Charlie works in the pharmacy department at Leeds NHS Teaching Hospital Trust. He started cycling more regularly during lockdown, and won 1dayaweek’s big prize of £2,000 in November 2021. Here he shares his thoughts about 1daw and why it’s great for his physical and mental health. You can read the Leeds NHS case study here.
What made you decide to cycle to work?
I became aware of colleagues that were cycling to work, and also a bit of bandwagoning that cycling was popular and receiving attention with lots of GB success from Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Chris Hoy, Lizzie Armistead (now Deignan), Victoria Pendleton etc. I was also looking for a relatively cheap and easy way to improve fitness; I’ve never been a gym fan, and although I run, it’s not something I really enjoy.
Until last March, generally I cycled to work once or twice a week when the sun shone; then in February, the 1 Day A Week team had a showcase in the Gledhow canteen, and I pledged to cycle more regularly. Shortly after this, we had lockdown when the roads were (literally!) empty, the weather was quite nice, and parking was free, which made spaces more difficult to find (and as an adopted Yorkshireman, I thought I’d double up on the saving by not paying for fuel or parking!)
How did you find it at first?
Initially, I found it quite hard as my fitness wasn’t great, nor was the bike I commuted on! – what helped then was Love2Ride which LTHT had signed up to, which showed your CO2 and fuel cost savings, and also feeling like my fitness was improving. What helped me make cycling my primary method of commuting was making it a routine while the weather was nice and the roads were clear.
What are the benefits for you of cycling to work?
For me, the benefits are:
- That my exercise is done as part of my daily travel to work and back – once I’m home, it’s really unlikely I’ll go back out again to exercise, particularly over winter when it’s dark and cold.
- I have type 1 diabetes, so regular exercise is perfect for my long-term health and disease management.
- Flexibility – my wife works in pharmacy too, so we can finish at different times to each other without creating complex logistical problems.
- Headspace – generally, once I’m home I will have stopped thinking about work.
- Being entered into competitions to potentially win prizes for something you would do anyway!
- What advice could you give to staff considering cycling to work for the first time?
- Try to find out about the best/safest routes into work by asking around, make sure you’ve got the right gear (full lycra not necessary, but a helmet, gloves and lights definitely are!), and start when the weather isn’t an excuse to drive.
