Having fun Saving cash Breathing cleaner air Feeling fitter, healthier and less stressed Meeting friends

Breathing cleaner air You don't need scary movies about tidal waves to see the affects of climate change. You only have to look out of the window. Everyone has noticed the seasons aren't quite as they are supposed to be. Imagine what it's like in Bangladesh, we only get a hint of that when the Severn floods. It's a fact is electricity and transport energy in the U.S constitutes 70% of the consumption of fossil fuels that are the main cause of climate change. OK we're not in the US - overall we consume less, but unlike the US, we are all crammed into a small island that is coming to a halt. The facts for the UK are clear: Transport (personal and freight) makes up 35%of all the UK carbon emissions -60% of this is for individuals!! (source: - How we can save the Planet - Mayer Hillman - so if anyone thinks their own behaviour makes no difference - then think again. While all this is going on, the air quality we breathe is getting worse, Worcester is not that bad as it goes but do we want it to get worse for our children? If more people used pedal power more often it would help reduce our reliance on burning fossil fuels, we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by about 60-70%.

Feeling fitter, healthier and less stressed How many times have you heard "Britain's waist-line is bulging". There is no escaping the fact that Britain is getting bigger. OK it maybe that everyone leaves such busy lives these days that there is no time to prepare healthy foods made from fresh local produce so we end up being fast food and prepared food junkies. It may also be that over the last 20 years people have become more and more accustomed to using the car because it is perceived to be safer, and more reliable than biking or public transport. Feeling fitter, healthier and less stressed is available now. Using pedal power more regularly makes a noticeable difference to people's well being as well as "waist lines". "Obesity busting" is a common theme these days - pedal power can help. Picking up some fresh veg on the way home from town is easily done. Children who walk or cycle to school on safe routes arrive fresh and motivated for the day. Employees are less stressed because they haven't sat in a jam for ages and then struggled to find a car park space. I used to work for a company that quadrupled it's car park capacity while I was there - that made me laugh.

Meeting friends Is Pedal power as a social scene? - Absolutely. It's not just about cycle clubs (and there are some good ones in Worcester), it's about connections, meeting people in the lunch break, while cruising home, or linking up for a picnic at the countryside centre, taking in some real ale at your local hostelry, or just going for a ride for fitness and pleasure. You don't have to have the latest kit and wear tight lycra pants to meet someone else on a bike. You don't have to be a hippy or have a pony-tail, or ride something weird or expensive - pedal power is all this and then everyone else too - pedal power breaks down barriers.