City Cycling

14 September, 2007 1 By Martin

In an effort to increase my overall fitness and get some fresh air before sitting down for the day at work, I’ve been cycling in for the last few weeks. It’s a great feeling to jump on my bike and know that in 10 minutes I’ll be at work and five minutes later, after changing, I’ll be at my desk. My journey is only 2 miles each way, but it soon adds up and I’m definitely feeling the benefit, including with my running. There are some compelling reasons to give it a go.

Next week is European Mobility Week encompassing Critical Commute which aims to encourage more people to cycle to work, increasing the visibility of cyclists. Any plan to increase awareness of cyclists to both motorists and pedestrians gets my vote, based on my experiences so far. I’ve lost count of the number of times pedestrians have stepped out in front of me, or cars and vans have suddenly taken a hard left directly in my path, and this is normally in daylight and not at the peak of rush hour (well, as rush hour as Edinburgh ever gets 😉 ).