Are you worried about your fitness, the environment, or how healthy your bank balance is, well why not think about a different type of transport? The bike. Even if you feel that one of these points affects you, getting rid of your car will make a huge difference! Cycling to work can help you to have many benefits on your physical and mental health. Another benefit is that cycling is cheap and it is also a great way to keep fit while saving you time while making you feel good. Are you still looking for more motivation to swap your four wheels for two? The environmental impact of cycling is almost non-existent, comparing cars with their polluting ways. In this article, we will be looking at some of the reasons as to why you should say goodbye to your car in 2020.

Health Benefits

There are many physical benefits to cycling compared to driving to work, we are sure that this will not come as a surprise. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, then cycling is a fantastic (and free) alternative that you can easily fit into your daily routine. According to a meta-analysis published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine cycling can dramatically reduce your risk of cardiovascular illnesses. The study showed for the two people who cycled for sport and people who used a bike for their daily commute. Not only did this analysis conclude that cyclists have a 22 %lower risk than non-cyclists for cardiovascular illnesses, but they also had a lower BMI on average. 

As well as this, cycling is very good for your mental wellbeing. Cycling gets you outdoors, which leads you release endorphins, this form of exercise has also been proven to rapidly minimise stress.  

Travel for less

Keen on becoming more fit and active? Why not do it in a cost-effective way? Driving to work each day can put holes in your bank account. Not only is there the initial price of the car, but the maintenance, road tax, and fuel costs all add up, resulting in a needlessly expensive method of commuting. Switching out your car for a bike can reduce these costs tenfold. 

One cycling fanatic said that he has saved £6 per day on fuel costs since riding his bike for his 30- mile round commute. So, on average he saves £30 a week and £1,150 a year! Even a few pounds saved each day can make a big difference, and when you pair this with the health benefits and the environmental pros, the positive points really stack up. 

However, there is the cost of an actual bike to consider. Luckily, a lot of employers engage with the “cycle to work” scheme these days which could help save you a lot of money, especially if your looking to purchase a new road or mountain bikes. As a result of making monthly salary sacrifices, this scheme will allow you to purchase a bike tax-free, saving up to 42 per cent of the over all value. 

More environmentally friendly 

Finally, and one of the most important options, is considering our environment. Unfortunately, driving is still the most popular transport in most European countries – which puts huge pressure on the environment. Not only do cars produce huge amounts of CO2, but the initial production of a car is far more environmentally damaging than that of a bike. According to calculations from ECF, the production of a car alone accounts for 42g of CO2 emissions per kilometre. When combining this output with the output CO2 from each kilometre actually driven, the total comes to around 271g CO2 per kilometre. 

However, we do have eco-friendly bikes. Although some believe differently, a bike isn’t completely carbon neutral, as the energy that is used has to be taken into account when they are being made. However, this is a small output and is minimal compared to a car. Taking production into account, a bike is accountable for 5g of CO2 per kilometre — very small in comparison! 

It is clear that the options of owning a bike outnumber those who use their car every day.  It may be difficult to get up a little earlier, but who wouldn’t want the more exercise, better health, more money in your wallet, and even the environment will benefit from it! Why not try it this new year?