If you’ve ever thought about riding a bike to work, flying down the road, passing all those banked up cars, Ride2Work day on Wednesday 16 October could get you started.
If you already ride to work, you’re already experiencing the benefits, but do you know what they are?
Riding a bike regularly can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, type 2 diabetes, obesity and arthritis.
Riding a bike is not only a healthy, low-impact form of exercise but it’s fun too. And it’s easy to fit into your daily routine of going to work, the shops or school.
Penny lives in Melbourne and has been riding to work for 15 years.
Having a desk job in the department’s Mental Health Branch, Penny wanted to include regular exercise in her life, and riding to work just made sense. She had a bike, there was a bike path near her home, it was a fun way to get fit and it was cheap.
“I ride to work every day – rain or shine. It doesn’t cross my mind not to ride. It keeps me fit and I love that sense of freedom riding gives. It’s part of who I am now,” said Penny.
Penny is also concerned about the harm cars have on the environment and people’s health.
“Our roads are so congested with cars that emit air pollution and greenhouse gases, affecting the environment and people’s health. Riding a bike is a low-impact, active form of transport that really appeals to me.”
Being a bike rider also has its social side. Penny is a member of the Better Health Channel bike riding group. The group meets every Sunday morning at 7am in South Melbourne for a leisurely ride along the Beach Road to Mordialloc.
Ride2Work day encourages people to get on a bike and get active on their way to work.
