5 great reasons to ride your bike to work

For starters, it can save you thousands of dollars.

Wednesday October 18 marks Australia’s National Ride2Work Day, where commuters are encouraged to ditch the car, train, bus or tram and instead roll into work on two wheels – their bike.

The day is organised by the Bicycle Network, a company that aims to make bike riding easier for everyone and to encourage them to make their commute an active one. Data from Australia’s Health Tracker, collated by the Australian Health Policy Collaboration, shows that over two thirds of Australians – including children – don’t get enough exercise.

Anthea Hargreaves, the Bicycle Network’s General Manager of Public Affairs, says cycling to commute is a great way to combat this inactivity. “Riding to work is the easiest way to get your daily dose of exercise,” she says. “It’s also cheaper, far less stressful and is often the quickest way to get around.”

But don’t just take her word for it. We asked some riders – from casual cyclists to diehard everyday commuters – to explain why they choose to ride to work.

Do you struggle to find the hours in the day to fit in work, downtime, and exercise? Bike riding could be the solution; if your commute is a workout, you’re multitasking by default. Lucy Evans, a daily cyclist, says cycling makes it easier than ever to knock over the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

“Either way I'm going to have to spend time commuting to work, so I may as well spend the time doing something that's good for me too,” she says.

Phil Lees, another daily bicycle commuter, says that riding actually frees up time for life’s other demands. “Now that I’m in the routine of riding, convenience is a big reason to keep riding. Factoring in the wait times, walk to the station and transfers, I can generally make it to and from work faster on my bike than I can on a train.”

That is, once it gets used to sitting on a bike seat every day. The health benefits of regular cycling are well-researched, and they include a substantial decrease in the risk of developing and dying from cancer or heart disease.

On top of that, you can expect to feel a difference in your fitness levels. “I’m a lot fitter than when I started,” says Phil, “but it wasn’t really a goal that I had in mind… I thought I would just maintain the generally average level of fitness that I already had.”

Lucy concurs. “My stamina and overall fitness have benefited,” she says. “I mostly notice it when I have a few weeks off. The first few commutes are tough. But my fitness seems to return fairly quickly these days.”

Between the costs of public transport passes, or petrol, parking and car maintenance, your daily commute can really start to drain your bank account. But when it comes to cycling – once you move past the initial investment in a good bike – the average annual cost for services and equipment is cheaper than driving or public transport in the long run.

“People that ride to work tell us they save up to $15,000 a year on transport costs,” says Anthea.

The environmental impact of travelling by bike is extremely low. In fact, riding 10kms each way to work instead of driving reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 1.3 tonnes annually.

Not only are you helping to save the environment when you ride, you also get the opportunity to meet it face-to-face. This is a key factor for Lucy. “I get to enjoy the environment more when I travel by bike,” she says.

“It's spring at the moment, and I'm glorying in the smell of jasmine and the blooming magnolia trees on my commute. I'd never normally be so attuned to the way the trees change with the seasons, and the utter joy of a crisp, sunny spring day.”

The effects on your health aren’t just physical. Our riders found their mental health benefitted, too.

Phil’s ride allows him to put the rest of the world out of sight. “I find it pretty relaxing both before and after work,” he says. “I spend most of the time on my bike daydreaming rather than staring at my phone or working which is what I would do if I was on a bus or the train,” he says.

Lucy’s cycle home lets her decompress from the workday. “It makes me feel good. My ride home lets me transition out of whatever work stress or frustration I've experienced through the day,” she says. “I really notice the difference in my mood when I don't get to ride home – I feel like work's still sticking to me.”

Of course, riding also has its challenges – cars, a lack of bike lanes, bad weather, and self-doubt can all come into play – but planning is the key to mitigating any of these issues.

“Start in increments,” suggests Lucy. “Ride in one or two days per week and see how you feel; increase the frequency from there if you're feeling good. Plan your route ahead of time and try to stay on bike paths as much as possible. I take slight detours just to make my route safer – ultimately it's a much more pleasant, and often quicker, experience when I stay off busy main roads.” And finally, “Invest in good bike lights. They're expensive, but hopefully a one-off purchase, and they keep you safe!”

Some tips for Ride2Work Day:

• Swap out your regular bag for a backpack so you ride hands-free and take a change of clothes and a lock.
• Make sure your bike is serviced, your chains are oiled and your wheels have enough air in them.
• Don’t forget your helmet, a bike lock and bike lights.
• Plot out your route before you go, making sure to stay on roads with bike lanes where you can, and ask around to see if you can ride with a regular cyclist if you’re feeling unsure.