Cyclescheme are launching the UK’s biggest ever national Cycle to Work Day on Thursday 12 th September 2013 and we need your help to make it a success. Approximately 750,000 people use a bike to get to work on a regular basis in the UK - this number keeps growing steadily each year, but we want to see those numbers skyrocket this year! As a passionate cycle commuter you don’t need us to tell you about the benefits of cycling to work - health, fitness and well-being to name just a few - but there are still millions of people out there who need a little push.
We’re looking for Champions all across the UK to help us organise events, led rides and any other bike related shenanigans that will help inspire people to cycle. We know that whipping up a bit of excitement in a workplace can be difficult sometimes which is why we’ve put together this toolkit for you. Read on to get ideas, top tips and advice on how to organise a successful Cycle to Work Day event.
— ENJOY IT! — Pick an event or project that you’ll enjoy. If you’re having a good time then your colleagues are more likely to have fun and support you too! — KEEP IT SIMPLE — Don’t overcomplicate things. Organise an event that you can manage comfortably around your other commitments. It’s a good idea to keep a checklist of tasks to help you keep on track too. — BE SAFE AND SENSIBLE — If you’re thinking of organising a led ride, or ‘bike train’ - be safe! Safety can be a massive concern for people, so don’t plan a route that takes your colleagues along the busiest roads in your area! — TIMING IS CRUCIAL — Whatever you’re planning to do for Cycle to Work Day, make sure you give yourself enough time to plan it. If you’re hoping to round up your colleagues to take part in an event, you’ll need to give them plenty of time to prepare. — SHOUT ABOUT IT! — Once you’ve decided what you want to do - shout about it! Think about the most effective way to reach your colleagues. It could be email, posters, your company intranet or setting up a group on Facebook. — PLEDGE! — Remember to encourage your colleagues to pledge their journey on the Cycle to Work Day website - www.cycletoworkday.org - so we can keep track of how many people are taking part.
You don’t need to organise the next Tour De France to make a difference on Cycle to Work Day. Anything from just offering support and advice to your colleagues, to leading a ride to your workplace can be easily achieved. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.
— RIDE TO OR FROM WORK — Plan a safe, easy route to your place of work from a central location that your colleagues will be able to get to easily. It could be a park, a local train station or a traffic-free cycle path. Remember, riding home might be a more appealing option for some people, so be sure to find out what will work best for you. Visit www.sustrans.org.uk for information about the National Cycle Network, head over to www.cyclestreets.net/journey to help plan your route or why not create a Social Cycling Group for free with British Cycling and Sky Ride at www.goskyride.com/Social-Cycling-Groups?
— DR. BIKE SESSION — Cyclescheme is partnered with nearly 2,000 independent bike shops across the UK. The people behind these shops live and breathe cycling so they’re experts in their field. Why not get in touch with your local Cyclescheme Retailer and get them to come to your office for the morning to give free bike check-ups for anyone cycling in that day? Visit www.cyclescheme.co.uk/partners to find your nearest Cyclescheme Retailer.
— FREE COFFEE — Depending on how many people there are in your workplace, this can be a great (and easy) way of drumming up some interest. Why not speak to your boss and see if they’d be happy to spare some cash to foot the bill. If your boss isn’t sold on the idea, mention the CSR (corporate social responsibility) benefits - staff well-being, health and reduced carbon footprint and it’ll be hard for them to say no!
- COMMUTER TUTOR Use Cycle to Work Day as a focal point for activity. Why not do a quick poll amongst your colleagues to find out if anyone would benefit from a lesson or two with a competent cycle instructor? Many councils offer free of charge cycle training for adults and if they don’t group lessons are often very reasonable. In the back of this toolkit there are some links for fantastic cycle training agencies like the CTC and Bike Right.
- RIDER RAFFLE To raise the profile of the day why not give all your colleagues a raffle ticket. This will start a positive conversation and stimulate a challenge. People who cycle in on September 12 th and validate their raffle ticket by turning up at your desk with rosy cheeks and a positive glow about them get entered into a raffle. Think about speaking to your manager or the HR department to secure some support for prizes too!
You’ve decided what you’re going to do for Cycle to Work Day, now you just need to let people know about it! Here are some top tips for spreading the word: — TALK TO YOUR BOSS — Sometimes the best way of letting your colleagues know about something is to start at the top. Speak to your manager, boss or your HR department about what you’d like to do and ask how they can help you spread the message. — INTRANET — If your company has an internal intranet - get on it! Perhaps there’s a news section, or a bulletin board where you can post information. It’s a great way of letting people know what’s going on. — EMAIL — A simple email to your colleagues can be a very effective way of getting noticed. It’s always worth speaking to your boss before hitting ‘send’ - you don’t want to get a telling off for filling up everyone’s inbox! — STAFF ROOM — A staff room can be a great place to strategically leave flyers, posters and other information about your event. Again, it’s worth speaking to your boss before you get the wallpaper paste out! — SOCIAL MEDIA — Setting up a Facebook group, or talking about your event on Twitter can be a great way of reaching your colleagues outside of work. A Facebook group, in particular, is a fantastic way of keeping track of who’s taking part and keeping your colleagues up to date. Visit the resources section on www.cycletoworkday.org to download posters, flyers, logos, images and eflyers to help you out with all of the above.
— BRITISH CYCLING — www.britishcycling.org — The internationally recognised governing body of cycle sport in the UK. Fantastic website full of advice, tips and ideas. Plus, if you sign up to become a Ride member you get access to: Up to £10 m third party liability insurance peace of mind insurance to keep you covered every time you ride your bike Free legal support and advice access to our expert team who can help you in the event of an incident An exclusive weekly members email packed with offers, news and top tips from those in the know Discounts on cycling gear - enjoy a minimum 12% discount in the British Cycling Wiggle shop
— SUSTRANS — www.sustrans.org.uk — Sustrans is the pioneer of the 'Safe Routes' concept in the UK. Features include FAQs, safe routes listing, volunteer opportunities and resources.
— CTC — https://www.ctc.org.uk — National cyclists' organisation offering advice and services to cyclists since 1878. Offers advice for casual to hard-core cyclists.
— BIKERIGHT! — www.bikeright.co.uk — Cycle training, bicycle maintenance courses, cycle instructor training and mountain biking skills for people of all ages and abilities.
— CYCLE STREETS — www.cyclestreets.net — UK cycle photomap and journey planner, including options for the fastest and quietest routes.
— GOOGLE MAPS — https://maps.google.co.uk/ — Zoomable maps focused on an address or post code. Features great cycle route planning options.
— TRANSPORT DIRECT — www.transportdirect.info — Britain's public transport journey planner and car route planner. Plus train times, travel news, car parks, bus routes, and more.
— MADE GOOD — www.madegood.org — Easy to follow how-to tutorials on bicycle repair. Over 100 HD videos with detailed text instructions on how to complete most aspects of bike repair.