Get on Your Bike
It's as easy as...
You never forget how to ride a bike. True. But things have changed since I last took to two wheels as a scruffy sixth-form student.
Cycling’s got trendy and cyclists have got serious. They now form a campaigning group to be reckoned with and are as assertive on the roads.
As we head towards the summer, more people will be considering abandoning cars or public transport for the freedom of a bike.
The attractions are obvious – no waiting for buses or trains that don’t arrive, or are packed with bad-tempered commuters; no getting stuck in traffic jams; free travel.
Plus exercise without paying gym fees; and the feel-good factor of doing your bit to prevent environmental meltdown.
Finally, don’t forget that amazing feeling you had as a kid, freewheeling with a cool breeze on your face and the sun on your back.
So what are the main things that hold people back from taking up cycling?
The cost of a bike, road safety fears and theft are often cited. But all of these worries are relatively easy to overcome with a little research.
Buying a bike
I’d wanted a bike for ages, but couldn’t afford one until I discovered the Bike To Work scheme – which Hackney Council is one of a growing number of employers to sign up to.
Basically, your employer buys the bike and loans it to back to you. You make a ‘salary sacrifice’ for its hire over 12 months, and the money is deducted from your gross pay, which means you don’t pay tax and NI.
At the end of the loan period, the employer sells the bike to you at market value, which after a year should be around five per cent.
This means that you can save up to 50 per cent on a new bike and equipment worth a total of £1,000. To see if your employer is part of the scheme, or for more information, call: 01225 448 933; email: info@cyclescheme.co.uk; or visit: www. cyclescheme.co.uk.
Choosing a bike
Back in the 70s when I got my first bike, things were much simpler. Bikes had two wheels, three gears and were nearly always made by Raleigh.
Today there is a confusing array of makes and types. Rugged mountain bikes, streamlined racers, hybrid combos of the two, fold-up bikes, recumbent bikes, single speed and fixed wheel bikes without brakes!
So what’s right for you? Ask the experts. I went to the nearest bike scheme shop to work – London Fields Cycles – and told staff what I needed. Something stable to commute to work on, not climb mountains; and light enough to carry up the stairs to my flat. Once I’d worked out my price range, they showed me a selection of bikes which I test-drove round the block. It was obvious which was the best one for me. Job done. And it looked cool.
Bike security
Shop staff advised me not to scrimp on security, so I bought a D lock that apparently takes the Fire Brigade half an hour to cut through. The Home Office recommend people buy a certified lock with the Sold Secure branding. See: www.soldsecure.com.
I also invested in fittings for the seat and wheels, installed at the shop, which means you don’t have to take the bike apart every time you lock it up. The main thing is to always be security conscious, as police say most thefts are opportunistic. For more info on bike security, visit: www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk
Nothing is 100 per cent theft proof, so make sure the police can return your bike, if you are unlucky enough to have it stolen.
Hackney police recover hundreds of stolen bikes each year, but are often unable to trace the owners.
However, every bike has a unique frame number that can be registered at: www.immobilise.com.
Road safety
After a spectacular crash on my first outing, which nearly resulted in both myself and the bike landing in Regent’s Canal, I resolved to get insurance and some refresher lessons.
The Council provides two hours of free cycle training for anyone aged over 11, who lives, works, or studies in the borough, through a partnership of five organisations led by STA Bikes.
As well as teaching adults, they run courses in schools and a Saturday Family Club.
I met instructor Eric Gauster(below) from Cycle Training UK (CTUK) in Victoria Park, so he could check my bike was roadworthy and observe my skills in an off-road area. We talked about when I felt uncomfortable on the roads and headed out to some quiet side streets to practice. We went through how to approach T-junctions, traffic lights, and right-hand turns. After two hours I felt safer and more confident in traffic.
CTUK has training that can benefit anyone from a beginner to the experienced cyclist. Call: 020 7231 6005, or visit: www.cycletraining.co.uk.
For training for children call: 020 8802 6013 or email: sally.haywill@stabikes.org.uk.
Onward and upward
When you start cycling, you’ll find that journeys (under five miles) are often quicker by bike. You also feel fitter and more alert.
And once you’ve got the cycling bug, there’s so much more to discover from the quickest route to work, to day trips along the Lee Valley.
The London Cycle Campaign (LCC) and Transport for London (TfL) have produced a set of maps that cover the whole capital. Order them from: www.tfl.gov.uk/.
Although you don’t need any specialist gear to start cycling, there’s websites for all the myriad different clothes and kit cyclists invest in to brave the everchangeable British weather, including ones for fashion conscious ladies, see: www.cyclechic.co.uk.
You can sign up to bike maintenance courses and cycle clubs. For team players, there’s even bike polo in Brick Lane on Sundays and a bike film festival that tours the world, stopping off in London: www.bicyclefilmfestival.com.
Page updated: 23 Jun 2008