It’s good to hear cycling to work reduces your risk of dying. But that's not why I do it

Bicycles will play a key role in any move to counter climate change.

The City of Greater Shepparton wants to see
more people regularly cycling to work. 

While they have degree of embedded energy, they are moved by human energy and so on the point of their movement, they draw little on fossil fuel energy, other than that required to produce the food that fuels the people riding the bike.

And of course, beyond integral to the mitigation of climate change they are good forth health of users.

The importance of bicycles has also been recognised the City of Greater Shepparton council and just today (April 25) it was reported that council had set a target of increasing cycling in the city by 10 per cent.

It was noted that 655 people regularly cycled to work and the four year target, which will be assessed annually, is to see that number jump by at least 65. 

It may not be a surprise to see another study suggesting that cycling to work can drastically reduce your chances of getting cancer and heart disease – those who ride bikes for transport already know how good it makes them feel. However, it’s perhaps yet another motivation for those who don’t, to dust off their bikes – and remember some other reasons cycling to work is so great.

In a five-year study of 263,450 UK commuters, published in the BMJ, researchers at Glasgow University found regular cycling cut the risk of death from any cause by 41%, and the incidence of cancer and heart disease by 45% and 46% respectively.

The cyclists in the study were riding an average of 30 miles per week; that’s three miles each way, five days per week. Cycling at a leisurely 10mph, that would take about 20 minutes each way – a manageable distance for most people.

Read Laura Laker’s story on The Guardian - “It’s good to hear cycling to work reduces your risk of dying. But that's not why I do it.”