Search results for ‘commuting’

Cycle Commuting When You Can’t Commute

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Over the years, one of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked about the long trips across Europe is ‘how did you train? ‘. The answer is easy; I didn’t. Well, not really… What I did do, however, was cycle to work most days each week for many months, years even, before setting off to ride from one extremity of Europe to another. I suspected – and I am think I am correct in saying this – that the biggest challenge of riding long distances over a period of a couple of months or more is not necessarily the distance, it’s the motivation to keep going day after day, irrespective of your mood or the weather. And this is why commuting by bicycle to work each day in the run-up to a long trip is worth its weight in gold.

a man riding his electric bike

The Benefits Of Ditching The Car And Pedaling To Work

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With urban congestion on the rise and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, many people are looking for alternatives to the traditional commute by car. One option that is gaining popularity is the electric bike or e-bike. This modern twist on a classic mode of transport offers many benefits. If youโ€™ve been considering changing up your commute, hereโ€™s why you should think about hopping on an e-bike.

The Return Of The Cycling Commuter, Again

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Finally, the half-term holiday has arrived. And breathe… It’s been my first half-term back as a permanently employed full-time teacher in a secondary school for quite a few years. I’d forgotten just how tiring that can be. But I survived and am looking forward to a week of rest and relaxation. Kind of… A few bits and pieces on the agenda this week; a podcast interview to record in Harrogate on Tuesday, potentially a second interview to record online but upmost in my mind is the potential purchase of a new bicycle.

Cycle, Work, Cycle, Repeat

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After last week’s trip down to London to meet and interview Tim Moore, another week of travel but this week much more of it on the bike. Ronnie, the Ribble Hybrid has just finished his first complete week carrying me to and from work. It’s the first time since, I think, 2017 that I’ve completed a full week of cycle commuting and long may it continue! It’s the back end of winter so the mornings are rapidly getting lighter and and weather has generally been amenable to cycling; just one of the ten rides last week was in the wet. Some mornings, there was even a distinct hint of spring…

gray grass

Setting Up A Cycle-to-Work Scheme

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Through the right perks, an employer can vastly improve productivity, morale, and staff retention. Anything that makes employees healthier and happier, and that costs very little to implement, is likely to qualify. Given its numerous benefits on employee health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, itโ€™s no surprise that government-backed cycle-to-work schemes are growing in popularity.

Next Slide Please: Sir Chris Whitty, Dutch Children And Italy

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It’s been a great week to be a commuting cyclist. I actually filled the car up with petrol on Wednesday evening, at about 5.45pm. As I drove down to the local Morrison’s I was listening to the radio and to how people were eagerly waiting to do what I was about to do until 6pm when the 5 pence reduction in the price of petrol came into effect. Spotters around the country were keeping their eyes trained upon the electronic boards outside service stations to observe the drop take place as if it were the ball falling in Times Square at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Strewth. I couldn’t be bothered to wait, parked up and filled up. ยฃ65 if I remember rightly. Perhaps I’m not that fussed. Not that I’m a rich man. Far from it. But having returned to the life of a commuting cyclist recently, it just seems a little less important than it might have done a few months ago…

adult cyclist drinking water while riding bicycle

Mastering Cycling Hydration: Tips For Optimal Performance

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Letโ€™s start by stating the obvious โ€“ there can hardly be a cyclist who doesnโ€™t understand the importance of staying hydrated. Whether youโ€™re commuting to work or adventuring off into the scenic trails of Europe, hydration is essential for optimal performance and staying healthy. However, mastering hydration isnโ€™t as simple as taking a sip from your water bottle every time you feel thirsty. The fact that you feel thirsty means you are already at least mildly dehydrated.

Rediscovering My Cycling Naivety

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When I started this website back in 2008 (yes, getting on for 14 years ago…) I came to the whole endeavour as a naive touring cyclist. When I wrote ‘Crossing Europe…’ many people commented upon how they had enjoyed experiencing the cycling journey from southern England to southern Italy from the perspective of an inexperienced two-wheeled traveller who, quite frankly, didn’t know what he was doing for much of the time. That epitaph has become increasingly tenuous in the past decade as, inevitably, I have learnt what to do. I’m still learning but it would be disingenuous to continue to refer to myself as ‘naive’. Or rather it is in the world of cycle touring. I still consider myself to be very inexperienced in many other areas of cycling including the one that involves donning tight lycra and heading out for the day with minimal kit on a bicycle designed for speed…