In celebration of the 10th birthday of the Ride-to-Work scheme, Evans Cycles and the British Heart Foundation have teamed up to mark the occasion with the release of Heartwork, an experimental track created by Paul Hartnoll of Orbital based entirely on the heartbeats of Britain’s cycling commuters.
Cyclists from up and down the country took part, with data from over 20,000 rides to work analysed to create a fast-paced track produced to inspire UK commuters to shun their cars, buses or tubes and ride their way to a healthier heart.
On creating Heartwork, Paul Hartnoll said
‘The first inspiration from the data I took is that the average commuting heartrate seems to be around the tempo of techno or fast house music – around 128bpm, which gave me a good feel for how to approach the production. I was also inspired to make the majority of the music and the rhythm out of actual bike sounds, sampling my own bike by playing it with bits of metal and bike pumps. Whether as a listener you notice that the song is made up of bike sounds or not, it’s there in the DNA of the track’.
Heartwork is the world’s first piece of music created using data from heartbeats during exercise.
Adding to the experimental nature of the music, Evans Cycles has also commissioned Alex Rutterford, who has previously worked with the likes of Radiohead, to design the artwork for the single. Three exclusive vinyl pressings are being made available via auction to raise further funds for the British Heart Foundation.
Research has shown that cycling to work can cut the risk of heart disease by a staggering 46 per cent. Motivated by this, Evans Cycles is continuing its campaign first launched in 2008, by pledging to make Britain healthier and get 250,000 more Brits cycling to work by 2028. Currently, heart and circulatory diseases kill more than 150,000 people in the UK each year, but a healthier lifestyle can often reduce the risk of developing it.
Bianca O’Donnell, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the British Heart Foundation comments:
‘Research the BHF has undertaken shows that 62 per cent of UK workers spend a maximum of two hours outdoors on an average working day. Swapping a sedentary commute, such as by car or public transport, for cycling to and from work is an easy way to incorporate physical activity into your daily plans. We are happy to see Ride-to-Work celebrate its 10th birthday and hope that ‘Heartwork’ raises further awareness of the scheme.’
Evans Cycles also spoke to commuters in the North West of Britain, where coronary heart disease death rates are the worst in the country. They found many commuters that have switched to cycling from a less active commute, and now lead a much healthier lifestyle.
Three of which are highlighted in an accompanying film.
CEO of Evans Cycles Alan Fort commented on these real-life examples, and the pledge for 2028:
‘Meeting commuters that have not only brightened up their working days with a ride to work but are now in a much healthier place because of it, backed up just how important it is to get more people cycling. With lighter mornings and evenings and warmer weather on the way, May marks the perfect month to get started. The Ride-to-Work scheme also means the initial outlay on your desired bike isn’t required, so you can get riding right away, without any strain.
‘We’re proud to say we have helped over 170,000 people get cycling through the scheme in its first 10 years and look forward to hitting our goal of 250,000 in the next decade’.