Celebrating National Cycling Month
Sustrans (2020) have reported that walking and cycling reduces air pollution as it means less people using their cars. We know that the CO₂ emitted to the atmosphere from vehicles is contributing to warming the planet, but if more people opt to walk and cycle there will be less cars on the road and a need for more footpaths and cycle paths built to meet demand, generating cleaner air and reducing the risk of animals being killed by vehicles. It is estimated that every day in the UK, 630 cats will be hit by cars according to the RSPCA (2021). 200,000 cats and 80,0000 dogs are hit every year in the UK according to Visionzer Partnership (2024), not to mention the estimated 100,000 fox deaths, 50,000 badgers, 50,000 deer and 30 million birds that perish every year, but we can reduce this by simply opting for 2 wheels instead of 4.
The World Health Organization (2022) also reported that cycling and walking can significantly mitigate air pollution, which is responsible for over half a million deaths annually in Europe alone. Cycling and walking can help to lower obesity, which is responsible for over one million European deaths annually.
Biking is a workout on wheels, it is a brilliant cardiovascular exercise that strengthens the heart and improves joint mobility and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and strokes (NHS, 2022). The NHS (2021) have said adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise a week.
According to the World Heath Organization (2021) cycling has been identified as a means to prevent heart disease and strokes. Additionally, commuting to work by cycling can lower mortality rates by approximately 10%. Exercise prevents diseases such as hypertension and obesity. Your daily commute can help improve environmental health and your own health, all whilst saving you money.
Cycling Vs Car
The upfront cost of a car is significantly higher than purchasing a bicycle. According to Cycling UK (2022) the average price paid for a bicycle was £332 in 2020 and an E-cycle was £1,854. In comparison to the average car cost being £17,641 Auto Trader (2023) and factoring in that cars depreciate by an average annual cost of approximately £1,104 according to Marsh Finance (2024).
Top Gear (2023) revealed that maintaining a car costs an average of £2,835 per year. They also noted that over a span of 60 years, British drivers typically spend around £438,000 on their cars.
Cycling Benefits Your Well-Being
Cycling can be a very sociable activity and there are lots of events you can get involved with, catering for all different skill levels. Why not find your local cycling group here and meet likeminded people, or visit The British Cycling website here to check out upcoming cycling events.
Here are some upcoming cycling events you might be interested in:
Cycle Swarm Cycling Event starts on the 30th June 2024, 8:00am Carrow Road. Visit there website here.
The Edge Cycle Ride Event starts on 7th July 2024 9am – 5pm, at Maglia Rosso, Lawshall Road, Hawstead, Bury St Edmunds. Visit their website here.
London to Southend bike ride starts on the 21st July 2024 at 7:00am at West Ham Park, East London. Visit their website here.
The Tour Of Suffolk starts on the 12th – 14th July 2024 at Bury St Edmunds. Visit their website here.
Tour De Fox Cycling Event starts on 4th August 2024, 8:30 at Hethersett Village Hall, Back Ln, Hethersett Norwich. Visit their website here.
Ride Essex starts on the 1st September 2024 at Writtle University College, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3RR. Visit their website here.
Save on expensive gym memberships, the average gym membership costs £40.01 (for an independent gym), Multi-site health and fitness club being £49.62 and a low cost gym being £23.07 according to Xplor Gym (2024) so why not save money and cycle, boost your well-being by being outdoors instead. Cycling is the new cost-effective way to work out.
Not only is cycling brilliant for your health, it’s also massively important in improving your mental health, according British Cycling (2024) getting out into nature helps your energy levels and increases your wellbeing. The multitude of benefits that cycling offers outweighs the costs associated with purchasing the bicycle, but we understand that there is a cost attached and thankfully, there are lots of initiatives to help you get started, check out offers are currently available:
Making Cycling Affordable
Pedal your way to savings! Purchasing a new bicycle can be expensive, but there’s cost effective alternatives, such as buying second hand bikes. Halfords offer a great range of second hand bicycles, visit their website here. Alternatively, check out eBay, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace for secondhand bikes. We recommend researching the specifications that you’re looking for on retail websites first, then once you have whittled down your selection use secondhand marketplaces to find what you’re looking for as there are often 100’s if not 1,000s to choose from depending on your search criteria.
Decathlon offer a huge variety of affordable cycling gear ranging from helmets, cycling clothing, bicycle lights and many more products perfect help you cycle with confidence.
