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According to the Bicycle Association, the organization which represents Britain's cycle suppliers, there are 20 million  cycles in ownership in the UK. If you've just bought number 20 million and one, you're on the right track, and there's how and why to ride your new bike.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy
'Cycling is for people who can't afford a car!'.
Answer:
In 1994 the AA found that nearly a third of their members were 'cycling motorists' so using a car for some journeys and a bike for others is perfectly normal. Bicycles started out in the Edwardian era as rich people's toys and only became 'poor man's transport' after the 1930s. Now cycling crosses every social divide: rock star Eric Clapton rides an Italian racing bike, as does Paul Smith, the trendy suit designer. Robson Green has a posh mountain bike stashed in the back of his jeep. The architect Lord Rogers rides a bike around London and the head of American Express in Britain rides a top-of-the-range Trek mountain bike in Hyde Park every day to keep himself mentally and physically fit. Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow gets to interviews at No. 10 far quicker on his bike!.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy
'I have an elderly relative who needs to be driven to the doctors, I can't give the car up'.
Answer:
You don't have to. There's no set rule that says you must use a bike for every single journey. Using a bike should be pleasurable, not a chore. There will always be times when other forms of transport beat using a bike. Just try to use the bike more of the times when you don't really need to use a car.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy
'Won't I get all sweaty?'.
Answer:
For most people it probably takes a good 15-20 minutes to build up a sweat. If you don't want to arrive at your destination all hot and flustered, don't pedal so hard. For when you want to cycle fast, and your journey is 20 minutes or over, wearing the right clothing can increase your comfort no end i.e. 'wickable' synthetic underwear, thin fleece mid layers and a windproof jacket made from a lightweight, breathable fabric such as Pertex.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'Yes, but what about the rain, I hate getting wet'.
Answer:
It doesn't actually rain that much. No, really. Research has shown that, on average, in the UK it only rains hard on 12 commuting days per year. And anyway, by wearing the right kind of weather protective clothing you won't arrive at your destination dripping wet. Damp, yes, but even if you travelled by car you'd have to go outside at some point, risking a soaking.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'My workmates will laugh at me'.
Answer:
Chances are, you get into work quicker than them, are fitter than them, have more zest for life for them, and are more open minded than them. The day will come when they will be forced to either cycle or take public transport because driving to work in the city will be heavily taxed and highly restricted. You're a trend setter, so let them laugh, you'll have the last one.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'Isn't cycling really, really dangerous?'.
Answer:
Yes. If you do it wrong. But do it right and you'll find cycling is as safe as other forms of transport. According to the British Medical Association the health benefits of cycling heavily outweigh the small risks. You probably won't be able to follow cycle-paths all the time so journeying on the roads will sometimes be necessary. Don't be frightened by this. In city centres during rush hour, cars and lorries chug along at a snail's pace because they're gummed up in jams. It's a joy - and quite safe - to pass stationary traffic as you speed into work, school, the shops or wherever. Don't be timid when riding city streets, don't be squeezed into the gutter, claim your road space, you've as much right to be there as cars, lorries and buses. Buy the book Cycle craft by John Franklin, a guide to riding in the city, or get yourself on an adult cycle proficiency course, or get a confident city cyclist to show you the ropes (cycle campaign groups often have members who help out in this respect)
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'What about car fumes, don't cyclists breathe in all that rubbish?'
Answer:
Funnily enough, research has proven that motorists breathe in more pollution than cyclists, who sit high above the fumes. Cyclists who are breathing hard are rapidly clearing their lungs out as they exercise. And, remember, if you are currently a car commuter, when you start cycling you're part of the solution to pollution.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'I would cycle, but my town is really hilly'.
Answer:
Modern day bikes have ultra low gears so you could pedal up vertical slopes. Remember, it's not a race, just pedal at your own pace up the hills. It's not as hard as you would imagine. And if you've got hills to go up, you've got hills to come down: a free ride at least half of the time! If hills really do put you off, why not invest in an electric motor for your bike, see electric bikes. And think about this: Switzerland is also, er, hilly yet cycle use is twenty times greater over there!.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'Won't my bicycle get stolen?'.
Answer:
It's a possibility. 595 000 bicycles were stolen in 1993 in the UK, half from the street, half from the home. Mind you, in the same year, 541 000 cars were stolen. Crime is a problem for every form of transport: you may get mugged on the tube, for instance. As with every walk of life, there are precautions you can take which minimise the risks. Always lock your bike in a well-lit public place with a high-quality u-shaped shackle lock. Always attach the bike to an immovable object where the bike and lock can't be lifted off and away. Position the lock so that it cannot be hammered against the ground or levered apart, and always have the keyhole facing downward. A new security standard is about to be applied to all cycle locks: the security working group on the National Cycling Forum are to recommend manufacturers place 'star ratings' on their locks to show how long a thief will take to break in to that particular product. Locks with higher star ratings will be more effective but also more expensive. If possible, wheel the bike into your place of work, or the shops or wherever. Keeping an eye on it at all times is the safest form of protection. If this is impossible with a full-sized bike, get a folding one, these really can go everywhere with you.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'Cars are so convenient for carrying stuff, bicycles aren't are they?'.
Answer:
As a matter of fact, they're very convenient. A bicycle is a brilliant load-carrying platform. People cycle the world with huge amounts of gear stuffed into their pannier bags so you'd be amazed how much stuff you can carry on a bike. For really heavy loads you could even invest in a cycle trailer. These can carry as much as a small family hatchback car.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy 'I can't ferry my three kids about on a bicycle, though can I?'.
Answer:
If they're little kids, yes you can. Fit a child carrier and hook up a trailer. In the developing world it's not unusual to see fathers carrying mum, four kids, the shopping, a pig and a couple of fluster hens on a single bike. That's not be recommended here but it shows that portaging children around on two wheels is both possible and safe. As kids get older they love being towed behind on a trailer cycle, an attachment to the adult cycle enabling the child to pedal in tandem fashion.
The Excellent Adventures Of Kidder & Chiefy OK, I'm convinced, where do I go from here ...?'
Answer:
Just get out there and cycle & make it part of your daily routine. Invest in the right kit & Join the Cyclists' Touring Club and get some insurance cover. Become a member of the Environmental Transport Association. (Tel: 01932 828882) They offer breakdown services for cyclists, as well as the normal motoring package. Start buying an enthusiast magazine like Cycling Plus or mbr. Join your local cycle campaign group.

