By Maria Brierley (CVAM) 14Aug2009
 

Do you remember 'Bike to Work' week? Back in June it was. I decided to do my bit, reduce my carbon footprint and just do it once, EVER!

A 36 mile round trip to work was not going to be something repeatable, just a one-off. I had all the right skills in my back pocket, advanced motorcycling, sound fitness and I'd pumped up the tyres on my son's mountain bike. Piece of cake!

Next step was to get other people on board, for some bike to work banter, a few practice runs ( I hadn't ridden a bike for over 2 years and rarely rode anyway) and I needed to recci some of the route to see how long the overall journey might take.
Well, nobody at work who lived locally initially fancied going the distance. Which is a shame because I enjoy good company on a rideout.

So, one sunny Thursday in June, I cycled all 18.3 miles along fabulous country lanes, over the Avonmouth Bridge with fabulous views to Pill and beyond, through Lawrence Weston (only one burnt out car to date) up to Blaise and via Cribbs Causeway to Aztec West. It took an hour and ¾ and, apart from the wobbly legs, I arrived with an incredible mellow mental state. Relaxed and stress free, now that was an EYE OPENER. Going home was more of an ordeal, one hour into the return trip I'd had enough. And it took slightly longer at 2 hours and needed fish and chips to help the recovery.

Since then I have cycled to work a further 2 times. Big Frank, a colleague from work, accompanied me on my recent trip today, it took us an extra 40 minutes despite his long legs. I didn't get much banter either, and later that day Frank decided to get his wife to pick him up and take him home. Big Frank was tired but there was a hint of a spark in his eye, I saw it, and I knew that he would be back for some more fun on two wheels so on.

Some facts and then:

What bike? It's a push bike silly, who asks that type of question. Check the photo as all I know is
that it's a mountain bike, white.

New purchases: 2 new inner tubes (£5 each) and very importantly a Royalgel seat cover to reduce
bum shock at £15!

Re-used: yellow high Viz, high viz rucksack cover and IAM skills.

Reflections in no particular order:
• Some things about cycling are different. Cyclists take/get a really BAD LINE when passing closely to parked cars and passing cars box you in and get way too close occassionally.
• Car drivers would rather die overtaking a cyclist on a bend rather than drive slowly and patiently behind a cyclist. WEIRD
• I have a tendency to be OVERCONFIDENT with car drivers due to my motorcycling background.
• Ok so I tried some overtaking on the left and it was GOOD! But noted several attempts by cars to squash me.
• RED LIGHTs do they count? I always stopped but I also found several cycle routes that allowed me to cut the corner and miss out the lights, Officer!
• The cost of cooked breakfasts, a big lunch and /or dinner and plenty of snacks all adds up to probably more than you might have paid for your petrol.

Must buys (if you get serious)
• a decent helmet (I'm using my daughters 5 year old helmet and I should know better!)
• proper cycle shorts (some bits go numb – ew!)
• either hybrid tyres or road tyres
• maybe proper cycling goggles or glasses.

I thoroughly recommend every one having a re-think about the “other two wheels” - sometimes slow(-er) is good! That said, I fancy a pair of hybrid tyres so them road racer blokes stop burning me off !! dingaling....

Maria

Useful links:

Cycle Craft (the equivalent of motorcycling Road Craft )  www.cyclecraft.co.uk/book.html

IAM cycle page - training for employees  www.iam.org.uk/iam_cycling/employee_cycling.htm

Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity  www.sustrans.org.uk/

Free cycle maps  www.sustrans.org.uk/resources/publications/free-cycle-maps

< Back