There’s a point on many rides where something quietly clicks into place. The traffic thins out, your legs settle into their rhythm, and the noise of the day gives way to the simple business of turning the pedals. Sometimes it happens on a winding back road at sunset, sometimes on a towpath before work, and sometimes halfway through a weekend ride you nearly talked yourself out of.
These are the rides to remember. Not because they were epic or extreme, but because they shifted something in our day or our mood.
For plenty of riders, those moments begin with a decision that feels entirely practical: getting the right bike.
The Bike That Changes Your Week
A bike can serve many roles; commuting companion, fitness fix, weekend escape machine, but the biggest change often isn’t about speed or specifications. It’s about how naturally riding starts to slot into your routine once you’re on a bike that genuinely suits the way you ride.
That’s a story we hear repeatedly from Sonder riders.
Mike, who chose a Camino Titanium through the Cycle to Work scheme to replace a 20-year-old hybrid, describes a familiar shift:
“What a change! My daily commute is only 4 miles along road + canal tow path. I now look forward to the commute every day.”
Same route. Very different experience.
Everyday Riding, Reimagined
Sonder bikes are closely associated with adventure, but most owners spend far more time on everyday rides, midweek spins, errands, commutes, evening loops squeezed in before dark.
Rachel, who upgraded to a Camino AL via Cycle to Work, sums up that versatility perfectly:
“There is no comparison. I love this bike — it’s super fun on and off road… Plus commuting. Literally does it all.”
It’s often that mix — road, gravel, paths, longer days out — that turns a bike from something you own into something you rely on.
Opening Up New Kinds of Rides
Sometimes a new bike doesn’t just improve the rides you already do; it nudges you towards the ones you hadn’t quite considered.
Tom, who replaced both a road bike and hardtail MTB with a Camino, explains:
“It is getting used most days, and has opened up rides that I wouldn’t have done otherwise… making short rides into town playful.”
That sense of ease, of simply riding whatever route appeals that day is a theme many riders recognise.
Where Cycle to Work Comes In
The Cycle to Work scheme often starts as a practical consideration. A benefit your employer offers. A conversation at work. A reminder that you’ve been meaning to upgrade your bike for years.
What it frequently becomes though is the catalyst for finally making that change. Rather than delaying the decision or settling for something that doesn’t quite excite you, riders find themselves able to choose the bike they genuinely want to ride.
John reflects on his experience:
“The service from Alpkit was excellent and made using the C2W scheme really hassle free.”
When the process feels straightforward, attention stays on the enjoyable part; planning rides, choosing routes, getting out there.
From Commutes to Longer Adventures
Of course, Sonder bikes are built with bigger rides in mind too. Long gravel days, loaded trips, backroad wanderings that unfold into stories worth retelling.
What’s interesting is how often those rides grow out of everyday use. The commute that builds fitness. The evening ride that stretches a little further. The growing confidence that comes from time spent on a bike you trust.
A Change That’s Felt More Than Measured
Ask riders about their upgrade and the answers are rarely framed around numbers. Instead, you hear about riding more often, exploring further, or simply enjoying familiar routes in a way they hadn’t expected.
Cycle to Work doesn’t change the riding itself, but it often removes just enough friction to bring the right bike into reach, the one that gets used on ordinary Wednesdays as much as long-planned Saturdays.
And the reflection afterwards is usually simple:
“I’m riding far more than I used to.”
Find out how you can unlock your riding with the Cycle to Work Scheme