What if you left the car at home for just one journey?

World Car Free Day got us thinking about the everyday journeys we make without really thinking about them.

We’re not going to tell you to give up your car (as much as we’d lie you too). For lots of families, that simply isn’t practical. Cars are useful, sometimes essential, and cycling instead of driving won’t work for every journey.

But what about one of them?

Take five minutes and imagine what one of your regular short journeys might feel like if you travelled differently.

Picture a normal school run

You’re already running slightly late.

You get everyone out of the house, open the car door and remember the petrol light came on yesterday.

The car is full of crumbs, coats and something unidentified in the footwell.

Someone has left TalkSPORT on. The seat has been moved. The mirrors aren’t quite right.

You wrestle a child into their car seat and bang your head on the door frame.

Finally, you’re off.

Then there’s traffic.

Someone cuts you up at the roundabout. You hit every red light. You arrive at school and start looking for somewhere to park.

The nearest space is five minutes away.

Everyone gets back out again. Bags, water bottles, coats, child.

And you walk the final bit anyway.

It’s just a normal morning.

But could that same journey feel different?

What could the school run by bike feel like?

Imagine opening the door and getting the bike out instead.

The children climb in. You lock them in securely.  School bags go in. You set off.

You’re tired but the pedal assist makes any hills you encounter or weight you have to carry disappear.

You notice that it’s actually quite a nice morning.

The kids spot a dog. Someone waves at a friend. You hear the kids’ conversation happening behind you rather than trying to decipher it from the back of the car.

Perhaps you pass a queue of traffic.

There’s no petrol light but you may need to top up the battery charge when you get home.

There’s no hunt for a parking space.

You arrive, stop and get off and you barely break out a sweat.

Would every school run by bike be perfect? Definitely not.

Sometimes it rains. Sometimes children argue. Sometimes you have too much stuff. Sometimes you need to travel much further afterwards and the car really is the best option.

That isn’t the point.

The more interesting question is:

Could one of your regular journeys feel better another way?

Which short car journeys could you cycle instead?

It doesn’t have to start with giving up the car.

Think about the short journeys you make regularly.

The nursery or school run. A trip to the park. Popping into town. Visiting a friend a couple of miles away or commute to work. Picking up a few things from the shops.

Which one looks easiest?

Start with that one.

For some families, an ordinary bike is all they need. Others use child seats, trailers or cargo bikes to carry children, bags, shopping and even pets.

So, whether it’s World Car Free Day or an entirely ordinary Tuesday, give yourself five minutes and think about one journey you make all the time.

Then ask yourself:

If the car wasn’t an option, what would you do instead?

And perhaps an even better question:

What might you enjoy about doing it differently?

Curious what travelling by cargo bike could look like for your family? Come and try one. Our one-to-one test rides give you time to compare different bikes, ask questions and find out what might work for your everyday journeys.