5 tips for starting to bike to work and making your commute smoother

Have you considered cycling to work instead of driving or taking public transport, but getting started feels overwhelming? With rising fuel prices, you could save significant amounts each year by replacing even some of your car commutes with cycling. Beyond the financial benefits, the advantages of bike commuting are clear – cycling is an eco-friendly and healthy way to get around, which is why we want to encourage you to start with these tips. Fair warning – once you give bike commuting a chance, you might actually enjoy it.

1. It all starts with your own motivation – make bike commuting a routine

The challenge of bike commuting depends primarily on the distance – a five-kilometer ride has a lower barrier to entry, but a 20 km commute requires a bit more motivation. Everyone finds motivation in different things – for some, it's weight loss, for others it's improving fitness, and some want to save money by cycling to work instead of driving.

Start by choosing your route – first explore different options on a map and spend some free time checking out various routes. When the route feels right and you're not hesitating along the way, you'll gain confidence in cycling and can focus on enjoying the ride. If your commute is very long, start slowly and give your body time to recover in between. For example, start by biking to work once a week and increase the frequency as your fitness improves.

If fitness is your motivation for bike commuting, you'll feel more motivated when you notice progress – as your fitness improves, you'll complete the journey faster week after week and notice that you can handle those initially daunting hills better each day. If you find motivation in tracking progress, your average bike commuting speed is easy to measure. However, don't compare your performance to other cyclists' average speeds, since speed is affected by the route's hilliness, terrain, and traffic lights, so comparing to general averages isn't meaningful.

Tracking progress is easiest if you always take the same route, but as your cycling confidence grows, it's worth expanding your territory, since the same route can become boring and potentially lower your motivation. So one day, try a slightly longer but scenic route, or on a sunny day, take a detour home via the ice cream stand – you've earned it!