I've been cycling to work for a couple of weeks now, and the initial excitement has not yet worn off. When I'm at home and about to get on my bike, I still feel a little trepidatious - what if I get too hot? What if I'm too cold? What if it's too dangerous? Yet without exception, every time I start pedalling, my worries vanish and I feel a childish glee as I sneak (safely, of course) up to the front of a stationary line of traffic. As I stride up through the gears on a long straight, the revolutions of my legs transition from the wild careering of two erratic hamsters to a long, smooth glide. (I won't deny that at such times I am secretly racing the other cyclists in la Tour de France Londres).
But there are many more practical reasons for enjoying cycling, too. This week I cancelled my season ticket on my travelcard, which costs me £1,284 per year. If I take the tube even once a week to work and back, which I probably won't, I will spend around £20 per month instead of over £100. Some routes are actually quicker on the bike at certain times of day. My commute now takes 33 minutes every time, whether I sprint or dawdle, and whether I am caught at each traffic light or sail through them. It's the same time as the tube used to take. And yet now I have the opportunity to partake in one whole extra hour of exercise every day - five more hours per working week - at absolutely no cost to my finances or my time! It's silly that I didn't start cycling sooner. People pay thousands of pounds each year on gym memberships in London - fortunately I have a very economical gym deal through my university - but now I can do 1.5 hours of exercise every single working day - 2 x 30 mins bike and 1 x 30 mins gym - and spend no more spare time on it than I did before.
There is one downside: there is a lot of packing involved. Today I have changed six times already: I put my gym gear on to cycle to work, changed into my regular clothes when I arrived, put on my gym clothes at lunchtime for my class, showered and changed back into my regular clothes, changed into a fresh set of gym clothes to cycle home, and then changed into something else because my back was sweaty when I arrived home. It's a bit of a faff, plus there is lots of laundry. But I didn't run all those races for nothing - I have a two-month supply of t-shirts to get through! And hey, if I become tired of it all, I can just remind myself that I save money every day by not taking the tube, and I win one free hour of exercise.
A human on a bike is one of the fastest and most efficient animals on earth: it's energy-, time-, and cost-efficient. I was lucky to have been given my bike, and the only things I've spent on it have been two top-quality locks and one helmet, for £60 total. One will definitely save my bike and the other may save my life. There are so many benefits to cycling that it's a no-brainer for me.
But there are many more practical reasons for enjoying cycling, too. This week I cancelled my season ticket on my travelcard, which costs me £1,284 per year. If I take the tube even once a week to work and back, which I probably won't, I will spend around £20 per month instead of over £100. Some routes are actually quicker on the bike at certain times of day. My commute now takes 33 minutes every time, whether I sprint or dawdle, and whether I am caught at each traffic light or sail through them. It's the same time as the tube used to take. And yet now I have the opportunity to partake in one whole extra hour of exercise every day - five more hours per working week - at absolutely no cost to my finances or my time! It's silly that I didn't start cycling sooner. People pay thousands of pounds each year on gym memberships in London - fortunately I have a very economical gym deal through my university - but now I can do 1.5 hours of exercise every single working day - 2 x 30 mins bike and 1 x 30 mins gym - and spend no more spare time on it than I did before.
There is one downside: there is a lot of packing involved. Today I have changed six times already: I put my gym gear on to cycle to work, changed into my regular clothes when I arrived, put on my gym clothes at lunchtime for my class, showered and changed back into my regular clothes, changed into a fresh set of gym clothes to cycle home, and then changed into something else because my back was sweaty when I arrived home. It's a bit of a faff, plus there is lots of laundry. But I didn't run all those races for nothing - I have a two-month supply of t-shirts to get through! And hey, if I become tired of it all, I can just remind myself that I save money every day by not taking the tube, and I win one free hour of exercise.
A human on a bike is one of the fastest and most efficient animals on earth: it's energy-, time-, and cost-efficient. I was lucky to have been given my bike, and the only things I've spent on it have been two top-quality locks and one helmet, for £60 total. One will definitely save my bike and the other may save my life. There are so many benefits to cycling that it's a no-brainer for me.
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