Why ‘Ride To Work Day’ Has Become So Important In The UK

PH850806 • 25 June 2024

‘Ride to Work Day’ might have originally been an American campaign, but it has become popular worldwide over the last few years, as bikers aim to promote the presence of motorcycles on the road. 


It originated in 1992, taking place on the third Monday in June. This year, however, it was held on Tuesday June 11th and, since the phenomenon has settled in the UK, it has been supported by the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG). 


It was intended to encourage the use of motorcycles for transportation and increase other road users’ awareness of motorbikes. 


MAG’s director of campaigns and political engagement said: “Riders in the UK have another opportunity to get to work on a motorcycle, but the work this year is about securing a flourishing future for motorcycling.”


By encouraging more riders to head out on their bikes on one day, this helps to create a big impression on car drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, who are often accused of ignoring bikers on the road. 


Many riders see passing their motorcycling training as a way to provide them with a recreational skill, so they can enjoy using their motorbike for leisure purposes. 


However, this means many bikers only use their vehicle for fun and clock up just a few miles every year. 


Encouraging people to use their motorcycles to work could make it more common for bikers to commute on their two wheels. Having more motorbikes on the roads would, subsequently, force drivers to become more attentive to other road users.


“We’d all be safer on the roads if there were more of us and we were, therefore, a prominent and expected part of the transportation system,” the RevZilla blog states. 


A greater number of riders would increase their safety in the long-run, as motorists will start to pay more attention to their presence.


motorcycle driving school
by PH850806 29 October 2024
Typically, the best way to make a bike-friendly to newcomers is to make it consistent enough that riders can be easily taught on it. Honda thought differently.
Motorcycle course London
by PH850806 15 October 2024
Visitors to a festival of vintage cars and motorbikes might be inspired to take a motorcycle course in London as they discover Britain’s rich biking heritage.
Thurrock Motorcycle Training
21 September 2024
Autumn can be a picturesque season, but those seeking Thurrock motorcycle training courses, should be aware of the perils of being on the road in this season.
motorbike lessons
by PH850806 9 September 2024
There are already some very good reasons to take motorbike lessons in London, not least when it comes to costs - and another one may be about to arise.
 suitable driving school
by PH850806 14 August 2024
At one point considered the motorcycle of the future the Suzuki B-King was a fascinating head-turning concept which ultimately lived up to none of its promises.
motorcycle driving lessons - handlebars
by PH850806 25 July 2024
There is an assumption that anyone who is learning at a motorcycle driving school will be riding a bike with a manual gearbox. This means that as part of their learning and development, they will not only have to learn the basic mechanics of riding and the rules of the road but also how to manage the unintuitive mechanics of a clutch and sequential gearbox . This is also true with cars, but whilst a growing proportion of four-wheeled vehicles are either automatics or have no gearboxes at all due to the rise in electric vehicles, very few motorcycles are the same, which might be the result of one of the most ambitious failures in recent motorbike history. In the late 2000s, the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world had a bold new idea to change the industry forever; Honda wanted to bring automatic gearboxes to two wheels. Whilst Yamaha and Aprilla had automatic bikes as well, Honda had an ambitious plan. Known as the Human Friendly Transmission , Honda had developed a continuous variable transmission (CVT) system that used a novel hydrostatic drive rather than the belt-driven systems commonly associated with scooters. This meant that they could develop a CVT system that could act like a manual gearbox, and to showcase the system in the best possible light Honda developed the DN-01 , which was a mix between a scooter, a cruiser and a sportbike. It was positioned as a jack-of-all-trades, and like most bikes that try to do too much at once, it ended up being a master of none of them It was too heavy to be a sportbike, too uncomfortable for long rides to be a cruiser, and lacked the storage to be truly effective as a scooter, with a load capacity of just 147kg. Whilst it could have potentially found a market in between the extremes, the asking price of over £10,000 was far too much to convince too many buyers and it was discontinued within two years.
motorcycle training
by PH850806 11 July 2024
The summer is a great time to head out on the road after finishing your motorcycle training so here are tips on what gear to wear to be comfortable in the heat.
by PH850806 19 June 2024
For anyone who has completed their motorcycle training, summer means weekends heading out on your bike on the open road and enjoying the beautiful weather.
motorcycle driving school - Royal Enfield Taurus
by PH850806 16 May 2024
Familiarity, stability and controllable speed are key aspects of the best motorcycles for learners at a driving school, but the opposite can be hard to spot.
motorcycle driving school
by PH850806 9 May 2024
Learning to ride a motorcycle at a driving school is in many respects about learning not only technique and control but also to trust yourself and the bike you are riding, and consistency is vital when it comes to safe riding. It is a lack of consistency in just one model that ultimately led a manufacturer to go bankrupt. The Italian name Bimota still exists as a part of Kawasaki, but up until 1997, it was seen as a name on the rise as it transitioned from modifying existing bikes and creating motorcycles for other companies and breaking out on its own as a constructor. It had a strong legacy as a manufacturer of chassis but was mindful of the inroads Japanese manufacturers such as Kawasaki and Yamaha were making in the sport bike market, and wanted to create a bike made completely on their own. The result of this was the Bimota V Due, a 500cc two-stroke motorcycle made during a time when four-stroke engines were the standard in its class, but featuring a unique and very complex design. Initially designed as a Grand Prix bike, the V Due was the first two-stroke bike to have electronic fuel injection, featuring a dry clutch, a six-speed cassette gearbox and forced lubrication to allow for greater fuel economy and reduced emissions. The prototype models were well-regarded, but due to a lower budget and lack of appropriate parts, the bike was prone to oil leaks and intermittent power delivery, effectively making the bike unrideable and causing the entire first production run to be recalled. This recall, the expense of failing to fix the issue with the fuel injection system and losing a major sponsor of the manufacturer’s racing team in 2000 combined to bankrupt the company, and whilst the name has continued to exist, it has struggled with financial instability for over two decades.
More posts
Share by: