According to researchers at the Stanford Calming Technology Lab, by swapping your car or train journey for a bicycle ride to and from work, you can arrive at your destination 40% less stressed than before. The research echoes the findings of a major study that was completed in the UK last year.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia studied data produced by nearly 18,000 commuters over a ten year period. They found that those who had an active commute rather than relying on machines had a higher level of well being. People who traditionally used machines for commuting were found to experience an uplift in their happiness when swapping the car or train for a bike for just a short time.
Commuters can find further persuasion to use their bicycles in a recent academic paper published in the journal Ecological Economics which revealed that cycling is six times cheaper than motoring for society. In the first cross-benefit analysis of its kind, Stefan Gössling from Lund University and Andy S. Choi from the University of Queensland looked at a range of societal consequences, from pollution to health and congestion. They concluded that while every kilometre costs €0.50 to drive, it only costs €0.08 to cycle.
Interestingly, some cycling commuters choose to cycle whilst others have no choice. People are working hard in Hexham to make sure commuting by cycle is made safer and where possible route improvements also benefit recreational cyclists.
Transition Tynedale 