Help and advice on cycling

Information to assist staff (or anybody else) who are thinking of commuting by bike.

Try commuting by bike

Nearly three quarters of all journeys are under five miles - ideal for cycling.

If you live less than five miles away, bicycle commuting will be easy for you, and will take no more than 30 minutes.

If you've not ridden your bike for a while, try it on some quiet streets. If there is anything wrong that you don't know how to fix yourself, take it along to a local bike shop. Most bike shops will check your bike over and service it for relatively little money.

Setting reasonable goals

Do a trial ride at the weekend, test ride your intended route. Start out by cycling to work once or twice a week and then when you've met that goal, try to do it three days a week.

• Don't make it hard for yourself, if you hate riding in the rain, don't ride in the rain!
   
• On mornings when you intend to ride to work, get dressed for cycling, this way it helps you not to change your mind!

Clothing

If you’ve decided to start cycling to work, then you should consider what you are going to wear. If you wear a suit or smart attire to work but would prefer not to cycle in it, you’ll need to consider what will help you feel comfortable. The clothes you wear can make a big different to how enjoyable the cycle will be.

DON’T FORGET we have shower facilities at Walton Hall campus.

You should also be wearing a helmet and reflective clothing whenever you can, to keep you safe and visible.

Below are some tips on how to be visible while cycling:

• Wear fluorescent clothes and/or items which have reflective parts
• Reflectors on pedals and wheels
• Lights attached to your bike front and back
• A bell is useful when approaching blind junctions and for letting pedestrians know of your presence

Lighting

When commuting between sunset and sunrise, your cycle will need lights. This is for three reasons:

• To be legal
• To see where you are going
• To be seen by others

Having lights on your bike ensures that you’ll be ready even if the forecast was for sunny spells, and you get dark clouds and showers.

DON’T FORGET there is a maintenance station installed outside the Security Lodge.

Carrying things

There are various ways of carrying items on your bike depending on their size. Some people just use a rucksack or shoulder bag, but for comfort get the bike to carry the load. Here are a few solutions:

• Fit a rack over the back wheel and use panniers or a rack top bag.
• The rack top is also useful for carrying a rain jacket or books.
• Use a bar-bag, a handlebar mounted bag.
• Use a Saddlebag fitted behind the saddle, although not many modern saddles have bag loops for attaching the saddlebag, they can be bought separately.