More than one million people started cycling in the UK last year, many commuting on two wheels to beat the rush hour traffic or to steer clear of crowded public transport.
But that growth hasn’t necessarily been matched by the facilities – namely showers and bike parking – provided by employers. Cycling to work is great, but not if you arrive sweat-drenched in summer, rain-soaked in winter, and with nowhere secure to lock up your machine.
And there you have the inspiration behind H2 Bike Run, created this year by disgruntled commuter Piers Slater, who spent ten years showering and changing in cramped offices and health clubs.
H2 is essentially a low-cost gym designed specifically for cyclists and runners. We were invited to take a look around their first club, in the heart of London’s Soho.
Heading through the main entrance, a ramp descends underground into the cavernous heart of H2, where there are 250 racks to which you can lock your bike all day, rather than just when you’re visiting the club.
The area is monitored by CCTV and four lock racks – rails on the wall which you can secure your lock to so you don’t have to lug it in every day – are an indication of the thought that has gone into making H2 cycle-specific.
H2 is designed for the time-crunched commuter and its facilities reflect Slater’s ambition to make it a central hub for cyclists. There’s a small workshop for repairs on site and a shop which sells a selection of essential clothing, accessories and magazines. You can even get your laundry done.
Urban Reef were commissioned to design H2 Soho and they have created changing facilities and showers which are modern and spacious, with a splash of H2 orange. Small lockers are available to use for free, while large lockers are available to rent on a monthly basis for an additional fee. Female users have GHD hair straighteners in their changing rooms – no more helmet hair.
If you don’t have showers in your office, H2 makes it possible to squeeze in a training ride before work, or sneak off for a quick spin at Regent’s Park – a haven for central London cyclists – at lunch time, and be able to freshen up before returning to your desk.
Or there’s the option to train at the club itself. H2’s Spin studio is fitted out with 33 bikes, with between two and four classes a day, from Monday to Saturday. Each 45-minute session is tailored as either an interval, strength, endurance or recovery ride.
Ok, it may not replicate getting out on the bike but spinning is a useful way to vary your training, or beat bad weather, as I found out last winter. Classes are free for members who choose H2’s top package (£39.99 a month at the time of writing) or available from £3 for other users.
Just behind the Spin studio is H2’s Core Gym, which works on the principle of training your body using its own body weights. With that in mind, kettle bells, medicine balls and free weights are the order of the day.
The area is small but serves its purpose well – it’s not the main draw of H2 – and we saw just one person in there on a Wednesday evening at 7pm. Personal trainers are available, as are sports therapists in case you over do it.
Of course, you have to work within striking distance of the club to make it a viable option for commuting but, with 400 members already signed up in Soho, a second site is due to open at London Wall, in the City of London, next spring, while other possible sites identified include Victoria, Covent Garden, Mayfair, Waterloo, Marylebone, Euston and King’s Cross.
H2 offers a range of membership deals, varying from pay as you go, to the all-in option currently on offer at £39.99 per month. If you want to give it a go first, H2 are currently offering three day trials, which includes a free bike safety check, spin classes and a health MOT.
H2’s beauty is in its simplicity – there’s no cocktail bar to pose at – and it’s a convincing package. In H2, Slater found a problem and created a solution.
