Each day nearly 1,300 planes arrive and depart on one of the two runways at Heathrow airport, taking more than 190,000 people to destinations around the world. Yet while planes may rule the skies around West London, there’s a bike phenomenon taking place on the ground due to the Heathrow cycling hub.
As odd as it seems to ride a bike to a place where flying is the order of business, in 2011 Heathrow became the first airport in the UK to offer its 76,000 employees a cycle to work scheme and their own onsite bike shop.
And in the two years it has been open, there’s been a 45 per cent increase in Heathrow employees cycling to work, with around 570 doing so every day.
Despite being located by both a main road and runway where planes land almost every two minutes, the cycle hub on the northern perimeter of the airport is a quiet, relaxed place. Located on the ground floor, on the side of an office building, it is fronted with white and glass panels. Next to the bike lockers outside, there’s a shelter that’s almost permanently home to a cluster of plane-spotters.
Inside there’s a workshop and retail space open all day and manned by full-time, fully trained bike experts. Heathrow employees can sign up to the hub for free and get 10 per cent discount on products in the shop, free bike servicing, free maintenance classes and bikeability training. There’s even an emergency call-out available for anyone that has a breakdown in the airport.
Already 1,921 Heathrow workers have signed up. And it doesn’t stop there. Although non-Heathrow workers are already able to use the cycle hub shop and services (though they don’t get the same discounts as staff), the team are considering ways of reaching out to even more people in the local community so everyone from residents to schoolchildren use the facilities in the future.
Although air travel is notoriously bad for the environment, Heathrow has been striving to improve sustainable travel for the last decade. In 2002, a car share commuter scheme for employees was launched. Heathrow also effectively exists in its own London travel zone, where bus transport in the airport and surrounds is free.
By September 2011 the Cycle Hub opened its doors and members have continued to grow steadily since. The shop, Runway Cycling, is actually owned by two of the people that work in the hub with Heathrow then subsidising the cost for their staff to use the services and facilities for free.
Inside, the hub is relatively small but every inch of space is utilised. The floor is covered in bikes for sale from Brompton, Trek and Eastway; bikes waiting to be serviced or waiting to be picked up by their owners. Every wall has components and accessories hanging from it. At Christmas they get children’s bikes in for people who may be looking for gift ideas.
“We sell everything from entry-level stuff to high end stuff. We stock everything we can and cater for everybody really,” said Alfie Purdue, one of the hub’s owners.
Every day there are at least two mechanics on site, working on about eight or nine bikes, doing everything from frame cleaning and basic maintenance to complex repairs. As hub members only have to pay for the parts that need replacing, they are constantly kept busy.
As well as servicing, the mechanics run maintenance courses with six cyclists per class, teaching them to be more self-sufficient and ensure they are cycling safely.
“[They are] mainly aimed at people commuting, so we cover punctures, looking after tyres, how to repair them, cleaning the bike, basic adjustments of brakes and gears. Anything that could stop you getting around,” said Bridgman.
Everything at the hub is done on a supply and demand basis to make things as easy as possible for people to cycle to Heathrow.
Most people at the airport work shifts, some starting at 4am when there is limited or no public transport. As the hub doesn’t open until 9am, bike lockers have been put outside. The clever thing here is the mechanics also have a set of keys so services can be carried out even for someone on earlies.
Similarly, part of the cycle hub’s success, Panagi believes, has been down to breaking the stigma that Heathrow is not suited to cycling.
And to show this to any would-be cyclists, staff at the hub are developing a map that highlights quieter routes that avoid the myriad of surrounding motorways, dual carriageways and junctions – each with estimated journey times – that can be downloaded from their website. The map started with 10 main routes and they hope to add to it as cyclists send in their suggestions.
On Tuesday evenings during the summer there are organised cycle rides through the nearby countryside open to everyone. There’s even talk of extending this to lunchtime rides, where staff who don’t have a bike can temporarily loan or hire one to cycle while at work.
Considering the success the hub has in the two years it has been open, it’s no wonder those behind it have big plans for its future.
As well as the 76,000 airport staff, there are another 10,000 people working in the hotels around the airport and even more people who live in the surrounding areas – all whom Panagi would like to reach out to next.
Already the hub works closely with the local authorities around the area and Transport for London (TFL), a relationship they want to continue to build on. “The next stage is to talk about the local community,” Panagi said. “We want this to be a west London hub for cycling, not just for the airport.
“When they are running cycle training or working with kids in school, they [the cycle hub team] can help by going and talking about bike maintenance,” Only time will tell the impact the Heathrow Cycle Hub can have on the rest of the community, but it is clear so far that the hub is managing to successfully tap into its workers’ needs by persuading more of them to get out on their bikes.
The hub could become the blueprint for other airports or companies from other sectors to follow in the future. In its tireless drive for increased membership, British Cycling recently struck up a partnership with the hub. And back in April, the team won the ‘Best workplace initiative’ at the London Cycling Awards.
What’s so good about the hub?
“I cycle to work every day and I work at the airport, I always cycled to work. I signed up within the first month of it opening.
“I bought a bike in December last year.