Work Cycling Campain

Caroline_ie · 26-05-2008 10:13am #1

I am organizing a cycling campain in work ... It suggested it to my work ... who took me seriously and decided to let me do it with their help. The event is for the end of June, and I am supposed to make as many people cycle in to work for the one day... I extended the idea to ' walk or take the bus or car pool ' ... leave your car at home type of event...

Have any of you even done that?

We'd have prizes for longest bike commute for example ...

If you have any idea, suggestions ... I have to present the event tomorrow.

Cheers !

Morgan · 26-05-2008 10:18am

Free breakfast (or doughnuts or muffins or coffee) for those who cycle in.

Provide advice to those who need it (either directly or via a web page / FAQ), e.g. what to wear, route options etc.

Arrange a deal with a local shop for discounts on servicing / new bikes.

Raam · 26-05-2008 11:14am

Maybe focus on the health and money benefits. That's what people care about most.

26-05-2008 11:23am

Excellent idea Caroline, will mention it in work here.

kenmc · 26-05-2008 11:28am

Perhaps also emphasize the time saved commuting, especially if you know that you can come from a lot further away than some of them in their cars, in less time. Also play up how you feel alert when you get to the desk, and much less stressed.

Kinetic^ · 26-05-2008 11:33am

Great idea.

Could try and sell it like "Healthier staff = better workers" :pac: or something along those lines. You could probably try and get some sponsorship from one of the water companies like volvic/ballygowan etc

Vélo · 26-05-2008 11:40am

Pure genius.

Now you be seen to use this website in work and say it's part of your research.

A master stroke!!!

Now get back to work.

26-05-2008 11:42am

Just curious, is there any national type of 'bike week' like this in Ireland?

Caroline_ie · 26-05-2008 11:55am

Well my original idea was to do an event around how to be healthy at work, i wanted to include the cycling campain/leave your car at home, Have the canteen prepare healthyer options, have a fitness instructor on site, a nutritionist to assess people's diet and give tips on healthty life style... but my original event is being moved from the end of July to the end of june, leaving me with less than 1 month to get everything sorted and I am not sure I can do everything on time. I am presenting the project to the communications deparment tomorrow and people who are interrested in green alternatives are also attending the meeting and will possibly be interrested in helping.

The probelm is ... a lot of people who live nearbyt drive in ... and to be honest, considering the size of some of them ... I very much doubt they'll be up for a cycle ...

I am also scared people might find me arrogant if I tell them I sometimes commute ( sometimes when i cycle from my BF's House ) 52Km a day on my bike to get work ... and wanting everyone to do the same ...

For some of us cycling is a sport ... for most of the rest ... it's a royal pain in the bum ....

26-05-2008 11:56am

Caroline_ie wrote: »

For some of us cycling is a sport ... for most of the rest ... it's a royal pain in the bum ....

Just for the first week, after that it gets better

Kinetic^ · 26-05-2008 12:59pm

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Well my original idea was to do an event around how to be healthy at work, i wanted to include the cycling campain/leave your car at home, Have the canteen prepare healthyer options, have a fitness instructor on site, a nutritionist to assess people's diet and give tips on healthty life style... but my original event is being moved from the end of July to the end of june, leaving me with less than 1 month to get everything sorted and I am not sure I can do everything on time. I am presenting the project to the communications deparment tomorrow and people who are interrested in green alternatives are also attending the meeting and will possibly be interrested in helping.

The probelm is ... a lot of people who live nearbyt drive in ... and to be honest, considering the size of some of them ... I very much doubt they'll be up for a cycle ...

I am also scared people might find me arrogant if I tell them I sometimes commute ( sometimes when i cycle from my BF's House ) 52Km a day on my bike to get work ... and wanting everyone to do the same ...

For some of us cycling is a sport ... for most of the rest ... it's a royal pain in the bum ....

I'd be careful with the bold stuff above. Some of the staff might think it's none of your business and might not be too keen on that sort of stuff.

seamus · 26-05-2008 1:29pm

Kinetic^ wrote: »

I'd be careful with the bold stuff above. Some of the staff might think it's none of your business and might not be too keen on that sort of stuff.

