MELBOURNE—Riding to work's for life, not just for Ride to Work Day.
More than 140,000 workers across Australia are expected to cycle to work across the country on Wednesday, but organisers want new riders to keep the habit going - for their own good and the good of the country.
Organisers predict around 30,000 new cyclists will use Ride to Work Day to experience a two wheel commute for the first time.
More than half of 8000 first time riders on last year's national Ride To Work Day now cycle in at least once a month, with many building up gradually to use their bike five days a week.
"Once people feel competent and get their confidence up, they overcome their fears and anxiety, people increase the amount they ride and eventually become five-day-a-weekers," said Ride to Work day spokesman Garry Brennan.
"We need to think of bikes as transportation, for decades we've just thought of them as recreation."
Since the 2006 census revealed 12,000 cyclists ride into Melbourne's CBD each day, Mr Brennan said most routes into town have experienced an increase in riders of between 10 and 40 per cent.
"Health is where we get the biggest benefit. People who think they don't have time to exercise if they ride to work, they do have the time," Mr Brennan said.
"It provides a very successful health regime.
"There's a lower mortality rate for bike riders and it has big savings for taxpayers.
"Staff who cycle are more punctual and take fewer sick days."
The environment also benefits, with a 10 km commute by bike instead of car saving 1.3 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year.
Cyclists on last year's Ride to Work Day rode a total of 273,593 km that would have normally have been travelled by car.
Ride to Work Day organisers say Australians can reduce carbon emissions by one million tonnes if one in 10 workers leave their cars at home and take the bike to work once a week.
Cycling commuters can enjoy a free breakfast in the CBD of every capital city before work on Wednesday morning as a reward for their efforts.
