Promoting the use of bicycles as a means of transportation to work should be a matter of State. Said like this, it may sound exaggerated or even dramatic, but if we analyze the impact with data in hand, the urgency is perfectly understandable. Because betting on the bike for daily commutes is not just a matter of mobility, it is also about health, economy, and sustainability.
The potential is so great that, if more people used the bicycle to get to work, Spain could save about 990 million euros in healthcare expenses annually, reduce productive losses by 2.5 billion due to illnesses or sick leave, and prevent the emission of more than 2.7 million tons of CO₂. To this, we can add an even more revealing fact: massive use of bikes could prevent up to 13.4% of annual deaths in our country, directly or indirectly related to physical inactivity, pollution, and traffic accidents.
And we're not just talking about urban bicycles. Many people already take advantage of their mountain bikes or their road bikes to commute daily, especially if they live on the outskirts or in rural areas connected by quiet roads. With the right infrastructure—safe bike lanes, protected parking, showers at work, or tax incentives—it's perfectly feasible to integrate sports or leisure cycling into the work routine.
So if you thought the bicycle was just for the weekend, keep reading. We're going to break down, point by point, why biking to work can transform your health, your environment... and your wallet. Because the bike is not just a vehicle: it’s a tool to change the way we live.
Almost a billion for Social Security
The first advantage of promoting the use of bikes to get to work: almost half of Spaniards do not engage in any kind of physical or sports activity. Specifically, it's 42 percent of the population. According to the report "The Economic Cost of Sedentarism in Europe" prepared by the International Sport and Culture Association, physical inactivity generates healthcare expenses of 990 million euros in Spain (ISCA report PDF). Introducing a simple habit, such as cycling to work instead of sitting in the car, would help save almost a billion for Social Security in healthcare coverage as a consequence of ailments and diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle. In addition, one in three Europeans admits that commuting to work by car causes them more stress than their actual work activity (Road Safety). Therefore, cycling to work would not only improve the physical health of Spaniards, but also their mental health.
2.5 billion in productivity
Companies would also notice an increase in work productivity if their employees used bicycles more and cars less. The study "Physical Activity and Sport: a new approach to well-being" by IESE points out that the productivity loss attributable to illnesses and ailments caused by a sedentary lifestyle can be estimated at 2.5 billion euros per year (source: IESE). In addition, this study indicates that 13.4% of deaths in Spain could be prevented by engaging in physical exercise. And it concludes that "one euro invested exclusively in sports promotion produces an approximate saving of 50 euros in accumulated healthcare expenses over 15 years". In summary: cycling to work is not only good for health, but also for improving work productivity.
Environmental impact
The pollution generated by motor vehicle emissions is starting to become a public health problem in some cities. Some cities, such as Madrid, have even banned parking in the city center as a measure to discourage car use on days of peak pollution. According to the I Study of Transportation Habits by Edenred, 60 percent of Spaniards use a car to commute to work every day. Over the course of a year, this translates into more than 2,200 kilometers traveled and more than €800 spent on fuel. Forty-one percent of them take more than an hour to complete a journey that in most cases does not exceed 9.8 kilometers. There are 17 million Spaniards affiliated with social security, 60 percent go by car, the distance they travel in a year between home and work is 2,200 kilometers, and the average CO2 emissions per registered car in Spain is 123 grams/kilometer. With calculator in hand, using the bicycle as a means of transportation to work could save more than 2.7 million tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
More bikes and less cars
If most commutes to work are within the same city, and there are reports, studies, and analyses indicating that replacing cars with bikes would save billions of euros, reduce pollution, and increase productivity, what are the authorities waiting for to promote the use of bicycles as a means of transport to work?