Saddling up in Glasgow
Richard Goslan discusses his conversion to cycle commuting in Glasgow in the Scottish Herald. He ends by debunking some popular excuses for not cycle commuting:
I haven’t cycled since I was at school: All the more reason to get back on it. Take it easy at first and try out a couple of practice runs.
My bike’s gathering dust: You don’t need a top-of-the-range bike for a daily commute. In fact, you’ll be better off with something that’s going to take a bit of wear and tear. Clean it up and get riding.
I don’t fancy the traffic: Turn road rage to road bliss – when you sail past stressed-out drivers, you’ll never want to drive into town again.
I’ll get punctures: Not any more. Tyre technology has come a long way, and the best tyres nowadays are virtually puncture-proof.
I don’t have a bike: Pick up something inexpensive and functional second-hand to get into the swing of things first.
I have to wear a suit: You can get panniers now that are designed to carry a suit without creasing it too much.
I’ll smell at work if I can’t take a shower: Give yourself a quick once over with a damp facecloth and carry whatever products you need to make yourself look, and smell, presentable at the morning meeting.
I live too far away: Then consider a part-commute, where you take public transport or the car a certain distance, and then jump on the bike the rest of the way.
The exhaust fumes will kill me: Research has shown that drivers are actually exposed to higher levels of pollution inside their cars than cyclists are outside.