This is common enough. I doubt she's talking about having people line up and be forced to be "tested", rather there'd be someone onsite and staff are free to go and have a chat to them or get some informational reading and so forth.

keeffe2001 · 26-05-2008 1:32pm

Do you have a shower at work? You could have fresh towels/shampoo etc there in the morning for the week for those cycling in

Caroline_ie · 26-05-2008 1:35pm

keeffe2001 wrote: »

Do you have a shower at work? You could have fresh towels/shampoo etc there in the morning for the week for those cycling in

That's a very good idea!!!!

Caroline_ie · 26-05-2008 1:36pm

seamus wrote: »

This is common enough. I doubt she's talking about having people line up and be forced to be "tested", rather there'd be someone onsite and staff are free to go and have a chat to them or get some informational reading and so forth.

Yes of course I am not forcing anyone to measure their BMI and quit the crisps ....

Funkyzeit · 26-05-2008 2:06pm

keeffe2001 wrote: »

Do you have a shower at work? You could have fresh towels/shampoo etc there in the morning for the week for those cycling in

Thats key for me. Wouldn't cycle into work if the shower facilites weren't great.

Glowing · 26-05-2008 3:24pm

And for women especially - the bonus of a mirror and hairdryer is great!

Caroline_ie · 26-05-2008 4:04pm

Glowing wrote: »

And for women especially - the bonus of a mirror and hairdryer is great!

Ah yeah we have that, we have a gym onsite.

I might actually train in there tonight ... so much wind out there ... I am scared of turning into a cycling kite if I go out for a few hours now...

Victor · 26-05-2008 9:00pm

There are lots of advantages to both employers and employees. For example, it is cheaper and more reliable timewise for employees to cycle to work while you can park 8 bikes in the space used by one car, which means employers spend less on employee parking.

St. Vincent's Hospital has set up a bicycle users group with about 50 members with the help of Dublin Cycling Campaign. Caroline, I'll send you a PM.

pan · 27-05-2008 12:11pm

How about doing group/department competition to foster competitive spirit.
Something like, the group in which most members cycled in get group prize...

Caroline_ie · 27-05-2008 12:15pm

pan wrote: »

How about doing group/department competition to foster competitive spirit.
Something like, the group in which most members cycled in get group prize...

I like that!

Just after my meeting and it's still very blurry as they just listetened to what I have to say ... no reaction ... a few nods ... people like the idea, but it's not for them ... people are so damn lazy!

Must put a report together now ... another one ...

rp · 27-05-2008 12:38pm

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Must put a report together now ... another one ...

It might be handy to add a few forecasts: for example, project at what fuel price per litre will staff no longer be able to afford to travel to work in the old gluastain, and what are the options available: this will impact on the company's bottom line.

SerialComplaint · 27-05-2008 7:29pm

The RPA have a towel service for those who cycle or run to work, so you get a fresh towel in the office each morning, and you don't have to worry about drying it or taking it home. I guess it helps that their CEO is a cyclist.

Ste.phen · 27-05-2008 8:31pm

SerialComplaint wrote: »

The RPA have a towel service for those who cycle or run to work, so you get a fresh towel in the office each morning, and you don't have to worry about drying it or taking it home. I guess it helps that their CEO is a cyclist.

I've never seen this mentioned before, what's the story with it?

SerialComplaint · 28-05-2008 10:09pm

Igy wrote: »

I've never seen this mentioned before, what's the story with it?

I don't get your question. The story is as per my post. Do you have other specific question(s)?

Ste.phen · 28-05-2008 10:55pm

I misread the post initially and thought you were referring to some sort of service they give to 3rd parties, sorry

30-05-2008 10:43pm

Hrm, just to follow up I asked my work about this and well, I don't think they could have been any more negative. Not only do they not want people to cycle (they deem it dangerous) even suggestions for a presentation by the Garda Cyclists or someone else on safety for cyclists was shot down. They don't want people to cycle on work time which is understandable but they seem happy to ignore how people do cycle in! Hell, I even suggested mats in the toilets since it's manky to be changing in puddles of urine and that was ignored. Basically, everything cycling = bad.

