The good
It keeps you fit and healthy
Reasearch suggests that regular cycling can significantly reduce the chances of heart disease, keep you in shape and even improve your mood.
It's cheaper than driving
Fuel is expensive and will only get more expensive long term. Add to that the high cost of running/maintaining a car and cycling to work soon starts to make good financial sense.
Overtaking all your colleagues on the way home
If you work in a business park, chances are that all the roads into and out of it clog up around 5pm. On a bike you can overtake them all with ease, potentially making your journey just as quick overall.
The bad
Cars
People in cars hate bikes. People on bikes hate cars. Somethings will never change, but that's the way of the world.
When you are on the road make sure you are wearing a good helmet, keep an eye out for cars near by and signal appropriatley.
On the plus side, recent research suggests that pedestrians and cyclists actually absorb lower levels of pollutants than car drivers.
It's hard work
The first couple of days each week should be fine, but come Thursday/Friday the novelty soon wears off.
Luggage
If you carry a laptop, lunch and possibly sports kit / change of clothes to work you'll need paniers, a rack and possibly a rucksack. All this weighs the bike down, requiring more energy to to get you there.
The ugly
The first 15 mintes at work
You'll be recovering and cooling down for 10-30 minutes, while everyone else is just waking up with their first cup of coffee.
Bringing sweaty back
Hard work makes you sweat. There is no avoiding this fact, so if your commute is long, it's hot outside, or it's up some fairly major hills you might want to consider carrying work clothes to change into.
If you need to carry any bits and bobs it's worth investing in a rucksack that sits away from the back.
