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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. |
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'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!.
'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.
'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.
'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.
'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.
'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)
'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.
'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!.
'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.
'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.
'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.
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:
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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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