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Learn to ride a bike:
Great, but what if you can't, and you want to?
The popular saying has it that: "It's as easy as riding a bike." Great, but what if you can't, and you want to? You could get your partner to show you how - but this is fraught with the same sort of difficulties common when a partner teaches their other half how to drive - or you could book yourself on a training course. There are a number of courses suitable for adults, and new ones are being created all the time. Ask at your local council.
Patrick Field of the London School of Cycling runs a one-on-one tuition course. York City Council have been operating their adult cycle training course for the past five years and it's very popular with women. South Tyneside adult cycling training course lasts three hours and is run on a Sunday morning and costs £10.00. Course instructors are experienced cyclists who are trained to standards recognized by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Trainees are taught on a maximum of four trainees to one instructor basis.

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Details:
London School of Cycling, Patrick Field,
tel: 0171 249 3779
South Tyneside MBC, Traffic Services Road Safety Team,
tel: 0191 427 1717
City of York Council, Ken Spence,
tel: 01904 613161

The self-help options:
Cycle skills training video This is a parents' guide to cycle training presented by Tony Robinson, best known as Baldrick from Blackadder. In an informative 20 minutes the film covers what to look for in a bike to ensure it's roadworthy and teaches basic cycling proficiency skills. Of particular interest was the part where the camera tails Ken Spence, road safety officer at York City Council, cycling along city streets pointing out potential hazards. Whilst aimed at children it would also be a good confidence booster for adults who can't get to an adult proficiency course.
Bike to Basics is available from York City Council, 01904 613161, for £7.99. Cyclecraft by John Franklin. Aimed at the adult cyclist, this newly revised book covers everything you need to know about riding a bike: from acquiring basic cycling skills to cycling at night in thunderstorms. Plenty of explanatory diagrams break up the test. It's a comprehensive, albeit dry, self-help course in how to handle your bike on the road. Available for £9.99 from bookshops.
Buying the right bike:
'Use as a guide'

New Bicycle info          Used Bicycle info
Bikes are vehicles, not toys. You shouldn't be rushed into buying one. There are a lot of pre-purchase decisions to make before you find the bike that's just right for you. Comfort, practicality, lightness, price, durability, and other considerations have to be taken into account. Before you head for the bike shop use this guide to work out which features you think you'll need.
What do you intend to use the bike for? Will you be commuting to work on it every day? Just nipping down to the shops now and then? Showing the kids your knowledge of the local disused railway paths at the weekends? Will you be using it on city streets or off-road? For long periods on cycling holidays or short trips every day? Probably it's a mix of many of the above. Bikes are very flexible creatures and can cope with whatever you throw at them, but it can't be escaped that many bikes have been designed for certain purposes and if most of your riding fits that criteria you've got a bike that will do what you want it to do.

