As we approach the midpoint of Ride to Work Week 2018, the organisers say 760 organisations and more than 2,000 riders are participating in the event.
Ride to Work Week (12-18 March) is the first of four events organised annually by Love to Ride UK – the others being Bike Week (9-18 June), Cycle September and Winter Wheelers.
Love to Ride says riding to work will ‘make you happier, healthier and wealthier’ and ‘sets you up for the day – you arrive at work energised, warmed up and ready to go’.
More people cycling also reduces congestion and pollution, which is estimated to contribute to 40,000 premature deaths annually in the UK.
To incentivise people to take part in Ride to Work Week, there are a number of prizes to be won every day – ranging from European city breaks to vouchers to spend at local independent businesses.
Everyone who logs a ride to work goes into a daily draw, with the winners announced on Twitter and Facebook at 3pm daily.
Those not sufficiently confident to ride to work on their own are encouraged to find a colleague to ride with them – and ‘seasoned commuters’ are urged to ‘spread the love’ by accompanying a colleague for their first ride.
The organisers say that among the 2,118 participants are 66 new riders. In total, participants are expected to cover 26,328 miles and complete 3,872 trips during the week.
A neighbour of mine commutes some 56 miles to work and from work every working day. Is he going to be happier by bicycle…. I think not.
With the winters snow came chaos and schools were shut. Only because many teachers live miles away from the school and could not get in. No other reason as the kids and caretaker and cleaning staff lived more locally. Industry and commerce suffered exactly the same way.
Not everyone even living close to work wants to put themselves at the mercy of the Great British weather and would rather take the car than any other form of transport. Many live out in the residential suburbs that do not have a frequent bus service or the train station is in the middle of the nearest town miles away. It may be that the journey to work in the car takes only 20 minutes or so but on buses or trains it takes three times longer.
Unlike our counterparts in the Netherlands, that live such an idyllic life style apparently many no longer live and work withing a short walk or cycle ride to work or school. We have been a satellite family since the 1960’s and some live and work and have parents and relatives and work elsewhere in the country. Then other forms of transport such as the car and motorcycle were beneficial to your lives and we threw away our bikes.
Bob Craven
--5
The tag-line ‘happier, healthier and wealthier’ is not going to convince many current non-cycling commuters, I’m afraid. Great for tempting people onto their bikes for a leisurely, recreational ride on a pleasant day but, let’s face it, who is actually ‘happy’ going to work? For some, being able to drive there and back makes it bearable and dare I say it, makes one ‘happier’ on the journey home! Having said all that, where it is practical and manageable for some to cycle to and from work, then I presume they would already be doing it.
Hugh Jones
--4