Cycle News Saturday, December 11, 2004

Why cycling is the answer

Transport is a hot topic in London. Most people live too far from work to walk. Public transport can be expensive for students and unpleasant for everybody. Driving is out of the question for the majority of Londoners due to clogged streets, lack of parking and the high cost. The morning news consists of a catalogue of catastrophe on road and rail. It is little wonder that the mayoral elections are dominated by transport issues.

But there is a way out of this locomotive rat race: cycling. Many cyclists talk as if their chosen mode of transport is the solution to the world’s problems – and it is easy to see why.

Cycling is cheap. You can get a brand new bike and associated gear for under £200 from Halfords or Decathlon, and even less if you buy second hand. Alternatively you could get something a bit more luxurious for around £400 from a local bike shop – still far cheaper than your average Travelcard, but it will last a good few years. And you won’t be paying to stand stationary in a tunnel for half an hour with your face in someone else’s armpit.

Cycling is fast. Transport for London figures suggest that cycling is the fastest mode of transport in central London. You can travel four miles in just 20 minutes, compared to half an hour by tube or an hour by bus. And cycling is door-to-door – chances are most of your commute is spent walking to and from stations.

Cycling gets you fit. The obesity epidemic is in full swing, and you can be sure that sitting on a bus eating crisps is doing nothing for your physique. Regular cycling halves your chances of suffering from heart disease. The Government recommends that adults get 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times each week. Cycling to College will give you all that and more, without wasting precious time and money in the local gym.

Cycling is fun. While initially the prospect of getting on a bike is daunting, it rapidly becomes easier and more rewarding. There’s nothing more satisfying than arriving at your destination having got there under your own steam. You’ve cut through the traffic, flown past the bus queues and bypassed the crowded stations, using your natural strength, skill and dexterity to get from A to B. You can make it an exhilarating everyday extreme sport or a scenic ride through parks and along waterways – your choice.




And finally, of course, cycling is environmentally and socially responsible. It is unlikely you’ll end up killing anyone with your bike, unlike cars which result in the deaths of 3500 people in the UK each year. Every other mode of transport bar walking uses energy derived from fossil fuels. Those who aren’t convinced by global warming (both of you) will nonetheless have experienced the unpleasant side-effects of walking along London’s choked streets. Biofuels are here today: two slices of toast and a coffee goes in, and out comes enough energy to get you to College (and a little bit of, er, exhaust). Imagine London’s streets without the noise and smell and danger of motor vehicles. You can make it happen.

What’s the down side? There’s always a down side. People are put off by bad weather: in fact, London is the driest part of the UK and only a tiny fraction of your journeys will be wet. You can choose to take the day off and get back on the tube (you’ll remember why you started cycling) or just get some waterproofs and carry on regardless.

Some people are worried they’ll get to College reeking of sweat and fumes. You might be lucky and have odourless sweat – just wear clean clothes every day, use a deodorant, and your popularity will be maintained. Alternatively take a shower at College instead of at home. A map of College showers is being prepared – every department has one or two tucked away somewhere. See these pages for news in the coming weeks, or ask your head of department.

Danger from cars and buses is also quite off-putting for novices. A prerequisite is that you are a competent cyclist when on traffic-free routes. Take it easy for the first few weeks and you’ll build up experience of how to deal with London’s traffic. Kensington and Chelsea local authority offer free cycle safety courses – email road.safety@rbkc.gov.uk. You could prepare yourself for the open road with Cyclecraft by John Franklin (ISBN: 0117020516), a book which is widely regarded as the authority on cycle safety. My personal top tips are: don’t ride in the gutter, ignore cycle lanes, be aware of what is going on around you, use lights, and observe the Highway Code.

The last hurdle is parking and security. Cycle parking at Imperial has taken a nosedive over summer. The handy parking outside your department has gone, replaced by motorcycle and car parking. You must now use a swipe-carded cage up some stairs under the Big Blue Faculty building.

The racks are tough to use, but with some creativity and practice they are almost as secure as street parking, and they are undercover. You must register with Security before your swipe card will work. Elsewhere in London, the Mayor has handed cyclists a small army of excellent cycle racks, so you can do your shopping or go to the cinema in confidence. The parking in High Street Kensington actually won a design award last year.

A cycling group is being set up at Imperial, which will campaign for better facilities and generally support cyclists. The first stage is a mailing list, http://mailman.ic.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/bike-users. Old, new and future cyclists are encouraged to subscribe, ask advice and offer wisdom.

Your student years are the best time to start cycling, when body and bank balance are likely to be less than healthy. When you disappear to your career in merchant banking, you might end up chugging around in a BMW or sweating it out on the tube. But chances are you’ll find it hard to kick the cycling habit.


(Source: http://www.felixonline.co.uk/2002-04/article.php?aid=2038)