When I first moved to London I had no interest in cycling every day to get to and from university. I’d seen how crazy the roads can be and I didn’t want to get squashed! However, thanks to a free course funded by the council, I’m now commuting every day on my bike and wish I’d started much sooner.
Over the past six months I’ve now cycled over 1000 miles in central London! My health has improved, I’m able to save more money every month and for the first time I’m enjoying my commute.
There’ve been a few dodgy incidents here and there, some of them of my own making and some caused by others. But, as I’ve gained experience I’ve had bad experiences less regularly. Almost all situations can be overcome by having confidence in your position on the road and sticking to a moderate pace: you’re not training for the Tour de France!
I started in February and certainly have been lucky with the weather which has helped. Over the 200+ journeys I’ve done so far, despite many ominous looking clouds I’ve only been caught properly in the rain three times. I’ll admit that on one day I did catch the tube when it was bucketing down outside. We’ll see what it’s like cycling in the winter.
It’s understandable to be put off, but now that I’ve been cycling a fair bit, here is why I think you should give it a go!
Reasons to start cycling
Flexibility
When I used to catch the tube, there was a window of time at rush hour where I’d avoid trying to catch the tube due to how busy it was. If I wasn’t out of the house by 8am, I’d rather wait at home for an hour.
Although the roads can get busy at certain times, I find it’s more dispersed and I’m happy to cycle at any hour. The worst that happens is that you sit in a few minutes of traffic. This means that I can start and leave work whenever I want to. Having greater flexibility means that I can better balance my workload.
Free courses
I don’t really have any memories of cycling when I was younger. Before starting my daily commute I’d probably cycled under 20 miles in total, ever. I’m now cycling 9 miles a day!
The only reason I started cycling was because of an email I received about a free course paid for by the local council. I went on the Recycle the Way You Travel course back in February (update September 2021: sadly this course no longer seems to be offered). It takes place over a weekend and includes a day of training on how to maintain your bike.
On the Sunday they provide some outdoor cycling training and then you ride away on… your free bike! Yep you read that correctly, the course includes a free refurbished bike, brought up to standard by mechanics. Hopefully they’ll start offering the course again soon because I’d thoroughly recommend it.
Despite my growing hatred of the tube, had it not been for this course I don’t think I’d have ever made the switch.
If you aren’t in a borough that offers bikeworks courses, I’ve also heard fantastic things about these TfL courses run by local councils all around London. No free bike, but there are courses for every type of cyclist. I’m going to book onto one of the advanced ones to help deal with odd situations on my commute.
Saving Money
Even with a student oyster card I was spending nearly £95 a month on the tube and still had to pay extra to go to zones 3 and beyond.
I do sometimes catch the tube at the weekend but I’m definitely saving at least £85 a month now by cycling on weekdays. Plus, if I have to travel somewhere without my bike, I now tend to catch buses more frequently. Buses have the benefit of being cheaper than the tube and I get to see more areas of the city.
A reminder that if you have a railcard, you can link this to your oyster and get 1/3rd off off-peak journeys, which includes any travel at the weekend.
Free, convenient exercise
Despite doing a lot of walking I’d recently been neglecting exercise of any real intensity. On top of that, while I’m working I definitely don’t take as many breaks and go outside as often as I should.
Cycling to university means that I get a guaranteed hour of exercise every day. Plus it’s time that I’d otherwise be stood still commuting on the tube so it’s not even taking extra time out of my day. I’ve gone from getting no exercise to cycing over 40 miles a week!
On top of that, I’ve also started stopping off at an outdoor gym which I wouldn’t otherwise pass by. Since I shower at work I’m able to stop off en route and get in an extra workout for free.
Positive for mental health
Getting exercise is great for your mental health. I’ve come to find cycling in particular really enjoyable. Something about the freedom and autonomy it brings is very relaxing and I find it a great way to unwind.
Of course you have to stay alert but even at the worst of times I’ve never found cycling stressful. Remember, you can always pull over and take a break if you have a bad experience. Compared to being on the tube which can be claustrophobic and anxiety-provoking, I’ve found cycling to be a pleasure.
Often faster (and possibly healthier?) than the underground
Cycling can also be faster than catching the tube – even outside of peak times! Last week I did the same journey as my girlfriend, I cycled and she caught the tube. The journey takes roughly 30 minutes and I got home over 10 minutes before her!
You may think that London streets are highly polluted and unfortunately you’re right. However, what’s not as often discussed is just how polluted certain parts of the underground are.
A recent study found that particulate pollution on parts of the London Underground (LU) is up to 30 times higher than levels beside roads in the capital. Whilst the long term effects aren’t yet well known, you’re not escaping pollution by travelling underground.
Environmental
Environmental issues are becoming more and more pressing, and any measures we can take to help are worth considering in my opinion.
If you’re just catching the tube it’s perhaps not the worst thing for the environment but if instead you’re regularly driving (or being driven) short distances then maybe you could try cycling or walking these journeys instead.
I’m aware that any reduction in carbon emissions as a result of my switch will be minimal. However, if many people make the change (especially from driving) it can quickly add up. There is a kind of chicken and egg situation where many people are scared to cycle because the roads aren’t safe, yet it’s difficult to expect better infrastructure if clear demand isn’t there.
The more people who cycle, the more public pressure there is for additional cycle paths and pedestrianised streets. Both of which would further encouraging cycling and dissuade people from driving. Plus, from what I can see, many people spend a very small amount of time outdoors, walking to and from tube stations and the like.
Cycling could be a good first step to connect people with their local environment to begin appreciating why it’s worth fighting for the planet. Here is a slightly related post which I read recently, relating to the idea of making positive changes.
But is it safe?
Ah yeah, the big question. Fear of getting injured was the main thing which held me back from cycling for a long time.
Once you’re on the road, it’s surprising how much less scary they are than they look from the pavement. You quickly figure things out and if there is a section you really don’t like you can always find an alternative route around.
Like I said at the start, I’ve heard great things about the TfL courses which are run by all London councils. Yes there are still crazy motorists (and cyclists) out there. However, from everything I’ve seen and read, if you’re sensible, indicate early and go at an acceptable pace then you’ll be fine.
Stats from the Department for Transport in 2015 suggest that for every billion miles cycled in the UK 30.9 cyclists were killed, and for every billion miles walked, 35.8 pedestrians were killed. So in terms of the chance of dying, cycling isn’t actually so bad. When accidents are considered more broadly, the chance of getting injured cycling is over double that of for pedestrians which is why showing a demand for safe cycling routes is important.
Considering the overall risk of dying for cycling compared to not, research has shown that in almost all cities of the world you can cycle for many hours per day before the negatives outweighs the positives.
This Financial Times article summarises things nicely and also includes an interactive chart builder for you to see how much cycling is healthy for you based on different pollution levels. You can use this website for different cities too to get a sense of depending on how much pollution there is on your route.
Cycling has brought loads of benefits to me and I hope this article has helped you to consider giving cycling a go yourself. If you don’t already own a bike, do look up the free BikeWorks courses if they’re in your area, or simply rent a bike.
No matter how you try it, do make sure to take things slowly and of course wear a helmet. I’m sure cycling has made me a more happy and productive PhD student and I highly recommend giving it a go!
