With the pandemic leading people to want to avoid public transport on their way to work, more commuters are choosing to cycle to work than ever before. With the roads now consistently more safe for cyclists in towns and cities, with specific cycle lanes added to many roads, cycling is also safer for commuters than ever before. If cyclists choose to go off road, there are plenty of cross country routes available for cyclists to use as well. But the reason cycling has increased in popularity is down to far more than just convenience.
With many established cycling and walking routes crisscrossing both Kent and Sussex, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy your time cycling outdoors. With many bicycles having either a basket or space for you to strap a water bottle to your bike, you can bring everything you need with you while you are out on a day long cycling trip. If you need to, you can also wear a backpack as you cycle, with a picnic outside in the centre of your route a fantastic way to boost your energy for the ride back as well as a wonderful break to take in the beautiful sights around you.
If you are considering a bicycle ride around Bewl Water, then consider visiting our Kent bike hire shop. With a range of bicycles and other equipment for adults as well as families with small children, our Kent bike hire shop will be able to offer you all the equipment you will need for your trip. Here are a few reasons why cycling has become an ever more popular way to travel.
Eco friendly transport
Bicycles offer a fantastic way to get around when you are travelling short distances. If you are heading to the shops in your local village, to work if you live within easy cycling distance or even to visit a friend, then cycling is an eco-friendly alternative that can help you get from A to B without damaging the environment. Even electric cars have a larger carbon footprint than bicycles, which release no smog into the environment.
Public transport can be claustrophobic and, with many people travelling on trains and buses every day, potentially unsafe throughout the pandemic. Cycling offers another option that is good for you as well as being eco-friendly.
Fitness
Cycling offers not only a fantastic way to get from place to place, but cycling regularly can help you to improve your fitness. With competing in triathlons a popular way to gauge your overall progress in running, cycling and swimming, cycling regularly to train for races or even just to improve your health is a popular activity to try. If you are new to cycling and are unsure of the type of bicycle you want to use, meeting with local cycling clubs can be a great way to meet people who are as interested in the sport as you are.
Whether you are looking to eventually compete in a competition in order to have a goal to work towards, or purely to improve your fitness, if you don’t have a bicycle of your own then visiting our Kent bike hire service at Bewl Water will help kit you out for your cycling project.
Safe Routes
While it’s safe to say that cyclists can sometimes be a hazard when you are driving, this has improved markedly in recent years, as safe bicycle lanes and paths have been created for cyclists around the country. These cycling lanes and cross country routes are making it safer and easier for cyclists to get around without causing difficulty for drivers sharing the road with them. Having cycling routes set out both on and off roads makes the prospect of longer routes much easier to traverse, as most of them will be marked with signposts, as well as on any maps of Kent and Sussex.
Electric Bikes
Cycling for long distances can be difficult, especially if you have children that you are carrying with you. Using an electric bike can make cycling a lot easier for those with little experience of cycling long distances. For instance, if you are part of a group of frequent cyclists heading out for a cycling trip, you could bring an electric bike to help you keep up while on the go.
While electric bikes make it easier for less practised cyclists to go further, they do detract from the experience if you want to cycle primarily for fitness, as the bike takes the vast majority of the strain and you will not have to work as hard.
Larger Biking Community
A range of sports focus on cycling, from road racing, cross-country and sprints hosted around the world. The most famous race of all is the Tour de France, a multiple-stage race held across France that takes place over a gruelling 23 days. While a competition of the scale of the Tour de France may be an event you prefer watching on the TV rather than competing in yourself, the cycling community has plenty of clubs and areas where people can get together and discuss their hobby.
No matter what your reasons for cycling regularly, having a group of friends and acquaintances that can go with you is a great way to maintain your motivation and make your cycling trips more enjoyable. When you have people waiting for you to show up for a bike ride it is much easier to go, even when you don’t feel like cycling at that point in time.
Family Friendly
Cycling is a fantastic activity for the whole family to enjoy together, with many shorter routes perfect for a day trip found around Kent and Sussex. Cycling can make travelling long distances easier, and if you bring a picnic you can spend the whole day enjoying the outdoors.
The Bewl Water route is a great one to be explored by the whole family, with the Waterfront Café and Soft Play available for smaller children to enjoy while their older siblings enjoy the Bewl Water playground situated next to the reservoir.
If you are planning on visiting Bewl Water reservoir for a cycling trip and have questions about the route, then please contact us here. Our Kent bike hire service will be able to help you if you need to rent bicycles for the day, and our staff there will be happy to answer any questions you have about Bewl Water.