BRITONS TAKE UP BIKING TO BEAT CREDIT CRUNCH

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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