Canyon’s urban mobility initiative challenges people to rediscover their cities by cycling more often, going greener and exploring new areas and routes for 30 days

World class bike manufacturer Canyon has today launched the ‘Rediscover Your City’ challenge as part of its Urban Mobility initiative. To encourage people to enjoy the hidden gems of their city, Canyon is asking the nation to go green and journey more often by bike instead of driving and/or public transport for 30 days. Launching in the UK first, this will form part of a wider global campaign to help people make the switch to cycling and to set greener goals.

30 days of more cycling

Canyon’s aim is for people to switch up their journeys. Whether it be a commute to work or a journey to meet friends for a coffee, there are many reasons why opting for a bike is important. Cycling burns calories and improves overall fitness, aids mental health and exposes the rider to more daylight (aiding Vitamin D consumption). Cycling also has practical benefits and can be a faster and simpler way to journey within cities.

Going green is a target for many people in 2020, but Canyon understands that it’s not always easy.

The ‘Rediscover Your City’ challenge is about people enjoying their city’s unique and exciting surroundings whilst going green. Whether saving money on travel or skipping the queues for public transport is somebody’s motivating factor, city cycling can be a fun and time-efficient way to travel. These are the reasons why the 30 Day Challenge has been set.

Consumer appetite to go greener

Canyon’s initiative was prompted in part by its latest consumer insights report, revealing that one in four people would switch their mode of transport on their daily journey to be greener*. This is good news for local authorities, who want to take cars off the roads and reduce CO2 emissions. Clean Air Zones have been proposed or are in planning for many of the UK’s major cities, including Birmingham, Newcastle, Oxford, Bristol and York**. 

Canyon’s report also found that there is a huge appetite to go greener, with almost 93% of respondents say the environment is important or extremely important. Of those who currently do not use a bike at all, one-quarter said they would move to greener forms of transport. When it came to getting more people commuting to work by bike, however, the majority of respondents said that improved infrastructure for cycling would encourage them to make the switch.

Reasons for a greener journey

The benefits of a greener journey are multiple: including savings in carbon, money and time, as well as huge physical and mental benefits. Swapping a 5-mile commute or journey by car or public transport for commuting by bike saves around 660 gallons of fuel, £836 in fuel costs and 6.6 tonnes of carbon every year. Alternatively, if you live in London, substituting public transport for a bike could save more than £2,000 on an annual Zones 1-4 travel card. With an average 5-mile urban rush hour journey taking approx. 45 minutes to an hour, compared to 20-30 minutes on a bike, cycling to work or to the shops can also offer big time savings too***.

Fitness-wise, the benefits are huge, with a 5-mile ride burning between 450 and 620 calories each way (depending on effort), and the physical and mental health benefits of cycling are well documented. Benefits to getting outside on a bike include improved cardiovascular function and muscle tone and function, and is also hugely beneficial for mental wellbeing, including reducing stress and anxiety, promoting calmer thinking, combatting depression and increasing self-esteem. It can also help improve productivity.

E-bikes will help city riders

One-quarter of all the respondents believe that an e-bike would help them to journey more by bike. Canyon’s first hybrid e-bike, the Roadlite:ON, launched recently and provides an ideal solution for those looking to get into cycling or daunted by a longer ride. Powered by the Fazua Evation drive system, the Roadlite:ON provides significant assistance in a way that always feels natural and unobtrusive. The entire bike weighs only 15kg, giving the bike agile, sharp handling. A new e-bike version of the popular all-terrain Pathlite hybrid is due out in Q2 2020.

“We’re seeing a clear appetite amongst consumers for cleaner, greener methods of transport,” commented Max Stauber, Brand Manager for Canyon’s Urban & Fitness category. “We recognise that it takes a shift in mindset to move towards riding in the city more regularly if you’ve never done it before, and we wanted to set a 30-Day Challenge for those who want to give it a go. Participants will get the moral support from knowing that other people are also attempting to travel more sustainably, and we hope that 2020 will be the best year yet for greener travel.”

Safety first

Canyon puts safety at the forefront of every bike that it designs and manufacturers. In 2003, Canyon commissioned its first in-house test benches to develop the safest products with the highest performance. It is one of the few companies to carry out 100% CT inspection of safety-related Canyon carbon components. A prerequisite for frame producers in the Far East who want to work with Canyon is a CT scanner to carry out tests in batch numbers, to ensure Canyon’s quality and safety standards are upheld. This is also rare in the cycle industry. All employees are encouraged to commute by bike, and over 60% of the UK workforce travels to and from work by bike.

To get involved in Canyon’s 30 Day Challenge, simply sign up to the Canyon’s 30 Days of Cycling Strava club here and tag your commutes on Instagram using #30daysofcycling, #rediscoveryourcity and #mycanyon.