Cyclewise

A guide to the benefits of travel by bike.

Although most people think of cycling as a leisure activity, it is also a sustainable means of transport that has many benefits for individuals and the community.

You can build cycling into your daily routine by cycling to work, to school, to local shops, to local sporting facilities, to the train station or bus stop, or for fun. Cycling as part of a regular journey is a great way to take more exercise every day and improve your health.

This page gives you information and tips on how to make cycling part of your daily routine and enjoy the benefits of travel by bike.

We hope you find it useful.

Enjoying real benefits is as simple as cycling the short distance to the post office instead of taking the car. Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day helps you feel better, look better and live longer!

Replacing short car trips with cycling also helps to support your community by purchasing goods and services locally.

• Cycling can help you manage or lose weight and stay in shape. A brisk 25 minute cycle burns around 100 calories. You can burn the same amount of calories by cycling at a slower pace for a slightly longer period
• Low impact exercise such as cycling can help improve muscle
  strength, flexibility and endurance
• Starting the day with some light physical exercise can help you be more awake and alert, helping concentration and memory.
• Every time you exercise you boost your immune system, helping you fight off illness. It can also reduce stress levels, increase energy levels and improve sleep patterns
• Regular exercise can improve psychological well-being and help combat depression.

• Regular exercise can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, strokes, respiratory disease and diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and osteoporosis
• People who do regular exercise can enjoy the well being of people 10 years younger.

Cycling is one of the least expensive ways to travel and shorter journeys provide a great opportunity to exercise instead of driving, which is good for your health, the environment and you bank balance!

Depending on your speed you can burn between 375-600 calories per hour. Any old bike will do to get started. Dust the cobwebs off the old one that is in the shed and make sure its safe to use, or you could borrow one from a family member or friend.

Bikes come in all shapes and sizes and after using a bike a few times you’ll have a better idea of what kind of cycling you enjoy and what kind of bike you want to cycle.

Don’t push yourself too hard the first time if you haven’t cycled in a while. Half an hour’s cycling is a reasonable aim and you can build up to longer cycles if that’s what you like to be doing. Remember to enjoy yourself; cycling should be fun, not a hassle!

Try and avoid cycling on roads with heavy traffic unless they offer the most convenient route to where you want to go and your comfortable cycling them. Cycle paths, canals, parks and green spaces are likely to be the most pleasant relaxing route.

Remember to take a cycle helmet if you wear one, a waterproof jacket in case it rains and some sunscreen if the weather is good. You may also want to take plenty of drinking water and a map if you’re unfamiliar with the local area.

Before you (or your child) get on a bike, it is important to check that it is road worthy.  A safety check should be made before you use a bike for the first time, or if it hasn't been ridden for a while.  You should aim to do this monthly if the bike us used regularly.

Before you ride you need to check:

Check that the:

• Brake blocks are not worn
• Brake blocks contact the centre of the rim when the brake lever is pulled
• Brake cables are not starting to fray
• Levers and the brake assembly have no loose nuts or bolts.

Brakes stop the wheel rotating but will not stop the bike if the tyres are poor and the wheel skids too easily. So you need to check that
the tyres:

• Have sufficient tread
• Are inflated correctly. With the force of your thumb you should just be able to make a dent in the tyre. (Bikes with narrow-tyres need higher pressure and wider tyres generally need less). The recommended pressure for tyres is often indicated on their side wall. You can check this with a tyre pressure gauge.

If you’re going to be cycling in the evening or at night, lights
are essential.

• Lights and reflectors allow you to be seen at night or when it’s
  getting dark
• The Highway Code states that at night you must have white front and red rear lights lit and your bike must also be fitted with a red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors
• Before setting off make sure that your head and tail-light work and are sufficiently bright and that your lights and all reflectors are clean.

A bell is also an essential item to ensure you can be noticed and comes fitted as standard to all newer bikes.

For safe steering the handlebars should control the direction of the
front wheel without being too tight or too loose. Check:

• There is no rocking between the bike frame and the handlebars and wheel assembly: when you lift the bike by the handlebars the frame should lift at the same time
• The wheel doesn’t move left and right independently of the handlebars
• The steering isn’t too tight (the handlebars take an effort to turn) or too loose (the handlebars feel unstable).

Vibration can cause the nuts or bolts on a bicycle to become loose.
The bike won’t fall apart if the nuts and bolts remain tight.

• Check for sufficient tightness of each, and remember that some of the bolts need an Allen key
• Perform a drop test: lift the bike a short way (5cm) off the ground and allow it to drop landing lightly on its tyres. Check any rattle you hear when the bike drops.

It is worth planning your route carefully. Bike lanes, bike paths and relatively quiet streets along the route will make your ride safer and more pleasant. Sometimes a road parallel to a major road proves lower traffic volumes and better cycling.  The healthy habits team can help you plan your journey and provide up to date information on local on and off=road routes.

On busy roads where traffic is often congested, travelling by bike can
often be significantly faster than travel by car.

It is a good idea to do a test cycle of your route before you start
commuting by bike to get an idea of how long it takes. It is also a good idea to leave a little bit earlier the first few times you cycle until you get used to your route and to allow for traffic and unforeseen events.

Some people commute for part of their journey to work by bike and the rest by public transport or car. This allows them to incorporate exercise into a journey that might otherwise be too long to conveniently cycle. It may be possible to gradually increase the portion of the journey cycled as fitness and confidence increases.

Look good for work

In most cases it is best to change at work rather than cycling
in your work clothes.

You can keep your clothes tidy by:

• Rolling rather than folding clothes and shaking them out when you arrive.
• Taking tomorrow’s clothes today and leaving them on a hanger overnight.

Keeping keeping yourself fresh

If you have a reasonably relaxed commute you won’t necessarily need to freshen up when you get to work. However it is probably a good idea to shower at your destination if your cycle to work makes you break a sweat.

Lots of work places have showers and it is worth checking with your
employer to see if there is one available. Even if there’s not, you may be able to arrange to use a shower at another business within a shared building or at a local gym.

Cycle Parking

It is important to find somewhere to safely park your bike. Your work
place may have dedicated indoor or outdoor cycle parking or there may be somewhere secure you can store your bike. Ask your employer, security staff or other cyclists.

Whatever you do, don’t simply leave your bike somewhere without
checking it’s okay and make sure you lock your bike to the stand
provided if it’s in a public place.

Carrying stuff

Just because you’re cycling doesn’t mean you can’t carry anything. Most bikes are designed to take bicycle racks and panniers (saddlebags made for bicycles) to carry additional weight safely and keep the bike stable and a standard backpack is fine for lighter loads.

Cycling is the ideal alternative to driving to your local shop.

• You don’t need to find a car parking space
• You save money on fuel and running costs
• You can exercise as part of a shopping trip
• It is easy to stop and talk with friends and neighbours
• You will support local businesses.

You may think you can’t do a proper shop without you car but:

• Many shops do home deliveries so you can buy a big order
  and arrange to have it delivered to your home
• You can also buy less and shop more often. This is a great way
  to make sure you always have the freshest foods and it gives
  you the opportunity to get some exercise rather than being
  stuck in a car.

Cycling for 16 minutes uses as much energy as:

• Swimming breast stroke for 10 minutes
• Playing foot ball for 12 minutes
• Doing aerobics for 16 minutes
• Weight training for 17 minutes
• Walking for 20 minutes.