Introduction
There are loads of reasons why cycling to school is great for children.
It’s fun, fast, a great way to fit exercise into the day and good for the environment, too. And it doesn't cost anything.
On top of that, research shows that children who cycle are more confident, more independent and more alert in the classroom.
They arrive at school more ready to learn than those driven by car and just 15 minutes cycling to and from school makes a real difference to health and fitness levels, improving bone strength, joints and muscle tone.
More children cycling to school would also help reduce congestion and pollution caused by the school run, while saving parents money on petrol and the cost of running a car.
Recent research carried out for Cycling England showed that over half of the children surveyed thought that cycling to school was more fun that travelling by car, 80% would prefer to cycle because it's good exercise, 43% saying they would enjoy the fact that cycling enables them to travel with friends and 39% would prefer to cycle to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
| Freya goes to school in Colchester |
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“Cycling to school makes the journey really quick - it only t “I’ve been riding a bike for about five years. When I was younger I had some cycle training and it helped me a lot. They taught me how to cycle in a safe environment and it made me feel a lot more confident. “The main reason I cycle is to keep fit. It’s a lot better than going to the gym as you are out in the fresh air rather than sat on an exercise bike looking at a wall. “Cycling gives me some freedom, too, as I don’t always have to ask my parents for lifts. If I cycle to see my friends nearby it means I can come home when I want rather than having to wait to be picked up." |
akes me about 10 to 15 minutes. I can go at my own pace and I don’t have to hang around waiting for a bus. 
