Why don’t more people commute by bike? Well, they do, in ever greater numbers, and they do so because it makes a lot of sense. The main, and most obvious, attraction is its low cost, even factoring in expenses such as punctures, transmission wear and the occasional breakage. It is also healthy. It provides exercise, which makes it better than sitting on a train or bus, and despite the air pollution associated with road traffic is less damaging to the cyclist’s lungs that to those of a car driver. Perhaps most attractive of all, it is fast and reliable, inasmuch as journey times do not vary significantly. In fact, there are so many reasons to bike to work that RCUK is devoting an entire mini-site to the daily pedal-powered commute.

Fast and inexpensive though it is, cycle commuting is not without its trials and technicalities. Go back to that opening question, and there are too many answers for comfort. Comfort being one of them; it can be cold and wet, hot and sweaty or even both on the same day. Either way, showering facilities can border on a necessity if the working day is to be bearable. There may be nowhere to leave a bike at work, making the threat of theft a real deterrent. Perhaps the potential recruit is lacking in confidence when it comes to emergency roadside repairs, and is easily put off by the prospect of having to fix a flat or untangle a chain, or is unsure about cycling in heavy traffic or how to find a pleasant route away from the hell of arterial roads. Quite apart from the age old question of which bike makes the best commuter.

So, we are going to make it easy to get started and make riding to work the pleasure it should be with our informative guide. RCUK’s new commuter section features helpful articles, buyers guides to commuting bikes, clothing and other equipment that will make your commute more pleasant, plus all the latest news from the world of commuting. Happy riding.