomed to it, and there is no shame in hopping in a train for part of the way.
There is no need to try to make a sports science project out of commuting! One step at a time and you’ll be surprised how you’ll become faster and more confident. After all, we want less stress, not more. And at some point – you won’t believe it – you’ll prefer your two wheels to four.
Electric assistance & bike leasing
Would you actually like to cycle to work, but don’t feel like arriving at the office sweaty and out of breath? Totally understandable, after all, not every employer has a changing room or shower available. The e-bike can be a welcome solution! You still get exercise, have fun and arrive at work refreshed. Bike leasing is becoming increasingly popular and makes it easier to afford an e-bike. So it’s worth asking your employer about it. And if you don’t know about these bikes yet, s-pedelecs go up to 45 km/h and are perfect for longer journeys to work.
Save money
Even if the investment in a good bicycle seems expensive at first: cycling really saves money. People tend to forget the costs of petrol, insurance, repairs or expensive monthly travel tickets, but if you do the maths, it’s always cheaper to cycle. It’s better to invest a little more money in a good, safe bike or equipment for everyday commuting, such as bags and windproof jackets, instead of worrying about car insurance and MOTs.
Explore your local area
Every one of us knows the way to work inside out. But do we know all the places between? You can discover completely new sides of your neighbourhood by cycling. Planning software like komoot, for example, can help you explore undiscovered corners and find hidden highlights. If your bike allows it, you could take a detour into the forest after work, take one more mountain or ride past one or two landmarks you’ve seen on Google Maps. You’ll see that as your commuting comfort zone grows, so will your enthusiasm for your bike.
Health and happiness
You could already read it between the lines in a few previous points, but here it is again in concrete terms: cycling is healthy! Exercise in the fresh air makes life difficult for colds because it benefits the cardiovascular system and strengthens the immune system. It’s also easy on the joints and good for your back – perfect for anyone who has to spend all day in the office. And don’t forget your mental health, cycling is great for that too. Your bike not only makes you healthy and happy but also more productive, stress-resistant and efficient – even your boss will be happy!
Environmentally conscious miles
Cars make a very large contribution to environmental pollution, right from their production to use and disposal. Internal combustion engines are not only a problem because of CO2 emissions, but also because there are simply far too many of them. Did you know that the number of motor vehicles in the UK has risen almost every year since 1945? It’s time to give cycling a chance. The bicycle offers the perfect opportunity to take a different route and travel more sustainably. Not to mention, you need much less space! As we have already established, it’s all just a question of getting used to it.
