BRITONS TAKE UP BIKING TO BEAT CREDIT CRUNCH

General cycling riding in bike lane

More Britons are taking up cycling than ever before, and it's down to the credit crunch. That's the finding of a survey undertaken by Sainsbury's Insurance.

The supermarket chain's insurance arm published research this week stating that 12 per cent - or over 3 million - of British workers now cycle to work instead of using a car or public transport.

Sainsbury's have put a figure of £33.70 as the saving made per week by those who choose to ride instead of using a car, which equates to £111.2 million as a collective figure.

The survey found that more men than women ride to work - 15 per cent compared to eight per cent of women. The switch to cycling wasn't just for financial reasons, many were doing it for the sake of their fitness.

"Using a bicycle to travel around can be a very effective way of saving money," said Sainsbury's Home Insurance manager Neil Laird.

"However, With thousands of bicycles being stolen in the UK each week, it could soon turn out to be a white elephant, costing you far more than you expect if you haven't secured and insured it properly."

The company failed to mention whether it would be providing more cycle parking at its supermarkets, or whether car-biased out-of-town stores would soon become a thing of the past.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.