Are you thinking about starting to cycle to work in the spring? If so, you may be inspired by a project that was conducted in the autumn at Lund University and other places.
The project was part of the larger project Green Mobility Shift and the Super Cycle Paths Case run by Innovation Skåne and Region Skåne. The aim was to encourage University staff members to cycle to work and at the same time gain more knowledge about how we can encourage staff members to adopt more sustainable travel habits.
The participants collaborating in the project included students, researchers and operations developers at the University. Two students on the physiotherapy programme carried out fitness tests, for example, and the results will be used in their Bachelor’s essays later this year. In addition, Anne Sundén from the research team “Human Movement” carried out focus group interviews to obtain a deeper understanding of the participants’ experiences of commuting by bike and their needs and thoughts regarding continuation of cycle commutes after the test period.
Fitness and sleep improved
The project participants included experienced cycle commuters and those who had never commuted by bike before, and who in many cases had not been particularly physically active previously. Most of the test cyclists said afterwards that they felt cycling had been a positive experience and often highlighted how pleasant it was to be close to nature and outdoors every day.
The super cycle path between Södra Sandby and Lund mostly follows the Hardebergaspåret, a cycle path established in the 1960s on what was previously a railway track. It is some distance from the road between Lund and Södra Sandby, which means that nature feels close in a way that differs from many other cycle paths.
Perhaps the most surprising result was that fitness and sleep improved after only six weeks, and that this also applied to the test cyclists who had borrowed an electric bike. Researcher Jenny Älmqvist Nae says that when the project started, she had not thought that cycling to and from work, about 20 km per day, three times a week over six weeks would produce significant changes in fitness and sleep, particularly not for those people commuting by electric bike.
“I thought that either a greater amount of exercise or a longer exercise period would be needed to produce these effects. This is very positive, as it shows that all movement counts and that in a relatively short time you can achieve positive changes even if your previous level of activity was low.”
To reduce the risks of certain common diseases and premature death, the recommendation is that a healthy, adult person (18-64) engage in physical activity of moderate intensity for 150 to 300 minutes per week and reduce their sedentary periods.
“As many people today have sedentary work, commuting by bike is a good way to build movement into everyday life,” says Jenny Älmqvist Nae.
The experiences shared by the bike commuters in the focus group interviews will form the basis for the planning of continuing studies. The research team is now looking at options for the next step and hope to carry out a larger project that examines any differences in health effects and wellbeing between commuting by bike and by electric bike.
More super cycle paths under way
In the next few years, work will be carried out to improve existing cycle paths and create super cycle paths from Lund’s surrounding areas and other large cities in Skåne. The intention is to make it easier to commute by bike to work and studies.
Read more about work on the super cycle paths around Lund: Super cycle paths | Lund Municipality
In addition, many of the test cyclists pointed out that there needs to be more alternatives for safe cycle parking, as well as more storage options for electric bike batteries. This was also emphasised by many staff members in the autumn travel habits survey, and the University is now working in various ways to improve the situation.
Read the LUM article: Aiming to become a super cyclist in six weeks | Staff Pages (in Swedish)