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Here are the basic types.
Road bikes:  
Expensive ones are used by Tour de France riders; cheaper ones are ridden by fast club cyclists. They come fitted with razor slim saddles (which you get used to in time, honest) and thin tyres. Commonly, and mistakenly, known as 'ten-speed racers' by those who were around before mountain bikes were invented.
Road bikes are designed to be ridden at high speeds on smooth road surfaces. Because of this they are lightweight, with tyres pumped up to over 100psi to minimise friction, and dropped handlebars to force your body into that aerodynamically efficient Tour de France tuck. Road bikes can be easily damaged and are prone to punctures. When you're not used to it, you will probably find the hunched forward riding position uncomfortable. This is not to say road bikes are for fit young people: plenty old-timers do hundreds of miles per week on their road bikes. It's just a matter of getting used to them. If your primary aim is to get fit or do any kind of road racing then you need a road bike, even mountain bike professionals use them as part of their fitness training. If you're going to be commuting more than ten miles each way then a road bike - fitted with mudguards and a rack- can be a benefit because of its speed and the low rolling resistance of the tyres.

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Mountain bikes:  
These now make up 70 percent of all bikes sold in the UK but that doesn't mean they are the right kind of bike for you. Very few mountain bikes - MTB's for short - get to see mountains but the chunky tyres, 26-inch wheels, strong frames and flat handlebars are pretty good for city streets too. Because they are designed for going up (and down) steep slopes, MTB's have lots of low gears and highly effective brakes. For off-road comfort many MTB's feature front suspension forks; some also have suspension for the bum, too. These are called full suspension bikes and were originally designed for crazy downhill mountain bikers although suspension adds to any riders comfort.
Even without suspension products, the fat tyres on MTB'S soak up the shocks and jarrs of off-road trails and city potholes. The knobbly tyres found on MTB's don't puncture easily but can rattle and hum on tarmac, slowing you down. By adding 'slick' tyres (i.e. fat tyres without knobbles), mudguards and lights you could convert your mountain bike into a good urban bike during the week and change back to knobblies for weekend rough stuffing.

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Hybrids: 
Hybrids are a mix between mountain bikes and road bikes and offer the advantages - and disadvantages of both. They look like mountain bikes but with thinner wheels and tyres, and offer a slightly more upright sitting position, suited to urban riding. They are faster on tarmac but can handle weekend off-roading. Not all come with mudguards, a rack and lights, but these can be easily fitted by the shop. Some hybrids come with internal hub gears. Component manufacturer Shimano calls hybrids 'Sports Touring Bikes' or STB's for short. Germans call them trekking bikes. Some people call them city bikes. Raleigh, and other companies, call them 'comfort bikes' because they equip them with seat posts with added bounce and suspension front forks.

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Utility bikes:  
The so-called Dutch roadster is a perfect utility bike, a real workhorse. They are virtually bombproof , very low maintenance and great in all weathers, although only really suitable for short journeys in flat areas.

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Touring bikes:  
A touring bike is a chunkier, more laid back and more comfortable version of the road bike. It normally has drop handlebars and mudguards and pannier racks for luggage. The wheelbase - the distance between the hubs - is longer than in either a road bike or an MTB, giving a smooth ride, ironing out all the bumps and potholes and making it easier to handle when loaded up with panniers.
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Folding bikes:  
Bicycle origami is thriving. Before we get to the dream of a fully integrated transport system the best way to get a bike onto a train, bus or underground service is to pack it down. There's even a theory that come ten years hence every new car will come with a folding bike in the boot because city-centre gridlock means cars will be next to useless and the only way to get about will be by bike! Cheap folding bikes are heavy and don't fold down too well. More expensive ones fold down tiny in just 15 seconds. Because they are designed for the first and last legs of a commuter journey they sacrifice speed, stability and comfort for convenience. Typically they come with hub gears and may also be fitted with mudguards and lights. Optional extras include folding pedals.

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What size do I need ?:  
To get the most out of cycling it's vital to have the right sized bike.
Before setting off to the bike shop you need a tape measure. Your inside leg measurement determines what size frame you're going to need. To find your frame size for road bikes and hybrids, multiply your inside leg measurement by 0.65, this will give you an approximate frame size in inches. The frame is measured by the distance along the seat tube from the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the top tube.
When you get to the shop, stand over and sit aboard a number of bikes. When you stand over the bike there should be 2cm clearance between your crotch and the top tube for a touring bike, 3cm for a road bike, 4-6cm for a hybrid and 6cm+ for a mountain bike. The reach of the handlebars should be comfortable and neither cramp you or strain your back. To pedal comfortably, the length of the crank should be about a fifth of your inside leg measurement. When you pedal, your leg should have a slight bend in it and never be extended fully. The old rule that you had to be able to touch the ground when sitting on the saddle is a load of tosh: if you can, your saddle and seat post need to be raised. (Note: this is not the case for children). Do this in small increments over a number of days so you get used to the new, higher position. Once you're used to it, you'll find you can cycle faster and for longer and with more comfort with less effort.

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Am I pedalling right ?:  
Cadence is important. This is the number of time your pedals go round per minute, your 'revs' if you will. Tour De France cyclists can pedal all day long and at great speeds because they 'spin'. Aim for something similar. Your legs should whizz round rather than strain in a high gear. And don't pedal with your heels. Your toes should be just over the lip of the front of the pedal.

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