Fiona Louca – Tenancy Targeted Duty Manager, Homes and Communities

"I started cycling in July 2020 and haven’t looked back since. I am part of the BAME community and the current government advice says that we are more susceptible to Covid-19. I’m also in one of the services that needs to operate from a council building and have four young children at home – cycling reduces my risk of encountering infected people on my commute.  

My commute is a pretty straight run from A to B and is 8.1 miles each way taking me around 40 mins. I’m no longer sitting in traffic jams or being squashed in the tube carriage with someone else’s armpit in my face. I’ve also found jumping on my bike a good way to de-stress and clear the mind at the start and end of my day. 

In addition, I am one of the many who have gained lockdown pounds and cycling is a good way to get some exercise. I always used to make excuses about why I didn’t have time to exercise, but now I am fitting it in on a daily basis all through the joy of cycling – it almost feels like cheating! Plus it saves me money every time I commute. I’ll be saving on average around £1,300 annually by not buying a travel card. 

Before I started cycling, my main fear was safety. This is still a concern for me but not as much as before. I research my route before setting off to make use of the cycle lanes and for those who don’t know, you can also cycle in bus lanes. I feel more comfortable in the knowledge that I practically have my own lane as I can concentrate on my surroundings and any possible dangers. 

My second fear was that I wouldn’t be able to cycle all the way to work. I’m not the fittest person so I opted for an e-bike - I don’t cheat all the time, just up the hills!  

I bought my e-bike from the Giant store in Camden through Cyclescheme. I use my bike mostly for traveling to work, but also for fun and fitness in my spare time.  

If any staff members aren’t sure if cycling is for them, how could you say no to the physical, financial and environmental benefits that cycling offers? Cycling really is the way to go!"

Jon Stroud – Senior Social Worker, Children in Need

"I work for the emergency social care service which means I’m working when everyone else doesn’t work. The emergency social care service covers all the hours the offices are shut so we’re on call from 5pm until 9am the next morning, during Christmas holidays etc. I tend to work from home, but as a key worker I sometimes need to travel to work.  

I’ve always had a bicycle but I live in Alexandra Palace which is surrounded by hills, so the idea of commuting by bike has never been appealing. But then my local tube station shut because of the pandemic and I decided to buy an e-bike and equipment through Cyclescheme. I can’t sing its praises enough – the e-bike is a dream. E-bikes have made things more accessible – you don’t have to be young or fit to cycle.  

I can get to work as quickly as I would using public transport. It's also a good way to get exercise, good for the environment and lessens my risk of catching Covid-19. I'm using it in my leisure time as well and it’s really enjoyable.  

I know there’s been a lot of media coverage of road accidents, but I make myself visible on the road and don't cycle at speed so I feel very safe. I bought some equipment through Cyclescheme such as a high visibility vest, a helmet and lights. I’ve also bought a carrier and a rack on the back for carrying things through Cyclescheme.  

Will I continue to cycle instead of driving or public transport? Definitely, there’s no going back for me now."

Parris Langridge – Project Manager, Transport and Planning

"I’ve not had a bike since about the age of 15 and started cycling two months ago. I got my bike through Cyclescheme which was really easy. It took about two weeks in total from applying to picking it up from my local bike shop. It’s been easy to budget for – it's worked out that I’m paying half of my monthly travel budget on the monthly payments for the bike through Cyclescheme. 

Not only is cycling great because it works out cheaper in the long-run than other transport, but going to see my mum on socially-distanced visits is now only a 15-minute cycle which is much quicker than public transport or being stuck in traffic in a car.  

I’ve also found it’s an easy way to get exercise – it doesn’t feel like you’re putting in effort. If you get a bike with gears you don’t have to be that fit.  

It’s also much safer than I thought it was going to be. Before cycling, I wasn’t that comfortable with the idea of cycling on the roads but I don’t feel unsafe at all – there are so many Cycleways in London. Before cycling, I didn’t pay attention to all the nooks and crannies you can cycle down when you have a bike.  

At the moment, my team are working from home and so I’m using my bike in my spare time. As a team that needs to travel into the workplace, we will be carrying out site visits in the borough to monitor our People Friendly Streets schemes, and occasionally working from the office when absolutely essential. As and when I do have to commute to Islington, I will definitely be cycling. When I took public transport to work, I never enjoyed the start of the day. I wouldn’t go back now."