I've joined the cycling revolution
A cycling revolution has begun at Barts Health. Since March, more than 500 staff members have ditched the train, car or bus and are now biking to work says St Bartholomew's Hospital chief executive Charles Knight.
It’s one of the few positives to emerge from the pandemic, helped by fewer vehicles on the road and a flurry of investment in cycle routes, including around the City of London, as more and more people choose to avoid public transport.
I’ve joined the revolution. Thanks to a wonderful scheme from Brompton Bikes, pioneered and rolled out across the Trust by Jonathan Kelly, I’m now the proud loanee of a fantastic e-bike, pictured above. It’s even got the Barts Health logo on it!
I think it's fair to say I’m not your typical cyclist. Pre-pandemic I hadn’t ridden on two wheels since university and I refuse to wear lycra. But now I make the two and a half mile journey from my home in North London to St Bartholomew’s most days.
It’s pretty quick (around 15-20 minutes), feels safe (there are lots of cycle lanes and cut-throughs to avoid main roads), it’s keeping me a little more active, and, most importantly, it's fun!
The latest NHS data shows that one in five adults do less than 30 minutes of physical activity each week. Walking or, in my case, cycling to work, is the perfect way to get the miles in when you might otherwise be sat in traffic or a boiling hot tube carriage. Excess weight also puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from coronavirus, so staying fit has never been so important.
But the benefits aren’t all physical. The money saved by avoiding car parking fees and train fares are a welcome bonus, and getting into work on pedal power alone means I’m doing my bit for the environment, too.
I know cycling isn’t for everyone, and for those of you who live far away, swapping a bike for your regular commute just isn’t possible. But there’s no reason why part of your journey could not be on two wheels, or two feet, if walking can replace the bus. The National Cycle Network now covers 14,700 miles across the UK, so don’t let your journey into work hold you back.
Seeing so many Brompton bikes about the hospital is a wonderful thing, and with just half an hour of cycling per day needed to improve your cardiovascular system, that cannot be a bad thing for Europe’s biggest heart centre!
Finally, I'd really like to thank Brompton Bikes for making this happen and also say a very big thank you to Jonathan for his inspired cycling leadership.