Get on Your Bike for Cycle to Work Day 2016

September 1, 2016 by Liam Jefferies

Commuters across Southend are being encouraged to take to two wheels for one day as part of National Cycle to Work Day on 14th September 2016.

The number of people cycling to work regularly is growing with 741,000 people in the UK regularly doing so. Cycle to Work Day aims to increase those numbers year by year and to 1 million by 2021.

The council offers its own cycle to work scheme for its employees and also has eight pool bikes for staff to cycle to local meetings, including four pedal assisted electric bikes and four push bikes, and we would love to see more local businesses do the same.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s sustainable transport team, Ideas in Motion, are urging participants to pledge their miles on the www.cycletoworkday.org website and send their stories and selfies of cycling to work on social media using the hashtag #CycleToWorkDay to stay in touch with people across the country.

Free bike health checks are also available at The Comfy Saddle at Central Station so that you’ll know if your bike is in tip-top condition and ready for the day’s commute. This is a service routinely offered for free. If you don’t have a bike, you can always hire one for the day. The Comfy Saddle at Central Station runs a cycle hire scheme that lets you get two wheels for less than £10, and the Bike & Go scheme allows you to rent a bike for £3.80 from Southend Victoria.

Councillor Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste & Cleansing, said: “At a time where there is more traffic on the roads and all the associated issues that brings, now is the perfect time to support this initiative.

“Cycling to work is good for your health, your wallet and the environment and we hope as many people and businesses as possible in the Borough to get on their bikes on 14th September.”

For those who are less confident on two wheels, the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) provide Bikeability (previously known as ‘cycling proficiency’) courses to help give riders more confidence on the road.

Visit www.saferessexroads.org/road-users/cycling/ or email cyclesouthend@southend.gov.uk for information on local courses.

Visit www.cycletoworkday.org to find out more and go to www.ideasinmotionsouthend.co.uk to share your stories and selfies via social media.

Three good reasons to cycle to work:

Get a fresh perspective. Cycling is great for giving you a little headspace, ensuring you arrive home de-stressed, not distressed.

Get there more quickly. Sometimes we get a bit muddled when we think in terms of miles. Often, cycling can be the quickest way to get you from A to B, even ahead of driving.

Get saving. Cycling is almost completely FREE. Why not cycle for the day and then tot up how much you’ve saved? You could give your extra pennies to charity or even buy yourself a treat with the takings.