Give a person a bike lane, and they can cycle for miles. It’s incredible how much faster you can get from point A to point B in a crowded city when you’re on a bike compared to being in a car. So what benefits do you get by encouraging your workforce to commute on two wheels? Let’s talk about it.
Come in with a clear head. Ditching a car can do wonders for your team. And you’ll get the same conveniences from biking that you get from taking your own car to work. You leave when you want — your bike is your bike, so you’re not trying to find a scooter or timing your schedule around the bus.
Similarly to having a car, you will be responsible for your bike. This means that any impromptu plans after work will have your bike involved, but it’s much easier to do that than to find parking for a car.
If you trust your city to take your bike with you (or if there’s an adequate number of bike stations) then you’re all set to cycle over to your date, work happy hour, or last minute event. It’s easier to move a bike than a car, especially in a crowded city during rush hour traffic, and you don’t have to pay to park your bike once you find a bike rack (but, you will want to spend a little more money on a nicer bike lock).
Another great solution: foldable bikes. In case your plans change and you find yourself on the subway, bus, or needing a car, then you don’t have to worry about making a million enemies by having your bike take up too much space.
The point is, you’ll be able to spend less money biking your way to and from the office than you would with a car, finding yourself flying past car after car in the bike lane. I can tell you the day I stopped taking my car into the traffic of DC, the better I felt at work. I wasn’t worried about having to leave at the right time to beat most of the traffic either in the morning or the evening. And being relaxed at work has made for more productive work days!
You’ll have a little extra dough in your wallet. A quality bicycle isn’t cheap, but it’s wildly less expensive than paying for a car and associated upkeep. You want to make sure you’re getting not only a good ride, but a safe ride. You’re going to want to fork over a little more money for a good bike, as well as the necessary bike accessories like mini pump, tubes, tire levers, small repair kit (for quick patches), and a bike tool. Sounds like a lot, but it can all fit into a pack about the size of a pencil case that can attach to your bike right underneath your seat.
A bike will require the occasional maintenance work as well, and the frequency of maintenance is dependent on how often you ride. The more you ride, the less you’ll have to pump the tires! The biggest thing that all riders will tell you to do is to check that your bike is greased up every now and then. You don’t want those gears to grind.
And while we’re on the topic of money, maybe one of the best benefits for both the employee and employer is that biking to work can lower health care cost. We all know that exercise is general is great for a number reasons: it lowers the risk of heart disease, lowers stress, and increases your overall mental and physical well-being to name a few.
This means you get to workout while you’re commuting, which is something you definitely can’t do if you’re driving. There are also lines of clothes dedicated to people who bike, walk, or run (didn’t know this was a thing) to work that are designed to keep sweat out and look professional. Depending on the intensity of your commute, or the weather, you’re going to sweat… there’s really no way to prevent that.
But, people sweat during their subway rides, bus rides, or just by walking. Biking doesn’t mean you’ll sweat more than you usually do, but in case you come out feeling a little gross just make sure to pack the essentials: deodorant, an extra shirt, extra pair of socks, and some oil wipes.
These are only a few benefits from having your employees switch from four to two wheels. The bottom line is there are pros and cons to every commute, but getting your employees to ditch their cars will always result in more pros than cons.
