Cycle to Work Day

This year on the 4th of August it is the 10th annual “Cycle to Work Day”. A day to encourage workers all around the country to get on their bikes; from people who haven’t hopped on a bike since their school days to committed cycle commuters. What’s matters is jumping on a bike, giving it a go and joining a community of cyclists sharing all that’s good about cycling to work.

Our Community Chesterfield Manager Jenny is a keen cyclist, she has a few top tips and thoughts for you all:

I love commuting by bike. I can start and end the day with a great sense of freedom, fresh air and exercise which helps me to process, transition between work and home and sparks my creativity. I am looking forward to riding my bike in September when my eldest starts school and my youngest will be join me for our commute to work and nursery. I love being able to notice and share things along the way, the cows in the fields off Chatsworth Road, the pretty flowers in someone’s garden etc. or saying hello to the same dog walker we see each morning. Cycling for me ticks at least three of the five ways to wellbeing and these are life skills I am keen to teach my children.

Although I grew up with a car, where we lived it was normal to ride a bike, walk or take the bus and this sense of what is ‘normal’ is I think important. My normal includes a variety of transport options and they all have their advantages. For my children, the car is not the default option, which I believe will make them more adventurous, capable and resilient long term and shows them that a full life can be lived without dependence on a car. Given the climate crisis these skills may be vital in the future.

I would advocate, that one of the most impactful things an individual can do to improve their health and wellbeing would be to ditch the car. Even if it is just a couple of times a week. Since reducing to one family vehicle in 2018 and predominantly using alternative forms of transport I:

·         Know my neighbours

·         Notice the weather

·         Frequently enjoy a sunrise or set,

·         Learned to recognise a mistlethrush,

·         Seen a kingfisher

·         Made new friends

·         Found out useful local information and tips

·         Am more active

·         Maintain a healthy weight

Living in Chesterfield we are incredibly fortunate to have an amazing network of traffic free cycle routes connecting town thanks to the hard work and dedication of Chesterfield Cycle Campaign - https://chesterfieldcc.org.uk/.

Town itself is relatively flat and generally traffic is relaxed which make it the perfect place to cycle. The benefits of riding a bike far outweigh the disadvantages and locally an almost traffic free route can be planned to almost anywhere in town making it incredibly safe.

If you want to start riding a bike but don’t know where to start there is a lot of support available in chesterfield to help and you can find a great list of organisations and groups here -  https://chesterfieldcc.org.uk/links/ .

If you want to become more active generally then Active Derbyshire have useful information on their website -   https://www.activederbyshire.org.uk

Just remember, you can start off small, bike riding doesn’t need to be expensive, local community group Monkey Park offer a great service to get you started; they do cycle repairs and sell refurbished bikes - https://www.monkeypark.org.uk/bikes

Inclusive Pedals also deliver a range of cycling projects in and around Chesterfield, including Dr Bike workshops (monthly in Queen’s Park) which provide free bike checks and repairs, Cycling Without Age, Adapted cycling, Community Cycle Club, the Couch to 10 Miles programme, as well as led rides. For more information on their projects and programmes, visit https://www.inclusivepedals.org.uk/index.html

You don’t need to wear special clothes unless you want to, you don’t have to ride up every hill unless you want to (trust me, I have done plenty of pushing in my time and it doesn’t make the downhill any less fun!) and the slower you ride the more you can notice. But if you don’t just want a bike in the garage, swap one or more of your regular journeys to a bike ride.

Chesterfield have a welcoming and enthusiastic community of people who enjoy bikes, Paul Chapman of S40 magazine, one of the local advocates wrote this piece this year, www.chesterfield.co.uk/2022/05/discover-why-chesterfield-is-the-perfect-cycling-destination/ and I would encourage you to join the community!

Happy riding,

Jenny.