As part of Movement May, here at Carnival UK we’re encouraging new riders to join Love to Ride and our very own Cycling community! Keep reading to find out how you could WIN a Decathlon voucher!
Chris Martin, ServiceNow Administrator, tells us why he likes cycling to work and shares some to tips to help you get started:
I pretty much stopped cycling for nearly 30 years. So, what made me get an old bike out of the shed, pump up the tyres and go for a pedal? Having been stuck in the house for 17 weeks at the start of the pandemic is what did it. I was working from home but decided to start my day by “cycling to work”.
I started to enjoy my morning cycle ride more and more and I guess I became hooked. I changed jobs, still working from home as the office was in Leeds, and I kept “cycling to work”.
Now that I work for Carnival UK I’m thrilled I can actually cycle to my workplace several days a week. I find it an excellent way to kickstart my body, ready for the day ahead. Being out in the fresh air and being exposed to daylight first thing is very exhilarating as it gets my circulation going and makes me breathe more deeply than I would if I was sat in a car or on a bus. I am also getting some much-needed exercise without it feeling like a chore.
I also like the flexibility it gives me. I don’t need to aim for a specific bus or train, nor do I get stuck in traffic. I can vary my route as I please; a more direct route if I’m running a bit late or if I feel up to it, I might take a long detour and get some more miles in. I don’t live very far from the office but I choose to take a more scenic or traffic-free route most days. I am able to head for a national cycle route into town or head for Southampton Common, cycle down to the bottom them into town and maybe take in some of the town parks. Most days my commute is about 4.5 miles but this morning I took a 12 mile route.
Having secure parking in The Undercroft is a welcome bonus and there’s no need to worry about whether there will be a space. There are also showers and lockers for us to use.
A few tips:
- Be seen – wear appropriate clothing in bright colours. I generally wear hi-viz.
- Use a waterproof bag or panniers as you never know when you might be caught out by the weather.
- Keep a change of clothes at work.
- Ride defensively – assume everyone else on the road is incompetent.
- Enjoy the ride!
Try it, you might even enjoy it as much as I do!
Cycle to work in May and June for the chance to WIN in our CUK Competition!
Sign up to Love to Ride via the app, and cycle to work 5 times between now and Friday 28 June for the chance to WIN a Decathlon voucher. Brand new riders on the Love to Ride app will get 2 competition entries if they cycle 5 times! T&Cs apply.*
Please make sure you enter your workplace as Carnival UK so we know you’re joining in and log your ride as ‘transport to or from work’.
Sign up now Mobile App : Love to Ride UK
About the app: Track your rides and biking accomplishments, and provide feedback on your bike trips using the simple and fun ‘Rate My Routes’ feature. There are amazing prizes to be won and everyone is invited to take part – from regular riders to people who haven’t been on a bike in years (or ever)!
*Competition T&Cs. Competition open to Carnival UK colleagues only. To be included in the prize draw you must be signed up to Love to Ride and be registered under ‘Carnival UK’ and track 5 rides as ‘transport to or from work’ between now and Friday 28 June 2024. All those eligible will be entered into the prize draw, and a winner will be selected at random on Monday 1 July 2024. Prize is non-transferrable.