Before we continue...
Would you like to switch to the international version?
STRESS-FREE AND BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE - COMMUTING BY BIKE
For many professionals it is the daily morning ritual on the way to work: crowded streets, traffic jams, overcrowded trains and buses. The majority of commuters endure constant driving stress, even though their workplace is less than 10 kilometres away. Daily traffic not only causes frustration but can also lead to health issues over time.
Germany's roads are packed!
More and more people commute to work. According to the latest figures from the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development, around 18.4 million Germans are on the move every day - that makes up almost 60% of the working population. And the trend is rising! In addition, there is inner-city commuter traffic in larger cities. The majority of commuters - over 68% - travel by car. Only a small proportion use public transport and even fewer use bicycles. The crowded streets mean that commuters experience traffic jams and delays every day. This is also shown by the ADAC evaluations for 2018, according to which last year the Germans spent almost 460,000 hours in traffic jams - that is over 50 years of life. A high price, considering that a good 50% of commuters travel less than 10 kilometres to work.
THE DAILY COMMUTE IS PURE STRESS
Getting up early, going to work by car or train and back in the evening - that's everyday life for many commuters. The stress load is very high. Quality of life and even health can suffer especially over longer distances. Surveys have shown that many commuters feel stressed from a daily driving time of 20 minutes per trip. The load increases accordingly with the length and duration of the trip.
Stress is triggered by a feeling of passivity and powerlessness towards external conditions that cannot be influenced, such as traffic jams or delayed trains. A distinction is made between direct and indirect stress in the stress factors of commuters.
Acute and direct stress are caused by
- Traffic disruptions such as traffic jams and roadworks
- Searching for a car park before and after work
- Delays and cancellations in public transport services
- Heat stress in cars, trains and buses on warm summer days
- Fear of an increased risk of colds on public transport during the winter months
- Noise and cramped conditions in public transport or in the car
- Fear of getting to work late
- Feeling of wasting time in cars, trains and buses
- Increased pulse due to acute driving stress
- Lack of time for family, recreation, sport
Various studies on the mental and physical health of commuters have also shown that overall job satisfaction decreases and absenteeism increases.
CYCLISTS ARE SATISFIED COMMUTERS
Surveys show that cyclists are the most satisfied commuters. There are a number of reasons for this:
- More self-determination: cyclists move much more self-determined than car and rail commuters. They are not at the mercy of the departure times or delays of public transport and usually simply drive past the daily traffic jams.
- Moving with a purpose: The journey to work is not perceived as wasted time, but as a personal time-out and an easy way to keep fit by exercising more.
- More well-being: Daily exercise in the fresh air has been proven to release hormones of happiness - regardless of the weather. The skin is supplied with blood and the senses are stimulated, which makes you awake and balanced.
- Better health: Especially the oscillation with electric drive, because the pulse frequency remains at an optimal level. Find out more here.
- Save costs and relieve the burden on the environment: not only does commuting by bike reduce CO2 emissions, but it also saves costs for the daily journey to work - for journeys of 10 kilometres alone, this amounts to around 600 euros a year in petrol costs.
CHANGE TO CYCLING
In the Netherlands, about 25% of working people travel to work every day. In Germany, on the other hand, it is not even half as high at around 10 %. Commuting by bike is particularly suitable for shorter distances. Many people who convert to cycling to work report that it was only difficult in the beginning to leave the car behind and take the bike - especially in bad weather. But after a short time, they could no longer imagine commuting to work in any other way.
Our tips for switching to the bike:
- Start slowly: The best way to start your change is to start with a fixed day of the week and then increase slowly if it works out well and is fun.
- The right equipment: The right basic equipment includes above all bicycle bags so that you can continue to do your errands on the way to work without straining your back and impairing your riding feeling.
- Make it weatherproof: Weatherproof clothing for rain, wind and cold days is also one of the important basics, so that small rain showers or temperature drops don't take the fun out of cycling.
- Benefit from subsidies and tax advantages: For some years now, company bicycles have been tax-deductible. In some cities there are also subsidies for the purchase of bicycles. Here, in particular with a new bicycle, inquiries should be made in advance, so that the investment in an e-bike can be reduced.
EASY COMMUTING WITH E-DRIVE
The daily cycle is even easier with a supporting e-drive. Here are just a few reasons why you should ride your bike:
Faster and longer distances: With the e-drive you can reach 25 km/h without any problems and effort - so longer distances can also be easily cycled every day.
Tailwind on inclines: If your way to work also has hills, these do not become a major challenge thanks to the electric drive. The E support allows you to take any mountain with less effort.
Sweat-free to your destination: What many fear on the way to work does not happen when cycling with electric drive: arriving sweaty. The ease from the assisted cycling reduces the need for your body to cool off from sweating - this makes cycling much more pleasant both in summer and winter. Needless to say, cycling with electric drive remains a perfect cardiovascular training!
You don't even have to buy a new bike to commute with an electric drive, because with the Pendix eDrive almost any bike model can be easily retrofitted. So, you can use your existing bike and turn it into an e-bike. There are only few installation requirements for our drive. Depending on the distance you travel, you can choose between a small battery (300Wh) or a large battery (500Wh). Our configurator will tell you which of our products suits you best, as other factors also play a role in the range of the Pendix eDrive.
Would you like to know which Pendix is right for you?
You can use our configurator to find out which product suits your routes.