I was quite shocked at the outcome. Has anyone else experienced this?

kenmc · 31-05-2008 8:45am

jeez thats bad. what sort of industry are you in, and how big is the company? I find the attitude really hard to understand! what the hell do they have to lose, yet look at all the potential gains.... wierd. I bet they've put in facilities for smokers though:rolleyes:

kincsem · 01-06-2008 9:25pm

Possible reasons for the cool response -

Ordinary bike = poverty
Cycling clothing (lycra) = deviancy
Cycle racing = drugs

OK, the above are not clever, but many people think like that. George Hooke of NewsTalk 106 had a discussion on cycling last week, and most responses were negative (lycra wearers, road hoggers, lawbreakers, don't pay road tax).

kenmc · 01-06-2008 11:34pm

kincsem wrote: »

NewsTalk 106 had a discussion on cycling last week, and most responses were negative (lycra wearers, road hoggers, lawbreakers, don't pay road tax).

I absolutely love that last one... because we chose to ride a bike we couldn't POSSIBLY pay any "road tax", since if we did, we'd have a car, and why on earth would we choose to have a car and still cycle.
muppets.

Ste.phen · 02-06-2008 9:47am

If cyclists did pay road tax, would it ensure a flat surface clear of debris near the kerb? Possible some partially grade-seperated (such as at the customs house) cycle lanes?
I'd consider supporting the idea if that were the case.

Capt'n Midnight · 02-06-2008 4:04pm

road tax ?

just exactly how much damage do cyclists do the road compared to a 5 axle truck ?

if you want to say that facilites for cyclists need to be paid for then so do pedestrian crossings and footpaths

cyclopath2001 · 02-06-2008 4:10pm

kincsem wrote: »

George Hooke of NewsTalk 106 had a discussion on cycling last week, and most responses were negative (lycra wearers, road hoggers, lawbreakers, don't pay road tax).

Possibly because his audience were mostly car drivers stuck in traffic & phoning in on their hand phones.

mikemac · 02-06-2008 4:13pm

You do realise that nobody pays road tax in Ireland

BostonB · 02-06-2008 6:52pm

Igy wrote: »

If cyclists did pay road tax, would it ensure a flat surface clear of debris near the kerb? Possible some partially grade-seperated (such as at the customs house) cycle lanes?
I'd consider supporting the idea if that were the case.

Motortax doesn't achieve that for current road users.

Civilian_Target · 02-06-2008 9:44pm

I think the idea's pretty simple... many people will cycle to work if it's easy for them to do so.
Incentives include:
Showers and lockers (the basics)
Towels provided
A good healthy breakfast that's as cheap as it would be to buy in the supermarket (or ideally free) - nothing too fancy, I'd say bread/toast + butter and jam, fruit juice/tea/coffee and possiby yoghurts or fruit.

In England, some companies will give you a voucher towards a new bike of about £300 a year if you waive your right to a car parking place and agree to cycle instead.

proteus · 04-06-2008 10:01am

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Incentives include:
Showers and lockers (the basics)
Towels provided

Hmm. I can't see many companies providing such facilities like towels as they cost money and time to organise. I think that showers as mentioned above and a secure place to lock the bikes are most important.

BostonB · 04-06-2008 10:13am

You need a secure place to lock a bike, yes. Shower sare not critical and very hard to get anyway. You can use a hand basin. Personally we use the disabled toliet as it has a basin, and chair and a bit of room. Theres too big a queue for the single shower we have. Bigger problem for us is somewhere to leave wet, sweaty clothes/shoes to dry/air. Lockers etc.

proteus · 04-06-2008 11:54am

BostonB wrote: »

You need a secure place to lock a bike, yes. Shower sare not critical and very hard to get anyway. You can use a hand basin.

Yea, but thats only for the really committed cyclists. Newcomers to cycling won't put up with trying to wash their body/hair in a small WC sink.

Work Cycling Campain

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