Cycling is a quick and easy way to travel, which also gives you a regular exercise routine. It's estimated that cycling can take 10 years off your ‘fitness age’ due to the development of a stronger heart and lungs, increased muscle mass, and a less-stressed constitution.

Benefits of cycling

Possible benefits to you include:

• improving your fitness
• relieving stress
• helping the environment
• saving money
• saving time

Cycling to work

Cycling is a great option for the daily commute to work as it can be cheaper, healthier and also save you time.  Not only that, but with more cyclists and fewer cars on the road, the overall environment will be improved for everyone. 

Cycle to Work Scheme

The Cycle to Work Scheme promotes greater use of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport to encourage healthier journeys and reduce environmental pollution.

It provides a tax-break which enables employers, through a salary sacrifice arrangement, to provide bicycles for their employees to cycle all or part of their journey to work.

The cost is recovered from the employee’s salary over an agreed period, usually 12 to 18 months. At the end of the period the employee can return the bicycle or can arrange to buy it outright from the employer.

The link below provides a comprehensive explanation of how the scheme operates:

• Cycle to Work Scheme

Cycle-friendly employers

Many employers have realised the benefits of having a workforce that cycles. A number have led the way in providing facilities and measures that makes their staff able to cycle to and from work as well as for business use.

Some examples of this include:

• internal or external secure cycle parking
• showers, changing rooms and lockers
• annual bike user allowances
• providing pool bikes and accessories for business trips
• bike mileage rates for business use
• promote the facilities to staff
• provide maps of local routes
• relaxing the dress code and introducing flexible working hours

Cycling to school

If your child’s school is near your home, cycling is a great mode of transport for the journey to and from school. It will contribute to a child’s recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise. 

It may even be a faster and cheaper way of getting to school if the usual route is often congested.  

Children tend to love the freedom that cycling offers which develops their independence and confidence, in particular for those who are moving into post primary school education.  

Reducing traffic congestion around schools will provide a better environment for young children and will also improve road safety for everyone. 

It is also well-documented that children who walk or cycle to school will arrive more alert and ready to learn than those who are driven. 

While cycling offers many benefits, it's understandable that parents and teachers may have concerns around road safety. There is more information, worksheets and resources on road safety for primary schools or for post primary school children at these links:

• Road safety for primary school children
• Road safety for post-primary school children

Active school travel

A number of schools in NI are taking part in a scheme to provide walking and cycling skills to pupils. Find out more about the Active school travel in Northern Ireland  programme.

Bicycles on public transport

All bicycles are carried free of charge on Translink buses and trains, but certain conditions apply and they are not permitted before 9.30 am from Monday to Friday. 

There is space for two full-sized bicycles on buses and four full-sized bicycles on trains, allocated on a first come, first served basis.