Fun Facts for Wannabe Cycling Fanatics June 20 2019

At Honeymellows, situated in the beautiful Kent countryside, cycling is one of our favourite and sometimes only transport method to get across the farm at speed - especially with our carefully packed orders to post at the neighbouring village; however we have to admit that on particularly blustery days, we do resort to the warmth of the gym with a good book, a mug of tea and a bike that remains very much stationary as we pedal away. With events such as Bike Week in raising awareness of the advantages of cycling and Ride London when our capital city becomes cycle central, we thought we would include some fascinating facts to encourage you to get those two wheels turning.  How many of the following do you already know?

  • 30 minutes of moderate cycling a day cuts reduces by 50% your chance of developing cancer (Pedal on past Cancer), halves your number of sick days (University of North Carolina) and will add two years to your life compared to non-cyclists (CTC).
  • Feel-good endorphins released during exercise will make you more relaxed and happy.  You will also be more confident, less tired and sleep better.
  • 20 miles cycling per week reduces your risk of heart disease by 50% (British Heart Foundation).
  • Cycling to work could lead to a loss of 13 lbs (Outdoor Foundation 2010).  Obesity rates are lower in countries with the highest levels of cycling and walking (Bassett Jr et al)
  • If you are middle aged it can increase your fitness to that of someone ten years younger.
  • As with any aerobic exercise, it can increase creative thinking and if done in the morning it improves time management and motivation (University of Bristol). Regardless of this, it could improve your career prospects as in the case of Henry Ford and the Wright brothers who started off making and selling bicycles.
  • It costs twenty times less to maintain a bike than a car whilst cyclists contribute £230 each to the UK economy annually.
  • On average you are only likely to get wet cycling in the UK on 3% of your trips.
  • You can travel three times faster than you can walk using the same amount of energy and cycle up to 152.2 miles per hour - the world record set in 1985 by US Olympic Cyclist John Howard.
  • You won’t be alone: there are a billion bicycles in the world - 100% more than cars; it is the second most popular activity in the US; a third of adults in the UK and seven out of eight Dutch people have a bike and 30% of all trips in the Netherlands are made by bicycle with 99% of the population owning and travelling by bike.
  • 50,000 people approximately take part annually in London's Freecycle with a further 24,000 participating in the Ride London-Surrey 100.  With ages ranging from 18 to 80 plus, you are never too old or too young to become a cyclist - although wearing the lycra is another matter!

Hungry for more facts?  Read David Herlihy’s ‘Bicycle: The History’.  Need some safety information?  See http://www.twowheelsgood.co.uk/community.php, especially their advice about using both a D lock and cable lock as  most thieves are usually expert in only one type.  Want to meet like minded people? Find a club near you at http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubs or if you would rather stay away from busy roads and maybe under dimmed lights, try your local gym for a spinning class (cycling on stationary bikes whilst being shouted at with loud music and lots of sweat/pain). Need to get your bike fixed whilst getting a coffee and watching cycling films?  Try http://www.lookmumnohands.com  Don't own a bike? There are now lots of hire places across the country with our favourites being London's Cycle Hire scheme with docking stations across the capital - or out of city the most picturesque being at Minnis Bay with a scenic coastal cycle path along to Reculver (sea on one side, fields on the other - pure bliss!). After reading all this and you are sill lacking the inspiration?  See our Pinterest board of cycling signs at: http://www.pinterest.com/honeymellow/gone-cycling/    

If you get the cycling bug or decide to participate in one of the many cycling events each year, you could find yourself on two wheels more than you are on two feet.  This means an awful lot of notes to leave your family about where you’ve gone.  Be out on your bike more quickly with one of our ‘Gone cycling’ signs.  See our ‘Fit and Fun’ collection for our range of plaques for different activities including ones for cyclists in both wood and metal.  Our favourite one is our rustic ‘Gone Cycling’ sign below and at http://bit.ly/1lHDQzt or on Etsy at http://etsy.me/1iuy4AE.  Both fun and functional, especially if you want to add your own words to personalise for the perfect gift for that very healthy, younger looking, totally relaxed, creative, confident, lycra-clad cycling fanatic in your life - which is hopefully you!