This is Why You Should Invest in a Bicycle
Everyday during my morning commute, meandering down quiet paths or waiting at the lights I’m reminded of what an important epiphany it was realising this was the way forward. At the time I was working in one of those annoying parts of town, not dramatically far but a fiddly journey. Monday to Friday it was either a train and two tubes, or a train followed by a bus through what may be the place that invented congestion. One delay, one slight slip by any of these collective chauffeurs and I was either late to work or late getting home, the latter peaking my indignation.
I walked out of the office one spring afternoon and, for a reason I don’t remember, decided to grab a Boris (public hire scheme bicycle) for a couple of quid and slowly ambled my way home. My grin the only steady aspect of the trip, I was reminded how well I didn’t know I knew the route whilst simultaneously trying to figure out the last time I’d ridden. Upon closing my front door the question beckoned — Why hadn’t I been doing this all along!?!
Boris (aka Ken or, currently, Santander) bikes are a brilliant public transport scheme, but sit at the shite end of the grand bicycle scale — their ego-inducing acceleration away from the lights is immediately replaced by resembling Kermit once you pass the 5 mph threshold. So that weekend I went online, bought a second hand single-speed and proceeded to cycle everyday.
This is city living’s most rewarding hack. Buy a bicycle. Simple. And here’s why…
Traversing town on two wheels plays a frequent part in my chat repertoire and there’s some common retorts from people that don’t ride, and haven’t ever tried cycling in the city and these I want to challenge:
“The roads are too dangerous”
Being genuinely terrified of being on roads I can’t judge but the assumption that getting on a bike in the city equates to taking you life into your own hands is nonsense. Cyclist deaths in UK have been declining for a while now leading us to the current average of one death for every 30 million miles ridden. To put this absurdly low number in context, the chances of picking up any serious injury on a bike is 0.05 per 1,000 hours. In tennis this is 100x higher at 5.00/1000 and sweating along on your indoor rower will give you 6.00 over the same timeframe. Statistically speaking even walking London’s streets puts you at a higher risk*. And whilst the jury is still out over the contribution helmets make towards safety, I advocate wearing one for peace of mind if nothing else.
“The weather is always crap”
Well, yes. This is England. Ironically I’m saying this after the most sun-filled summer I’ve witnessed but its true that it has been known to rain here a bit. That said, the number of times I’ve been caught out and truly soaked over the last five years is minimal. Bicycles are equal and opposite to umbrellas when it comes to rainfall — If you wake up and its torrential, just leave it and grab your Oyster Card. The other thing is seasonality — I can’t pretend that I always brave the February blizzards but for 80% of the year weather is a manageable consideration. Does rain prevent you using other transportation? I’d choose mudguards over crowded carriages & brolly wars any day.
“It’s too far”
London is mapped out according to tube zones. Zone 1 being Central London and 6 being the limits of each line in suburbia. Throughout my time as a cyclist I’ve lived in Zone 2 meaning the ride time to Central London is roughly 30 minutes (5 miles). Should you be a fully fledged commuter belter then, sure, you’re not going to ride in from Tunbridge Wells every day but if you’re inside Zone 3 then bikes are quicker than any other method of transport (bar motorbikes). Hopefully the realisation of being able to get out of bed later as well as arrive home quicker will help balance the laziness scales slightly. And if not, the rise of the e-bikes should be a welcome development.
“What? Get dressed twice!?”
I’m not someone that spends hours getting ready but I do own a hair drier and occasionally use some kind of ‘product’. Changing facilities at your destination (be it a gym or your workplace) are admittedly an important factor in this equation. Mine have varied from spa-like to less-than but as long as there is a shower then I don’t see the difference to getting ready at home? It’s just a new, non-precious mindset that is a simpler adjustment for some than others. Get up and out your door in your gym gear, arrive slightly earlier than colleagues, grab suitable attire & toiletries from your desk, shower and proceed to make yourself presentable. Start the day far more awake than most, zero caffeine required.
Excuses aside, here are six indisputable reasons to join the urban peloton:
1. You’ll have more money
Past the initial investment, bike-life is one of the most economical decisions you can make. Some simple maths to break this fact down: Cost of my first bike — £200, Average cost of a Zone 2 London Travelcard (over last 5 years) — £84 per month. Taking into account our dynamic weather, some indulgent Fridays, a few punctures & replacement parts along the way, lets round down the number of months I ride to 9 per year. Based on this, over 5 years I’ve saved (minus-ing the initial bike cost): £3,580.

