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ONE.. Why Cycling?

The benefits of cycling

Cycling has so many benefits, from being an efficient use of space to helping combat climate change. Not to mention the fact that people who cycle regularly have an average fitness of someone 10 years younger

The benefits of cycling are numerous.

It’s a cheap and reliable way of providing mobility for thousands of people and money spent on providing better cycling conditions has a beneficial effect on all transport users. Top-quality cycle routes can be built for a fraction of the price of many road schemes.

Cycling makes efficient use of space, which is at a premium in Cambridge. Road capacity is increased perhaps tenfold if bikes are used instead of cars and some ten cycles can be parked in one car space.

Cycling is good for the environment. With the increasing concern over climate change, energy conservation is now a priority in most countries and it’s worth noting that a cyclist can travel about 500km on the energy equivalent of a litre of petrol. Furthermore the fuel a cyclist uses – food – can be locally grown and cycles use very little fossil fuel – just a little oil from time to time! Of course, food production does involve fossil fuels, as does manufacturing cycles, but less than in manufacturing motor vehicles. A cyclist also produces far fewer carbon emissions, is almost noiseless and produces no pollution.

Cycling is good for the body. Regular cycling reduces body weight, tension and the risk of heart disease. The average cyclist lives longer than the average non-cyclist. It also makes people more efficient at work. People who cycle regularly have an average fitness level of someone 10 years younger.

Cycling is a faster means of transport, particularly in Cambridge. The vast majority of urban journeys can be made faster by bike than any other way.