Explore their comprehensive range now decathlon.co.uk
Planet X bike gear company offers a wide range of affordable essentials for your bike.
Find more information about the under £10 essential bike gear here.
Planet X also offers up to 40% off with the cycle to work scheme. Find out more information and their T&Cs at planetx.co.uk
Berly Bikes are an affordable way to travel without footing the upfront cost to purchase a bike, available throughout Norwich and currently on trial in London and other cities in the UK.
It’s really simple to use:
- Download the Beryl app
- Find your nearest Beryl on their map
- Ride your bicycle
- Park your Beryl at a Beryl Bay and lock it
Visit beryl.cc/where-you-can-hire to find your closest Beryl Bay.
Voi. is also an affordable way to hire a bike or scooter to commute, particularly in Cambridge and London.
It’s very easy to use:
- Download the free app and create your account.
- Find your nearest bicycle or scooter on their map.
- Easily unlock by scanning its QR code.
- Ride to your destination
Visit voi.com/locations to find your nearest bicycle or scooter.
Suffolk Cycle Hire is a brilliant way to rent a bicycle when you need, it gets delivered to your door and picked up when you’re done! Available in the Coastal Suffolk region.
Cycle to Work Scheme is a government scheme and is a fantastic way of making cycling affordable, you can save up to 42% on a new bike for work. Speak to your employer to see if this is something they currently offer or highlight it as a work perk you would hope to benefit from in the near future!
Learning How To Cycle
Learning to ride a bicycle has never been easier, Little Riders offers a range of Free cycling lessons for a range of ages starting at 2.5 years old to 9 years +. For more information about available free courses visit Little Riders.
Transport for London offers free cycle training, ranging from basic cycle skills course, Urban cycle skills course, advanced cycle skills course and family cycle skills. Visit for more information Free cycle training course Transport For London.
Suffolk County Council offers free cycling training for families. The sessions last just 3 hours long and are free. You learn how to cycle with your children and learn cycling safety skills.
Sign up here.
Norfolk County Council offer cycling training with Bikeability. They offer a Level 1 & 2 combined and level 3 family course.
Most of the courses are free of charge as funded by The Bikeability Trust.
Not every family’s course is free of charge, enquire to learn more about your eligibility for a free cycling course and to find the nearest course to you here.
Beryl have partnered with Bikeabilty learners to offer 300 free minutes to use on a Beryl bike, visit the website here.
Essex Highways are offering residents of Essex Free cycle training for adults.
The training is brilliant for new and experienced cyclists. The free adult Beginner Learn to Ride cycling course includes a 45-minute session.
The confidence building session lasts for 2 hours. The advanced session lasts for 2 hours. All courses are 1 to 1 with a qualified instructor.
Sign up to the cycling course here.
Learn New Cycling Skills With These Brilliant Tutorials
The Global Cycling Network is a brilliant YouTube channel and website to learn cycling tips and bike maintenance skills for new and experienced cyclists.
Check out this helpful tutorial on essential cycling skills – it covers 5 key abilities every cyclist should master. Watch it here.
Discover essential safety tips for cycling amongst traffic in this highly informative tutorial. Watch the video to learn techniques for navigating roads safely on your bike in traffic here.
Learn how to remove and replace your real wheel with this informative video here.
Discover how to change your bicycle pedals here.
Plan your route
Cycle Streets is also a brilliant website to use to plan your route. They even have a quietest route plan, which potentially helps you to plan a safer route to your destination visit their website here.
Darwin Green
The Bike Man does anything bike related. He provides repair and servicing and even bicycle recycling.
You can purchase second hand bikes that come with a six month guarantee.
Visit thebikeman.co.uk
Located at Cambridge Market Square
CB2 3NJ
Download the latest Cambridge cycle Route Map here.
Suffolk have two upcoming cycling events you could take part in, one being the Suffolk Cycle Speedway Association Individual Championships for Under 8, Under 10, Under 13, Under 16, Under 19, Over 40, Senior Open & Women’s (with sub classes for under 10 Girls, under 13 Girls,& under 16 Girls) The event is on the 15th June 2024 at 15:00, at Great Blakenham Recreation Ground, Mill Lane, Great Blakenham. Visit their Facebook events page.
The second event is Suffolk GP for Under 11, under 15 and women and senior pairs. The event takes place on the 19th June 2023 19:00 at Somersham Cycle Speedway Track. Visit their Facebook event page.