天博体育

After the article on cycling in the August 2010 issue of the Health Letter,聽we heard聽from Gary Reid, a public sector management specialist at the in Washington, D.C.

Reid is impressive. He commutes by bicycle聽14.5 miles one-way (29 miles round-trip) from his home in McLean, Virginia,聽to the , which is a just couple of blocks from the White House.

He told us via聽email聽that his employer聽is bike-friendly in a couple聽ways. Each of the聽garages has聽indoor parking for bicycles.聽More聽importantly, the Bank has聽locker rooms with showers.聽Especially during Washington鈥檚聽hot, humid summers,聽access to a shower after riding to work is聽essential, says Reid.聽 Employers聽who want to encourage聽active commuting (cycling and walking)聽should heed those words, even those located in less steamy climes.

Reid also聽sent along the聽results of survey of about 500聽World Bank employees聽who bike to work, a sizable group but a fraction of the institution鈥檚 10,000-employee workforce.

Some fun facts: the average聽one-way commute is聽5.75 miles and takes聽28 minutes.聽And聽the聽average聽bike-to-work World Banker covers 1,335 miles on his or her bicycle over the course of a year.

Cyclists聽worry聽getting hit by a聽car and truck, as they should, but the Bank鈥檚聽聽bike commuters had more noncollision accidents鈥攃aused by potholes, slippery road surfaces, and the like鈥攖han collisions with cars or pedestrians.

The most common collision accident was the 鈥�,鈥� which is infamous in cycling circles. Right hook accidents occur聽at intersections when cars or trucks vehicles make right turns聽in front of聽cyclists.

There were two聽results from the survey聽that ran聽counter to research reported on聽in our August issue and elsewhere.

First, the accident risk for聽the Bank bike commuters traveling on bike paths was greater than those traveling on roadways.聽It鈥檚 unclear why that would be so.

Second, the Bank鈥檚 biking 聽commuters who聽said they wore helmets and reflective clothing were more likely to report having been in an accident in the past three years. There鈥檚 an argument that safety gear may聽encourage some people to take ill-advised risks.聽But there are any number of explanations for this result, including the possibility that safety-conscious聽cyclists are聽more likely to be forthcoming about their accident experience.