Time to Reinvent the Wheel

This week is being marked as Bike Week and I thought it's high time I recollected my once love affair with cycling. A few years ago while I was trying to find a leisure activity that would be both fun and exercising, I decided to give cycling a go and bought myself a bike. I am not sure anymore on why I concluded it should be cycling but I confess I was not at all disappointed and it's something I think could add more flavour my life at the moment.


The great thing about cycling was the feeling of freedom, and for me an opportunity to clear my mind and thoughts after work. Obviously it provided the much needed physical exercise and exposure to fresh air. As a hobby it meant I didn't have to get stuck in a gym with stuffed artificial air. I could choose my route each day, and still see friends on the way. And a very good bonus was the fact that I can go much further and faster than on foot with no ongoing running costs.

I do have to admit that I never used it as an alternative to driving to work or using public transport. The reasons are likely to be the same for most other people who face the same dilemma. The foremost problem is safety especially during rush hours. Most drivers would agree with me that rushing to work and trailing behind a cyclist can be quite annoying. At the same time the cyclist also pose a danger to pedestrians if they decide to use the pavement. The ideal solution is to have cycling tracks found in a few places. However, cycling on highways with no pavements and/or cycling tracks can be be dangerous. Regular cyclists know the routes to take though.

Other serious issues with cycling to work or other places include weather conditions such as rain or snow, as well as limited storage space for carrying things. I am sure there could be remedies. I just picked up this booklet last Friday called "Cycling to Work-A beginner's guide" I need to give it a read. In any case, talking about the environment, the benefits are impressive: no fossil fuels, no pollution, less space for parking, less congestion etc.

Back to leisure activities, I have of course tried other motive forms such as the one in this picture.


The problem is you would agree is that you still need to feed it ;), and can't easily drop by to see a friend. I also don't think it is safer. It's fun though. Is it more environmentally friendly than a bike?

The realists would say that in real life situations, we need our four wheels. It's true and I agree. However, the way we drive has an impact. I have done my bit by going on the driving simulator to see the impact of driving habits on fuel consumption.


You can't move an inch with this one but a voice keeps instructing you when to change your gears and other things. Ten minutes of fun but you don't see real places I am afraid.

Despite all these devices, nothing can replace my God-given legs when it comes to getting around and having fun. It does consume fuel though in terms of the food I eat ;). I find that during outreach events that the most engaging questions in the Energy Saving Trust (EST) Travel Energy Check (TEC) is probably:
How do you travel distances less than a mile?
And your answer is................?