Why Are Mums Choosing Bikes Over Cars?

I'd been complaining to my neighbour, Sarah, about the morning chaos when she mentioned something that caught me off guard. "Why don't you just bike?" she asked, pointing to her own bicycle parked by the fence. I laughed it off initially. Me? On a bike? With kids and groceries and... well, everything? But that conversation stuck with me. Three weeks later, I found myself browsing Bobbin Bikes online at 11 PM, coffee in hand, wondering if this crazy idea might actually work.

The bike arrived on a Thursday. I remember because Emma had a dentist appointment that afternoon, and instead of driving, I decided to test my new Women's Bike for the first time. Twenty minutes later, we were there - no traffic, no parking stress, just fresh air and Emma giggling behind me. That's when I knew we were onto something. By summer, both kids had their own Kids' Bikes, and our car started collecting dust in the driveway.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Here's what shocked me most. Last month, I actually sat down and calculated what we'd been spending on the car. Fuel alone was costing us £180 monthly. Insurance, another £95. Then there's servicing, parking fees... it added up to nearly £400 a month.

Now? My bike cost £320 upfront. That's it. No monthly payments, no insurance premiums, no fuel costs. I can park right outside Emma's school, something that used to take me fifteen minutes of circling the block. The school run that once took 45 minutes door-to-door now takes 20 minutes on the bike. Actually, I timed it last week - twice.

My Accidental Fitness Journey

I haven't been to a gym since 2019. Between work and kids, who has time? But cycling changed that without me even noticing.

Three months in, my jeans started fitting differently. My sister commented at Emma's birthday party that I looked "different somehow." I'd been cycling to work twice a week, doing the school run daily, weekend trips to the park. Without realising it, I was getting 45 minutes of exercise most days.

The mental shift surprised me more than the physical one. You know that feeling when you're stuck in traffic and your stress levels just climb? That's gone. Now I cycle home through the park, past the pond where the ducks hang out. By the time I reach our street, whatever happened at work has melted away. Emma says I don't shout as much anymore. She's probably right.

The Reality Check

Let me be honest - it wasn't all smooth sailing. The first week was rough.

Day one: I forgot my helmet and had to turn back. Day three: got caught in a downpour and arrived at work looking like I'd been swimming. Day five: Emma's friend asked why we didn't use a "proper car" anymore. That stung a bit.

But here's what I learned. You need the right gear, but you don't need everything at once. I started with a basic helmet and a cheap rain jacket from Tesco. Gradually added panniers for shopping, lights for winter mornings, a better jacket that actually keeps me dry.

The route planning took time too. I spent hours on Google Maps finding quiet streets and cycle paths. Turns out there's a whole network of routes I never knew existed when I was driving. The canal towpath gets me halfway to work without seeing a single car.

What My Kids Actually Think

Emma asked me last week why other mums still drive to school when cycling is "obviously better." Her 5-year-old logic is hard to argue with. She's noticed that we see more birds on our route, that we can stop and pet the neighbour's cat, and that we never get stuck behind buses anymore.

My 9-year-old Jack is more practical. He likes that we can race each other to school (I let him win sometimes). He's also started pointing out car exhaust pipes and asking why people want to breathe "that yucky stuff."

I didn't set out to teach them about the environment. But they're learning anyway. They see that there are different ways to get around, that cars aren't the only option. When Jack's friend's mum complains about petrol prices, he suggests she should "just get a bike like us."

Six months ago, I was that mum stuck in traffic, stressed about being late, worried about money. Now? I'm the mum who arrives at school relaxed, who saves money every month, who actually enjoys the journey instead of enduring it.

The car's still in the driveway. We use it for big shopping trips and visiting my parents. But for everything else? Two wheels beat four, every single time.