Take a bicycle to work, reduce your carbon footprint?

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

There seem to be many people in the world who walk for miles to reach their place of work, and others make use of a bicycle. This is, however, something that tends to be put off by those who live in western society. Is it just plain laziness, or is there more to not wanting to cycle to work?
Safety

Many cities are just not as safe as they used to be and with the amount of technology we have to cart around every day, the chances of being mugged are not just a financial loss. There is the exposure risk to loss of life or limb and the emotional trauma is just too much to bear for some. Many people’s livelihoods also depend on their technology and to have a stolen or damaged is just not an option.

There is also the risk of being knocked over by vehicles, especially in countries where cyclists aren’t regarded as the priority. Unless you have quick response times, high traffic areas should be avoided.

Convenience

A lot of people won’t make the switch simply for the fact that it is convenient. If you live on the outskirts, or even outside town entirely, cycling to work might just take a lot longer. If you happen to have kids as well and it is not safe for them to walk to school or use public transport, then cycling to work might just pose a problem. A lot of salespeople also function out of their cars like it’s a second office, and often have their demonstration kits in the trunk. For those who travel long distances every day, y the time you reach your destination it might already be time to move onto the next one already. It also helps that the car seat provides a whole lot more seat than a bicycle.
Physically impossible

Some people have to make use of highways, train bridges and subways to get to their place of work as there is no alternative route for them to get there. To try and travel this same route by bicycle may not be feasible or safe.

High profile jobs with high profile clients

Unless you have a shower facility at work which most people don’t, chances are good that you are unable to freshen up properly when you get to work. There is nothing worse meeting a potential new client or a high profile client smelling and looking like you’ve just cycled ten miles.

They may not look it, but they are expensive

If you buy a proper road bike that would not have to be serviced almost on a daily basis, it will cost you a pretty penny especially if you already have the means to get to work and back. They require regular upkeep even if you buy a decent one and the services on road bikes are almost as expensive as a small service on a car.