What's the best way to go to work?

I have always liked bicycles because they give me freedom. However, 5 years ago car drivers wouldn’t let us ride a bike safely in the Portuguese roads. In 2013 new laws were introduced to give cyclists more rights and legal protection (i.e the obligation of keeping 1,5 meters distance when overtaking). This made me feel safe enough to start riding my bicycle on the main roads and to start using it on a daily basis as a means of transport. I also had the conditions for that because my work place was at a 10km distance from home and in Lisbon the weather to ride a bike is great most of the times.

I will start with the most obvious advantage: daily physical exercise becomes a part of your routine. But in my perspective, there are much more positive aspects: you don’t spend money on public transports, you don’t have to be to breathe other vehicles smoke while in traffic. You can enjoy the view of the city (in my case my path was along Rio Tejo towards Parque das Nações) and you contact more with persons and with the city. On a bike we see and hear everything. The grumpy guy talking loud in a speakerphone, the old lady that tells you to cross the road while she smiles, the chats on the sidewalk. The perspective is different. You travel through shortcuts where a car doesn’t fit, on the road but also on the mind.

Exercising on your way to work can also be bad though. For someone who sweats a lot (Me!) you can’t leave home with your work outfit. You have to take your clothes on a backpack and get changed when you get to work. Nowadays many companies have dressing rooms where you can take a bath, but back then I had to do this in the toilet for disabled people. There are also the safety problems. I advise people to put a mirror on the handlebar. In terms of the helmet, I think that it is always good to wear it and have a bit of protection, at least at the beginning. Due to low speed and to the little protection it provides us I don’t think it should be mandatory, but this is my opinion. At night we mustn’t forget the light on the back and on the front of the bike! Finally, distance can be a negative factor. Certain paths from home to work have a very long distance or have a lot of ups and downs that make it impossible to ride a bike, especially in the beginning while you are still trying to gain endurance.

In my opinion, if you aren’t too far from work, the pros compensate the cons. Now start pedaling!

By: Ricardo 
Smartie Java