There has never been a better time to get on your bike and cycle to work. 

With the Government tentatively releasing us from the confines of the coronavirus lockdown and urging us to go back to work to revive the economy, commuting has become a hot topic. 
The powers that be are encouraging commuters to find alternative means of transport to get to work which do not have the social distancing problems of travelling by bus, tube or train.
Thus the humble bicycle has been elevated as the go-to means of travel for those whose commute distance is no more than 10 miles. Forget the car, that will just cause gridlock on the roads.
“On yer bike” was the headline splashed across the front page of the i newspaper on May 8, as the Government officially encouraged Britons to start cycling to work as part of a national transport plan designed to reopen the economy without causing a spike in coronavirus infections.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps pledged an initial £250 million of funding for more cycle infrastructure in England such as the construction of pop-up bike lanes, wider pavements, safer junctions and cycle and bus only corridor. The cash is the first part of a £2 billion investment bundle in active travel. Mr Shapps said cycling “can be a very important part” of the UK’s post-lockdown recovery.
Prime Minister Boris “Bikes” Johnson, himself a keen cyclist, has promised a post-coronavirus “golden age of cycling” and more people have been taking up cycling in the lockdown both as a form of exercise and for key workers avoiding public transport.

Cycling UK
Cycling UK, the charity and campaign group behind Bike Week (June 6 to 14), says that millions of commuters could travel to work safely if only 100 miles of pop-up lanes were installed across 10 English cities – Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. The charity commissioned research showing where 10 cities could place pop-up cycle lanes that will allow the most people to cycle safely to work while also maintaining social distancing.
The charity is calling on government to support and encourage local authorities to start installing temporary cycle lanes and wider pavements across all cities and towns in preparation for the UK’s post-lockdown recovery. A Cycling UK campaign calling on councils to start building pop up cycle lanes, has so far seen 5,551 members of the public write to their councillors in support.
Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns said: “The last thing we want when lockdown ends is everyone jumping into their cars to drive to work because they’re concerned about taking public transport. Pop-up cycle lanes and widened pavements are cheap and easy to implement solutions which will allow millions to move in safety, not just from the risks of motor traffic but also from the risks of catching coronavirus.”

Benefits of cycling to work
With Cycle to Work Day scheduled for Thursday, August 6, here are a few of the many reasons why it would be a good idea for you to cycle to work not just on that day, but every day:

Avoid public transport. We have no idea how long this virus will be around for, and public transport with all its social distancing challenges could remain a risk for many months to come. Get in the saddle and reduce your risk of catching Covid-19.
Fitness. Cycling burns as many calories as jogging and saves your knee joints. So it can help you lose weight. It also improves cardiovascular and aerobic fitness, lowers blood pressure, boosts energy, builds muscle, and improves co-ordination. 
Saving money. Commuting by bike rather than car will save you cash on fuel, car maintenance and insurance. Employers can also help to provide additional savings to employees who might already be considering commuting by bike by offering a cycle to work scheme  (details elsewhere on this page), which allows bikes to be purchased from an employee’s gross salary before tax is applied.
Health and wellbeing. Apart from fitness already mentioned, cycling has been shown to half the risk of cancer and heart disease. 
Cycling can also help to make you more alert, improve your mood and increase productivity, making it an ideal way to start the day!
Convenience. Cyclists don’t get stuck in traffic jams and aren’t susceptible to the usual delays of driving or public transportation, making bike commuting as fast or faster than driving for most urban commutes. Plus, when you arrive at work you don’t need to fret about finding a parking space, just secure it to your company’s cycle rack (they do have one don’t they?). 
Reduce your carbon footprint. Bicycle production does have an impact, and while they are not fuel powered, they are food powered and producing food unfortunately creates CO2 emissions. But the good news is that production of a bicycle sets you back only 5g per kilometre driven. When you add the CO2 emissions from the average European diet, which is around 16g per kilometre cycled, the total CO2 emissions per kilometre of riding your bike is about 21g – more than ten times less than a car.
Reducing pollution. Getting out of the car and cycling contributes to cleaner, healthier air. At present, every year in the UK, outdoor pollution is linked to around 40,000 deaths. By cycling, you are helping to reduce the harmful and deadly emissions, effectively saving lives and making the world a healthier place to live.

Cycle to Work schemes
Hundreds of thousands of people have already bought a bike on the Cycle to Work scheme, which was introduced as a tax exemption in 1999 by the government to “promote healthier journeys to work and reduce environmental pollution”.
Many companies now operate the scheme, which has been updated by the Government to encourage more people to commute to work. The scheme also helps to reduce the demand for car parking spaces and contribute to a company’s environmental targets. Your employer reviews and (hopefully) approves your Cycle to Work application, then pays for the bike. You receive a voucher that you exchange for your bike in store or online.
Essentially the scheme means that your employer buys a bike for you to ride to work and you “hire” it through monthly salary sacrifice payments. This is where you save by not paying tax and National Insurance on the monthly fees. At the end of the “hire” period, you buy the bike from your employer. In other words, your salary sacrifice is made from your gross salary, not your net salary.
Due to the Government changes bikes and cycling equipment of up to any value, including E-Bikes, which can be costly, can now be covered by the cycle to work scheme, as well as a broader selection of cycling accessories, including anything that an individual needs to commute by bike. Employers now have more flexibility to structure their schemes and set their own limits on the cost of bikes and equipment for employees. 

No excuses
The Government is planning to issue vouchers for cycle repairs, to encourage people to get their old bikes out of the shed, polish them up and fix them to provide a safe and reliable means of transport. Plans are also being developed for the greater provision of bike fixing facilities. So there is no excuse not to cycle to work.
Many cite the inclement British weather for not commuting by bike. And while riding in the rain can be a right pain, just get the appropriate gear to cope with the vagaries of the British climate and you’ll be fine. 
There may also be a lack of facilities at work for changing out of your cycling gear at work. However most home to work journeys are in the low figures, so if you are cycling three to five miles each way to your workplace it can be done comfortable in your work clothes.  
Most companies have bike racks for your trusty steed, and many are providing showers and changing facilities for the cyclist whose is cycling commute is in the double figures. So join the cycling revolution and help to build a bright new world.   

Useful websites: 
cycling.org   
gov.uk   
cyclescheme.co.uk  
cycletoworkday.org