New Zealanders are using pedal power to avoid pain at the pump, according to new data released today.

WorkRide, a New Zealand platform which enables people to save up to 63% on bikes through salary sacrifice, has recorded an increase of more than 340% in bike sales for the month of March, compared to the same month last year.

The surge comes as New Zealand grapples with soaring fuel prices, driven by the conflict in the Middle East.

WorkRide's data shows Kiwi employers and workers are responding by turning to two wheels instead of four.

"This is by far the biggest increase in bike orders that we've ever seen," said WorkRide Co-Founder Aidan Smith.

"The number of people ordering bikes through our free bike benefit platform has more than tripled. People are looking at their fuel bills and realising there's a smarter way to get to work."

"As well as helping to avoid pain at the pump, these new cyclists are also getting health benefits and are avoiding fossil fuel emissions. It's a win-win-win, for employers, employees, and retailers. We're stoked to see so many people investing in biking to work."

WorkRide enables employees to get any bike, e-bike or e-scooter benefit from any retailer in New Zealand using pre-tax pay, saving between 32% and 63% depending on their tax rate.

They pay nothing upfront, get their chosen mode of transport immediately, and pay for it through a small salary sacrifice over 12 months.

Scotty Brown, of Scotty Brown's Bike Emporium, said he's seen a significant increase in sales in his Christchurch bike shop when compared to this time last year.

"So many people are talking about how damn expensive it is to fill their cars at the moment, and it's just not worth it."

"At the moment, people are trying to protect themselves from the geopolitics that are totally out of their control. So they're doing something they can control and switching from cars to bikes for their daily commutes."

"This fuel crisis is a wake-up call," said WorkRide Co-Founder Connor Read.

"Heaps of Kiwis are hurting right now, spending far too much of their hard-earned money filling up their cars. We're really proud to be helping people move in a more sustainable way and it's great to be part of a huge shift towards cycling."

The surge in demand mirrors broader trends as people reimagine their commutes. Bike Auckland reported last week that bikes are being snapped up by Aucklanders responding to the crisis, while Auckland Transport has recorded 100,000 more public transport trips in the past week compared to the same period last year.

The International Energy Agency has advised member countries to encourage working from home and reduce highway speeds in response to what it called the biggest supply disruption in the history of the oil market.

"Our goal for this year is to have over 10% of New Zealand's working population with access to WorkRide through their employer," said Smith.

"That's more than 200,000 people. Given what's happening at the pump right now, we think we'll get there faster than we expected."

ENDS

About WorkRide:

WorkRide is a New Zealand platform that enables employees to get any bike, e-bike or e-scooter from any retailer using pre-tax pay, saving between 32% and 63%. The platform is free for employers and helps organisations promote sustainable commuting.