Evans Cycles launch new Better by bike campaign in the UK

It’s no secret that cycling can have a hugely positive impact on well-being. Whether you’re a leisure rider, commuter, roadie, mountain-biker, tourer or a complete beginner, we all share in the mental, fitness and environmental benefits of pedal power.  

Within a society strongly impacted by growing levels of obesity and inactivity, cycling can help provide a simple, enjoyable and affordable solution. With heart and circulatory diseases killing more than 150,000 people in the UK every year, studies have shown that cycling to and from work can cut heart disease by as much as 46 percent.

Aside from the obvious physiological benefits like better lung and heart functionality, strengthened bones and increased muscle form, cycling can be a supremely effective agent in maintaining mental health. Aerobic exercise like cycling reduces stress and anxiety, increases self-esteem and can also help combat depression through the natural release of endorphins in your brain.

For many people, cycling also offers an unparalleled sense of freedom. Be that through a child gaining their first taste of independence and exploration, or someone who might otherwise be put off cycling utilising modern developments in E-bike technology to regain fitness or sense of self-reliance. What’s more, its use as a mode of transport doesn’t just save you money on train and bus fares (with Ride-to-Work participants saving an average of £776.40 on travel each year), it also helps to conserve the planet’s natural resources and maintain a cleaner environment.

With cycling making up around just 4% of all commutes in the UK, Evans Cycles are encouraging members of the public to ride more regularly and realise the range of benefits that can be achieved on two wheels.

Now in its tenth year of operating, the flagship Ride-to-Work scheme has helped over 170,000 people commute by bike. Looking ahead to the future, Evans Cycles have pledged to raise this to a whopping 250,000 people by 2028 – that’s an extra 504 million miles of cycling a year which could help improve people’s health up and down the country.

The Great Evans Cycles Trade In scheme can also help riders save money on new bikes whilst giving their old models a new lease of life. Customers can save up to £350 off a brand new bike when they trade their old model in in-store. All exchanged bikes are then donated to Evans Cycles network of charities across the UK, providing thousands of people with an affordable and healthy mode of transport.

Understanding that keeping a bike in tip-top condition is a key factor in ensuring its long term use, Evans Cycles offer FIX IT maintenance classes for all. Taking place on a fortnightly basis within each of their 62 stores, members of the public can sign up for an hour long session with in-house staff to run through basic maintenance tips and a guide to your bike’s key components.

As part of the ‘Better by bike’ campaign, Evans Cycles will also be helping to raise awareness for the benefits of cycling through a string of social media competitions. First up, users on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram will have an opportunity to take home a free Pinnacle bike. In order to be in with a chance to win, Evans Cycles are asking members of the public to share the ways in which cycling has improved their lives with the hashtag #BetterByBike.

Commenting on the new initiative, CEO Alan Fort said: “We are really excited to unveil the Better by bike campaign. Cycling, in all its different forms, has so many benefits for both individuals and our wider society. By using our position as the UK’s leading specialist bike shop to highlight some of these, we hope to encourage people of all ages to get out and ride more. Now fully into British summertime and Bike Week, what better time to show the world how everyone can become better by bike!”

Source: Evans Cycles