Cycle to Work

OVER 4000 MEMBERS OF STAFF HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP
WILL YOU JOIN THEM?

To encourage a healthier lifestyle and reduce our carbon footprint, the Trust operates a Cycle to Work scheme. The scheme enables staff to sacrifice part of their salary with savings of up to 42% in return for a brand new bike and safety accessories to be used for cycling to work.

Personal Story on Electronic Bikes : Sarah Foster Jarden (BHSCT)

Hello everyone!

My name is Sarah, I’m in my late 50’s and very unfit but fortunately have no arthritis or rheumatism, just age-related aches and pains!  I live 15 miles outside Belfast down the Lagan Valley, and work in the North and West of the city in Day Centres, so my bases are fairly static.

I learnt to cycle when I was very small, forcing my favourite uncle to run up and down the garden holding the bike up until I got my balance, (thanks Uncle Bob, you gave me a gift that has lasted me a lifetime!)   I was a keen cyclist when I was younger, cycling to and from school, friends, groups and sports for many years.  Starting on a bike that had 12” wheels (do you remember E.T.?) and progressing up to a ‘real’ bike with 26” wheels.  My school friend said I was like the wind on the new bike as I was so used to pedalling like a maniac to keep up with her!  I progressed to college and to motor powered transport and the cycling fell by the wayside.

Then the work internet advertised a ‘Try an E-Bike’ taster session courtesy of the Leading the Way programme with Sustrans and I signed up………well……….

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I had genuinely forgotten how much fun cycling is, this little taster session re-ignited my desire to cycle again, and I started looking at how I could do this.

I live in a hilly area, and I knew that this would be a problem for rickety 50+ knees, but the E-Bike option was something that could overcome this.  I decided that in future I would like to use a bike for work, going to the local shops to improve my fitness and leisure to enjoy the local countryside more.

Being in the Health Service I was able to take part in the ‘Borrow an E-Bike’ scheme and borrowed a full-size e-bike with Mid Drive (take note of ‘Mid Drive’ oh best beloved), this was a total success. This bike has Mid Drive (did you remember this oh best beloved?) which feels just like cycling as normal with added strength, it feels absolutely natural.   I was able to cycle round the local area (it makes the hills easy peasy) AND cycle to work 3 times. My first route took me up and over the hills and was a possibility with the e-bike. My second choice of route was through the Lagan Valley and the roads are quite busy this way, though when you get nearer to Belfast there are bus lanes to cycle in, these made it feel much less scary.  This is a round trip of about 30 miles and I chickened out of the return 15 miles by cycling down to the train and getting it to Lisburn giving me a manageable 23-mile round trip. The weather was beautiful, which helps, and I don’t have a problem rising early so the bit earlier than normal start was grand.

This is fine in summer, looking at longer term I wondered if using a bike/train to and from work would be better in the winter weather.  I asked Translink, they don’t allow full sized bikes on the trains before 9.30, I start earlier than that, so it doesn’t suit, but a folding bike is allowed at any time.

So Sustrans to the rescue, they have a folding e-bike that I could try, so off I whizzed to swop my transport.  I received the folding e-bike, it has small wheels and Hub Drive (do you remember the Mid Drive oh best beloved?) and requires two or three turns of the pedals to kick in (Oh boy!) and is very swift and nippy round town and handy enough on the train, but for my longer run home it was not as much fun as the bigger bike, feeling rather slow and small on the country roads.

I found that riding on the roads after so many years was certainly an experience. The traffic in general was pretty good and gave me the 2m, for which I thank those drivers. In town pedestrians are a bit of a shock, some tend to just walk out in front of you, which is a surprise, and I wasn’t quick enough to use the bell, a high-pitched shriek seems to work just as well though! (Note: if you are a pedestrian, please look out for silent traffic too!)

If you are considering an E-bike Cycle to Work or a bike for leisure or fitness here’s what I have learned.

