BIKE WEEK: What You Need to Know about Cycling to Work

Since the introduction of the government's cycle to work scheme in 1999, there has been a revolution in the number of people who cycle to work in Britain. The benefits of cycling into work rather than driving or using public transport are numerous, with the most obvious being saving money and improving your overall health and fitness.

Although there are many benefits that come when you trade your car for a bike, cycling to work also presents some key obstacles you must overcome. With this week being Bike Week, which is an event delivered by Cycling UK to showcase cycling, we thought it would be beneficial to help any employees who may have registered for our cycle to work scheme by providing some top tips on overcoming those obstacles.

Find a bike you can rely on

When you are commuting to work every day, it's vital that you have a bike that can support you through continual use in different weather. You may also be interested in buying accessories or upgrades such as mudguards to keep mud from your chain or wider tyres to spread the load and offer better grip during rainy weather.

On our cycle to work scheme, you can select from a vast range of bike brands available on the UK market. Participating companies include 460+ Halfords stores, 21 Cycle Republic stores, Tredz.co.uk and a wide network of partner independent bike shops. All employees in our scheme also receive 8 weeks free insurance, a discount card giving you 20% off cycle parts and accessories at Halfords and Cycle Republic, and 1-year CycleCare cover.

Lock it up

When you use your bike everyday for travelling to and from work, it is essential that you invest in a quality lock and keep your bicycle somewhere that is well-lit with CCTV. There is nothing worse than the sinking feeling you experience when you realise that your bike isn't where you left it at the end of a tough day at work.

At Bravo Benefits, our cycle to work scheme allows employees to select as many accessories as you like with your new bicycle, as long as the combined value is less than £1000. Make sure you save a little bit of that allowance for a decent lock.

Remember the essentials

Keep a pair of shoes at work. Not only does this lower the weight in the luggage you have to carry to and from work every day, but it also means that you won't ever forget your work shoes and have to walk round all day in your cycling shoes.

You may also want to keep some dry cycling gear at work, just in case you don't have enough time to dry what you cycled into work wearing on a rainy day.

Other essential items include dry shampoo, wet wipes, work clothes and fresh socks. Try and keep spares at work or pack your bag the night before.

Don't push yourself too hard

Many cycling commuters start off with great intentions, but after a month of riding to and from work, they can become disengaged as they find themselves more tired than usual.

If you are a commuter newbie, you may want to think about building up your stamina over time. You can do this by picking only certain days to cycle to and from work, or cycling to work one day, leaving your bike at work and cycling home the following day. By doing this, your body slowly gets more adjusted to your new method of transportation, avoiding burn out!

Our cycle to work scheme helps employees save money on fuel, car parking, train and bus fares as well as saving time waiting for public transport. The program helps employees reduce their carbon footprint, and by promoting alternative travel, employers demonstrate their status as a caring and green employer.

At Bravo Benefits, we are committed to providing our clients with the right benefit schemes for their business. We are passionate about what we do and work hard to provide competitively priced benefits. If you're interested in our cycle to work scheme as either an employee or employer, talk to a member of our team today on 0330 333 9100 or email us on information@bravobenefits.co.uk

‍