Come on, join the Joy Ride!

There’s so much we’re looking forward to as we return to our offices –the chat, team birthday cakes, Pret. 

How about the daily tussle to get on the crowded tube or train carriage?

What if I told you, CEOs and business owners, that you could enable free travel for your teams, with guaranteed arrival times at either end, and in a way that makes people feel healthier and happier. The answer isn't for everyone, however, it could be the solution for lots more people than it is right now – it's as easy as riding a bike.   

I bought my beloved blue Bobbin bike in 2018 and used it to pootle around Wandsworth, my maximum distance being a mile or two. I went super league in September and started cycling from Balham to the office in White City.

Women are much less likely to cycle in the UK. We need to see other women cycling to give us the confidence to join in. I want to help bring about this change so I’ve become a Joy Rider. JoyRiders is fast growing organisation that empowers women by introducing them to the joys of cycling. 

As a Joy Rider, I take women out on beginner rides as well as accompanied cycle commutes – giving them the confidence to cycle to work on their own. 

What else can we do to enable more women, in fact, just more people in general to enjoy the benefits of cycling to work?

The answer lies in safer cycling infrastructure, not in hi-viz and helmets. Our local councils control how the majority of our roads are designed and the experience we have on them. Many of these councils want to provide cycling infrastructure but are fearful of the backlash they receive from a minority of drivers. Having the voices of business leaders asking for better cycling infrastructure, in the borough where you pay your rates, would be a big motivator for them to do more.

I have a call to action for any CEOs and business owners reading this. Our roads are not as safe as they need to be for more people to cycle to work with confidence. You can change this and it will only take a few moments of your time!

Ask yourself and your team, are the roads leading to your office safe enough for people with all range of abilities to cycle on? If the answer is no, then please write to the councillors responsible and ask for change. You can quickly contact them in this link here and send a message directly with the online form provided. Let them know that you are keen to see improvements to enable cycling for the people you employ and care about in their borough. If people in your team do cycle, ask them which roads feel unsafe. 

Change is possible. We just need to ask for it. Thank you for your time and for helping to advocate for safe roads for everyone.

#bikelife #bikes #saferoads #cycletowork #carbonneutrality #backtotheoffice #commuting #transformation #roadsafetyweek2021 #sustainabletravel