Three and a half grand better off. And this is before you add cab fares into the mix. Year after year London public transport prices get notched up making a significant dent in our bank balance. Cycling lets you sidestep this entirely.
2. You’re never delayed
In a city where the average vehicle speed is 8mph and “leaves on the track” is a legitimate reason for your train being cancelled, its hard to imagine never being late. As in, only being late if you set off late. On two wheels you know precisely how long it’ll take to arrive somewhere. (The slight exception to this being a punctured tyre but again, the good side of infrequent). At work you’ll be more popular with the boss, you’ll have more bandwidth for colleague conversations outside of typical Brit travel complaints and evening leisure time will increase. Triple win.
3. You’ll be fitter & healthier
Cycling is excellent cardio, reduces body fat, builds strength and the low impact movement makes it accessible for people of all ages and abilities. People who cycling in mid-adulthood enjoy the equivalent fitness level of someone 10 years younger than them and it boosts your life expectancy by 2 years. Inactivity and obesity are responsible for tens of thousands of preventable deaths each year in comparison. Plus, you’ll be less inclined to sink 5 pints after work as wobbly journeys home are less fun than they sound. Given that London is joint 3rd for Europe’s worst city air quality, pollution warrants mentioning however, you’re exposed to the same amount of noxious fumes when gliding past a taxi as the people sitting stationary in the back seat. The health benefits vastly outweigh any risks and this is free fitness that is part of your routine, not something that you need to isolate time to do.
4. Your local geography improves drastically
This just happens, whether you seek it or not. You’ll take different routes, back passages, parks and suddenly be able to challenge Black cabbies’ Knowledge on the fastest routes pretty much everywhere. Before backtracking when you realise the route you’ve authoritatively suggested is bike access only. And whilst we still have a lot to learn from the Copenhagens and Amsterdams, with the introduction of Cycle Super Highways, Quietways and Radial Routes, London is now connected in a plethora of ways outside of main roads. Avoiding traffic laden tarmac is easier than ever and suddenly Europe’s second largest city doesn’t seem so daunting — As this superb tube style cycle map, including journey times, shows.
5. Your grandkids will thank you for it
The sustainability factor of leg-powered transportation is a major reason why I enjoy my daily ride but I’m aware that not everyone has green issues at the top of their priorities. But no matter how much value you attach to environmental issues, you’d be hard pressed to argue against having cleaner air for us all to breath. Leaving the multitude of other noxious exhaust fumes to one side, on average cycling produces 16g of CO2/km compared with 101 g/km emitted from busses and 271 g/km (!) if using your own vehicle. There’s been countless reports this year into UK pollution being the direct cause of over 40,000 premature deaths and childhood asthma being on the rise because of toxic air, so it feels the right time to shout louder about this. Simply put, commuting by bicycle lowers your carbon footprint enormously and with all the other benefits attached is a rewarding way to do so.
6. You’ll be happier
This is the most important factor. No matter your profession, age or background London is a stressful place and the key to surviving urban life is navigating towards those moments of nourishment. In this 2017 BMJ Study it was found that those people who cycled to and from work were at ‘significantly lower risk’ of being stressed than non-cyclists. Having ridden for a number of years now the reason for this is obvious. In a place where most weekly routines revolve around obedience, where we are dictated to by our capitalist commitments, the single word I think best describes my daily bicycle journey is ‘freedom’. It’s time to yourself. Mindful solitude combined with steady energy release. You don’t need to be racing, simply cruising will see the fog lift from your head. It’s absolute ‘me time’. A break from your smartphone, TV, social media and that 9–5 spreadsheet. A chance to switch off the noise and glide through an ever changing landscape powered by nothing but yourself. Cycling is a mode of transport, a sport and a hobby where the resulting dose of endorphins and dopamine are linked with aiding conditions from alcohol addiction to depression to anxiety and more.
As the number of cyclists increases each person is playing a part in creating a society with cleaner air, quieter streets and fewer fatal accidents all whilst benefiting from more exercise and increased disposable income. The impact that this 200 year old invention can have on a city and it’s population is truly profound.
So there you go; richer, healthier, happier — no matter your age, cycling will change your life.
Thanks for reading!
