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 In London alone, there was a 10% increase in the number of cyclists on the road between April and September 2007 compared with last year and an estimated half a million people are now cycling every day. Rising public transport and fuel costs, the desire to improve health, lose weight and to do a bit for the environment are all reasons that thousands of UK workers are ditching their cars and cycling to work.
Tony Doyle, ambassador for Pedalite International:
As a former World Cycling World champion and an ambassador for bike safety light specialist, Pedalite International, I firmly believe that cycling has the power to revolutionise the health of the UK workforce. I'm also convinced that businesses will benefit from encouraging their staff to cycle to work, but they should ensure they take adequate safety precautions to ensure their employees remain safe on the roads.
Health benefits – it's not difficult
We all know that a healthier and fitter workforce will improve productivity but, how many of us shell out a fortune in expense gym memberships in January only to find our fitness resolutions dwindle by March?The good news is that cycling is not arduous and anyone can do it. It's a low impact, unchallenging, fun and sociable activity which offers a great workout and major health benefits.
- Just 30 minutes of cycling three to four times a week is all it takes to reduce the risk of heart disease and obesity by 50% and lead to fitness levels of someone 10 years younger, according to the British Heart Foundation.
- On the flip side, a 1996 study of coronary disease by the Free University Amsterdam of more than 30,000 people in Copenhagen showed that those who did not cycle to work experienced a 39% higher mortality rate than those who did. So there are major long-term benefits to be gained by taking up cycling and there’s no time like the present.
- In conjunction with a healthy diet, regular cycling can help speed up the post Christmas weight loss – most cyclists will burn between 190-415 calories cycling at a moderate speed of 10 mph in just half an hour.
- What’s more, cycling is cheap and pollution free; it uses all the major muscle groups so it gives an all round fitness – so there is no need to fork out this year for a gym membership.
Tax free cycling schemes
Employee benefits go a long way towards staff retention, so why not offer your staff cycling benefits? There are many work related bike programmes that you can join including ‘On your bike’ and ‘Cycle to Work’ both of which offer tax incentives so that staff can purchase tax free bikes and cycling accessories. Transport for London has also launched a scheme called ‘Take a stand’ where employers can apply for cycle parking for their staff.
Teambuilding
Getting a group of employees involved in cycling can also be an effective way of promoting teambuilding. They could all do the London Freewheel Mass Bike ride again in September for example. I entered last year, and was amazed at seeing the streets of London being taken over by huge volumes of cyclists all ages basking in the great atmosphere. Or how about raising some money for charity and taking on a new challenge at the same time, by entering the London to Paris this year? Safety on the roads
As a responsible employer however, there are risks to cycling on the roads and these must be carefully communicated to staff. Having been in an accident myself, I wouldn’t even cycle 200 yards to the local shops without a helmet. With a greater number of cars on the road than ever before, there is no denying that for some people, safety is a barrier to taking up cycling with many believing that cycling on the roads is dangerous.In a survey, conducted at the national UK cycle show in October 2007 by Pedalite, 61% of cyclists complained that cars and lorries come too close to them, causing them to wobble or throwing them off balance and 51% said that their biggest worry was not being seen. As an ardent safety campaigner, I would recommend that cyclists take every precaution including adding lighting which is always on to ensure they can be clearly seen.Lighting on bikes is essential for safety and for this reason I campaign on behalf of Pedalite International, which offer battery-free pedal lighting for bikes which can greatly enhance cycling safety.
About Pedalite
Powered by cycling energy, the Pedalites start flashing as soon as the cyclist starts to pedal and the lights stay on for up to five minutes after the pedaling has stop, protecting the cyclist at road junctions as they ensure that bikes can clearly seen by motorists from up to 1km away and from any angle. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, over 75% of cycling accidents happen at junctions and so by adding Pedalites to bikes, cyclists can go a long way to eliminating risk. Bikes fitted with Pedalites seem wider too, so cars give them a more space and distance eliminating the likelihood of accidents and giving more confidence to cyclists. In addition, cyclists often forget to turn their lights on early enough or stop to turn on lights when storm clouds make it dark during the day and Pedalite pedals provide an emergency lighting system that shows up when needed and never need to be turned on or off.
Safety tips to ensure your staff feel confident and safe on the roads:
- Always wear a helmet
- Wear reflective clothing to ensure you are as visible to motorists as possible
- Give your bike regular safety check ups – any good bike shop will provide a service and this is essential if you using your bike to commute
- Pump up your tyres and check your oil
- Always ensure you carry spare batteries for your lights
- Fit battery-free Pedalites on your pedals – the flashing pedal lights will ensure you can be seen any time day or night and of course, remember to have fun
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