Cycle to Work Scheme: Is It Worth It?

The cycle to work scheme is becoming increasingly popular amongst businesses, with many companies offering this employee benefit to their staff as an incentive to help improve overall health while reducing CO2 emissions. Whether you are looking to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle this year or you’re a cycling enthusiast wanting to save money on a brand new top-of-the-range bike, then taking up the cycle to work scheme may be the ideal solution.

With more and more people across the UK ditching their vehicles in favour of a bike ride, we wanted to find out just how successful the cycle to work scheme actually is and which region is racing ahead in terms of uptake.

To do this, we created a unique scoring system to help us understand which regions of England show the most interest in the cycle to work scheme. We used data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that looked at the different regions by population. We also looked at the average monthly search volumes for the terms ‘cycle to work’ and ‘cycle to work scheme’, the pedal cycle traffic levels, and the number of adults who work full time that usually cycle to work across each region.

The most successful cycle to work scheme region

The region that came out on top as the most successful in terms of the cycle to work scheme is Greater London. The percentage of adults who work full time and usually cycle to work in this part of the country was 1.46%, which was 0.36% higher than the East of England which took the second spot at 1.10%.

Our data reveals that the average monthly search volume for the term ‘cycle to work scheme’ in Greater London was 8,100, with pedal cycle traffic levels of 1.04, second only to the South East which had pedal cycle traffic levels of 1.17.

The region that came out with the lowest overall score was the West Midlands, with only 0.20% of adults working full time usually cycling to work and pedal cycle traffic levels scoring 0.07. There wasn’t much interest in the region in terms of looking to take up the cycle to work scheme either, with an average monthly search volume of 576 for the term ‘cycle to work.’

This can potentially be improved simply by individuals and businesses within the West Midlands region being made aware of the cycle to work scheme providers that are available nationwide and by encouraging people to use the scheme

What are the benefits of cycling?

Not only is cycling great for your physical and mental health, but it can also help you save on fuel costs and reduce your carbon footprint.

Cycling can help improve your overall fitness regardless of what shape you are in. It’s a low impact exercise, meaning it won’t put a lot of strain on your joints and muscles.

Over time as you build up strength all over your body from cycling, your core muscles will improve and you will notice the difference in your balance, posture and coordination.

A total of 30 minutes of cycling each day can benefit your cardiovascular system. This exercise can also help boost your immune system, as being outside increases your vitamin D levels.

Exercise is important for your mental wellbeing too as it promotes the release of endorphins. Cycling can help ease feelings of stress, anxiety and depression, and is a great way to clear your mind and de-stress after a long day at work.

Cycling on your commute can also help improve your concentration by encouraging you to focus on the road ahead.

CO2 and fuel cost savings

Being part of the cycle to work scheme has its benefits if you are looking to lead a more sustainable lifestyle and lower your CO2 emissions.

A worker who would typically drive 10 miles a day would save 780 kg per year in CO2 if they switched to riding a bike to work instead. As well as making big CO2 savings, switching to a bike can save you money.

We wanted to find out if using the cycle to work scheme is worth it for an average office worker. To do this, we calculated petrol costs per year based on how many miles a day a worker travelled, and compared this to how much a bike would cost them per year.

Our data shows that if the average office worker travelled 10 miles a day by car, their commute would cost them £531.56 in petrol per year. The total bike cost for the year on average is £396 according to cycle to work scheme provider Cyclescheme, saving the average office worker a total of £135.56 a year.

Choosing to cycle to work each day instead of driving is the better option for the environment and your purse, in addition to your health and wellbeing.

How to get onto the cycle to work scheme

Saving money on a brand new bike and accessories has never been easier. Check with your HR department to find out if your employer is registered with a cycle to work scheme provider.

If your employer is signed up for the scheme, you can get a bike and accessories with no upfront costs as the instalments are taken from your salary by your employer through payroll, allowing you to save between 26% and 40% on your new bike and equipment.

Simply choose your bike and any accessories you want, then apply for your voucher through your employer’s chosen cycle to work scheme provider. Once your voucher is ready to redeem, you can use it here at Planet X and our team will process your order.

We’d like to find out if you cycle to work and if you are a part of the cycle work scheme. Let us know using #UKCyclingToWork on social media.