• Hub drive and Mid Drive (remember this oh best beloved?) are different, very different, I would recommend you try both, and consider where, how and when you’ll be riding
• E-bikes take the awfulness out of hills, but there will be some effort, they aren’t mopeds.
• Don’t underestimate yourself – 5 miles on an e-bike is really achievable, even your first ride.
• Be careful not to run out of battery power, not so awful on the full-size bike but really not good in the countryside on a wee wheeled bike L
• Be prepared to enjoy your bike, the E-bike really opened the world up for me. I never thought I could cycle 15 miles in one go, well, I can!
• Cycling has progressed since I first had a bike, look carefully at what you want and make a list, then try lots of different bikes to find your perfect fit for you and your lifestyle.

My mission now is to find myself an e-bike and panniers to do the run from home to work then work, train, home. For me this works best, and due to commitments, I’d expect to do this maybe 2-3 times a week, perhaps less in winter.  At least this year’s Christmas present requests will be easy – buy me bike stuff!

If you are inspired by Sarah’s story and would like to give an e-power a go, contact Dianne.whyte@sustrans.org.uk or telephone 07812 470791 to arrange.  A wide variety of bikes are available for free short term loan through the ‘Borrow a bike’ scheme.

The Leading the Way with Workplace Active Travel project funded by PHA aims to encourage staff in some of Belfast’s largest workplaces* to encourage and facilitate active and sustainable travel. I*Belfast Trust, Department for Infrastructure, Public Health Agency & Belfast City Council)

 Read Anne’s story to find out how she got into cycling.

Anne Ramsey, BHSCT

I am the senior ophthalmic photographer based in the Royal hospitals. I have had a varied employment background. I am an experienced road user, ex Citybus driver and motorcyclist. I worked as a bicycle courier to fund myself through college. I have always been happier on two wheels.

Life changed for me after my divorce, a new home and trying to get by day to day. I bought a bicycle for £10 and started cycling to work as public transport in my area was slow due to heavy traffic. This was 10 years ago, and I have cycle commuted since then. I moved to a new house 6 years ago which meant a hillier commute, so I got my first bike through the cycle to work scheme, it was an electric bike.

I rode the ebike every day for everything shopping, commuting and pleasure. After 2 years I discovered that I had to register the ebike and have it road legal as you would a motor vehicle. I got the bike road legal with a number plate and motorcycle insurance. Then in May 2020 the law changed to relax the regulations. By this stage the ebike had done a lot of miles and had gone through both wheel rims and the battery cells failed. I decided that it was time for a new bike and due to my fitness levels increasing because of years of cycling I bought a non electric standard bicycle.

My new bike was a specialised tourer, I put panniers on and used it as my main mode of transport. Cycling has improved my health. Commuting by bicycle and eating a healthier diet has helped me shed 5 stone within a year. I am 53 but feel as fit as I did when I was in my 20s. I have type 2 diabetes and I am hoping to put my diabetes into remission when I return to a healthier weight.

I became a transport champion just before the pandemic. I want to help encourage others to discover the joys of cycling. Most barriers are in the mind, my wife cycles, she is registered disabled and finds it easier to cycle than to walk. I bought her an ebike and she was able to cycle a year after spinal fusion. Colleagues ask me all the time about my cycling and are keenly interested in doing the same but traffic and lack of safe infrastructure puts them off. There has been an increase in segregated cycle lanes due to an uptake in cycling because of covid, I am hoping they will build on this as I know the need is there. I have noticed that the cycle sheds in the Royal are now at full capacity with the increase in cycle commuters, something I have never seen in winter before. I wonder what spring and summer shall bring.

Happy cycling

Anne

The Leading the Way programme is open to all Belfast employees of:

Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
Belfast City Council
Business Services Organisation
Department for Infrastructure
Public Health Agency

The Leading the Way team would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how your workplace can keep supporting your Active Travel journey. Would you like to see different events or activities, advice or information? Click the button below

Women into Cycling 6-week programme and a new Men into Cycling programme starting September facilitated by Sustrans

Click on the links below to register.

Women into Cycling 6-week programme Registration, Thu 7 Sep 2023 at 18:30 | Eventbrite

Men into Cycling 6-week programme Registration, Tue 19 Sep 2023 at 18:30 | Eventbrite

A Women’s cycling picnic on Sunday 30^th July for past Women into Cycling  participants but also for women interested in getting cycling again – all welcome and can book via Women into Cycling Summer picnic – on bikes Registration, Sun 30 Jul 2023 at 11:30 | Eventbrite