One in five cyclists put off commuting by lack of facilities at work

One-fifth of British people cycle to work less frequently than they'd like, due to the lack of facilities available at work, research has shown. 

While you can set up hooks, racks or sheds at home - whichever works out as the best bike storage solution for your space and budget - if you’re cycle commuting, you are fully relying on the facilities at your workplace to keep your commuter bike safe and secure.

14 per cent of the 2,000 adults surveyed by Opinium said that their workplace doesn’t have enough cycle storage or that the storage facilities were taken away, with a further eight per cent revealing that they used to have storage, but it has since been removed due to reduced office space.

That said, it’s not just storage facilities that are putting cyclists off commuting.

The research - commissioned by Direct Line Cycling Insurance - has revealed that another 12 per cent said that their office does not have enough showers and changing rooms to accommodate their cycling needs. Electric bikes are a good option for commuting as you’re less likely to turn up as such a sweaty mess, but showering is still high on the list of priorities for most. 

While it may be a surprise that the research suggests that as many as 1.5 million cyclists are deterred by the lack of workplace bike storage facilities, there are many other barriers still at play. 

29 per cent state that they live too far away, 25 per cent are put off by variable weather conditions, 25 per cent would call their cycle route “dangerous” and 17 per cent say their route is “difficult”. 

For those who think it’s too far or difficult to cycle to work, it’d be interesting to find out whether they had considered an e-bike to knock the edge off the climbs along the way and the distance. 

The research also showed a correlation between the amount spent on bikes and frequency of using it to commute to work, with those who cycle into work everyday spending £873 on average on their bike which is 58 per cent higher than average (£554) and more than twice the amount spent by those who cycle into work less than once a month (£420).

The study also revealed nearly two million people (13 per cent of cyclists) spent more than £1,000 on their bike and according to Direct Line Cycling Insurance, an estimated £1 billion worth of bikes are used to commute every day across the UK.

“If secure facilities aren’t available, we would encourage cyclists to invest more in equipment such as locks or specialist cycling insurance to ensure that cyclists are still able to do what they love without having to worry about the safety of their bike,” advises Direct Line Cycling Insurance. 

Even the lowest priced bikes don't come cheap, and to replace wouldn't be an easy option for most, which is why protection is really important to have.

Check out our guide to the best bicycle insurance to find out how to choose the right insurance policy for you, and if you’re looking to compare all the deals out there we partnered with Protect Your Family on an insurance comparison engine to save you time hunting.