Keen to develop your walking and cycling habits?
Perhaps you've been out walking or cycling a lot more recently, or perhaps you've always had good transport habits, but are keen see what else you can achieve. Whatever your reasons for wanting to push yourself further, building more walking and cycling into your everyday journeys can only be a good thing!
Go to the next level by developing your habits
Whether you want to set yourself incremental targets or go all out with a commitment to change every day, our habit tracking sheets are a great old school way to motivate yourself - all you need is a pen or pencil and a big dollop of determination. Try our habit builder to stick to things for a month, or our 365 challenge to go a full year trying a new behaviour - we bet you'll never look back!
Ideas to take things up a notch
So you've been out and about for some time now and you're ready to see what else you can achieve on two legs or wheels. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.
Learn from others
Joining in with regular events in a local group or club is a great way of increasing your activity levels and learning new skills.
Cycle to work scheme
The scheme enables employees to buy a tax free bike – an effective saving of 25 – 39%. It cover e-Bikes as well, meaning that cyclists can cover longer distances by getting assistance on those uphill stretches!
Get tracking
Buy a pedometer or fitness tracker and start recording your activities. Take a look at our 'blog post' for inspiration.
Take a lead
Start a walking or cycling scheme or group in your community and encourage other to join you in leaving the car at home.
How about an e-bike?
Sales of electric bikes or e-bikes are going through the roof and for good reason, they're practical and powerful and they put plenty of fun into cycling. For anyone wanting to take their cycling to the next level, but for whom some outings are an uphill struggle (pardon the pun), an electric bike could be a great solution.
What are electric bikes?
E-bikes look just likes normal bicycles except they have a battery - they are capable of doing just about everything a regular bike can do and more. Part of the power comes from the rider (exactly how much is up to you) and part of it from a small motor that gives you a boost, so you can zip up hills and cruise over tough terrain. You can control how much assistance you get from the bike too for the times when you need a bit more oomph!
Benefits of e-bikes
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If you have a recurrent injury or illness e-bikes may help you keep cycling through it, rather than having to give up pedalling completely.
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E-bikes fill the gap between journeys short enough for walking or non-powered cycling and longer trips where a train or car may be necessary.
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You could get to and from work faster on an e-bike and convert commuting into leisure time.
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They can be a viable replacement for a second car with all the environmental, financial and other benefits that this entails.
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E-bike riders often say they feel safer in traffic than when riding a non-powered bike, as the extra acceleration and speed up hills mean the speed of other passing vehicles is less than it otherwise would be. The quick acceleration off the mark also means you can clear stationary traffic more quickly.
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You can carry heavier loads more easily than with a regular bike, so many shopping trips and the school run might now be a possibility with an e-bike.
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You still get exercise – it’s not cheating! Many studies have shown that e-bikers get plenty of very beneficial aerobic exercise. The vast majority of e-bikes have power level settings on the handlebar controls that let you dial down the power if you want more exercise, or turn it up if in need of more assistance. Some even have a display linkable by Bluetooth to a heart rate monitor, to display your heart rate and calories burned.
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They are great fun to ride!
Source: https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/guide-electric-bikes