“The trick is to make cycling the easy option every morning”
Charlotte has been cycling to work for 35 years. In that time she has seen a huge increase in the number of cycling commuters - and she’s looking forward to welcoming more!
I work at a local High School as a librarian and live close enough to work that it makes complete sense to cycle. It only takes me about 15 minutes from home to my desk.
The trick is to make cycling the easy option every morning. Do not give yourself an excuse to not cycle. That means I have everything ready for the morning, like placing my helmet and bike lock in my bag ready so I never have to look for it. I also have some over trousers for wet weather (which is less often than you think) and a bright cycling jacket. You just whip them off at the other end and you’re ready to go.
I cycle at a steady pace, so I’m not in need of a shower when I get to work!
I often hear that the biggest fear people have is other traffic. The route you take on a bike may be slightly different to the one you’d take in a car, to avoid a horrible junction or dual carriage way for example? But in my experience, cars often let you out first and will give you space.
One of the best parts of cycling to work are the unexpected benefits. On my commute I often see the same faces, people wave, it’s a lovely sense of community. While the cycle home helps me work through anything on my mind so it becomes lighter and easier to deal with.
“I’m approaching 60 and I still love cycling as much as I did in my early 20s”
And the added bonus – it’s a great way to save money! Once you are in a routine, you won’t think about it anymore and it will become normal. Before you know it you’ll miss it if you don’t do it!
