The benefits of cycling are almost as endless as the country lanes you could soon be exploring. If you’re considering taking up cycling, and weighing it up against other potential activities, then we’re here to tell you that cycling is hands down the best option. With lockdown returning in England for the foreseeable future, taking to a bike can help improve your immune system, reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer, relieves stress, lifts your mood, helps you to concentrate, and boosts your fitness, as well as being fantastic for the environment!
Considering this, we have put together an essential guide to answer your questions on what you can and can’t do during lockdown, and to help with some guides and advice.
At Pedal Revolution our first priority is the health and safety of our customers, staff, friends and family.
Can I keep riding my bike?
In short: Yes.
Guidance from 5th January 2021, from Public Health England and the UK government is to stay at home, although you can leave your home to exercise, and for essential travel. Cycling is highly recommended as a great way to maintain your physical and mental well-being, and as a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to public transport or cars when it comes to travel.
Restrictions do vary between the four nations of the UK, so please ensure you check the guidance that is most relevant to your area and thoroughly wash your hands when getting back.
Where can I ride?
It is recommended that you stay local and make the most of any open space close to your home. So if you are planning to ride outside take the opportunity to explore your local routes.
Short trips to exercise somewhere else are currently allowed under the guidance, although longer drives are discouraged. Likewise, you should be taking extra care to reduce the risk of any unnecessary injury if you do ride outside and make every effort to stay as safe as you can.
You can, of course, exercise inside to keep your fitness levels up, made much easier with smart turbo trainers and platforms like Zwift.
Can I cycle to work?
If you are unable to work from home and still need to travel to work, you can absolutely do it by bike. In fact, with reduced public transport and many keen to avoid the train or bus, cycling to work is a really good way of undertaking essential travel at the moment.
There’s many reasons to leave the car behind for your commute, pandemic or not:
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Lower CO2 emissions – cycling generates just 21g of carbon dioxide per kilometre whereas driving generates 271g per kilometre. A study by the Healthy Air Campaign, Kings College London, and Camden Council, saw air pollution detectors fitted to a driver, a bus user, a pedestrian and a cyclist using a busy route through central London. The results showed that the driver experienced five times higher pollution levels than the cyclist, as well as three and a half more than the walker and two and a half times more than the bus user. Long story short: the cyclist won.
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Reduce congestion – congestion might be less of an issue right now, but improvements in cycling could lead to 45% less car traffic and faster public transport once normality returns.
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Shrink your carbon footprint – switching from driving to cycling would save half a tonne of CO2 per year on a typical four mile commute each way. This equates to around 6% of your personal carbon footprint.
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Save money – compared with driving a car, commuting by electric bike could save you £1,500 a year. Plus you could save up to 42% on a bike and accessories through the cycle to work scheme.
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Eco-friendly travel – an electric bike is six times more efficient than riding a train, with almost zero noise pollution.
In addition to riding to work, cycling is also considered a suitable form of transport for shopping for essential food or medicines.
If you do need to use your bike for essential travel our stores are open to offer servicing, and to pick up any essentials you might need. If you don’t currently own a bike you can also order through our website as usual and make use of cycle to work schemes or finance options – or if you just need some advice, our sales team are on hand via telephone, email or Live Chat to help. Contact us.
Are bike shops open?
Under current government guidance, bike shops have been classed as an essential service to keep key workers and those undertaking essential travel on the move.
At Pedal Revolution, we have remained open in store, online, and telesales to assist our customers, while continuing to support our customers and colleagues with a comprehensive set of safeguarding guidelines.
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Our stores and workshops will remain open during the Winter lockdown period, offering servicing and sales.
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Free Click & Collect is available for all orders placed online.
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All online orders will be fulfilled and delivered as usual, including our Premium Delivery service.
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Our Sales team is available to provide expert advice, via telephone or email. Click here to contact us
What bike is best for me?
If you’re looking for a new bike to get your daily dose of physical activity, there are numerous options to suit just about any kind of potential rider.
To guide you through we’ve picked out a few of the bikes that we think make a great starting point for your daily exercise without breaking the bank. If you need a bit more guidance, you can contact our expert team on 01603 614400 or 01493 656800.
Aluminium road bikes
The look of a road bike, with their racy geometry and drop handlebars, will be familiar from the Tour de France – but you don’t have to be a professional to ride one. A good quality aluminium road bike is ideal for exploring your local roads and, when advice allows it, covering longer distances right from your doorstep. Lightweight and fun to ride, road bikes are excellent for building your fitness.
Hybrid bikes
Hybrid bikes are the great unsung heroes of the bike world. Highly versatile, affordable and comfortable, hybrid bikes are suitable for a vast range of riding whether you are riding local tracks, commuting to work, or heading into town.
Electric bikes
Electric bikes are truly changing the face of cycling, providing that extra assistance where you need it to ride further or take the pressure off on the hills. A hybrid electric bike takes all the benefits of a standard hybrid bike but gives you that little extra power when you need it to make cycling a breeze.
Mountain bikes
A hardtail mountain bike could be perfect for your daily exercise during the pandemic. It can get you off road and if your local tracks or bridleways are a little rougher, then a mountain bike with its wider tyres and suspension could be the safest way to get around.