Even better... get rid of the car and go places by bike
Last updated 09:20, Saturday, 14 June 2008
John Bird is preaching from the heart, from the soul and from the legs. “For fresh air,” he says. “For fitness. A bike is a fitness machine.” Bike CheckAdvance PlanningBike Week Events
As Bike Week rolls from the shed and into the nation’s consciousness, people all over the UK are being encouraged to climb in the saddle and take part in thousands of free events designed for everyone from novices to passionate cyclists.
Cycling is a low-impact exercise which benefits the heart and lungs while building endurance and strength. Even small amounts can bring big improvements in fitness.
John and his wife Liz know all about the benefits. The couple, from Morton in Carlisle, gave up their car because they prefer the feeling of wind blowing in their hair to sweating in traffic jams.
Their improved fitness and the soaring cost of fuel are just a couple of factors which suggest they made a wise decision.
It’s nearly five years since the Birds sold their Peugeot 405 after almost 40 years as car owners, opting for what John describes as a “car-free and carefree” existence.
“As a cycling freak, I’ve often thought of the motorists queuing for miles in city gridlocks,” says John. “The glum, anxious faces of the car-centred, jammed drivers keep going through my mind.”
Liz had been keen to get rid of the car for a long time. She has deep-vein thrombosis and found driving painful and stressful.
John and Liz used to drive to supermarkets. Now they shop little and often at local shops. They will take a taxi or hire a car if they feel the need but have not been tempted to buy another car.
Liz can’t cycle far these days but John is still going strong. Recently retired from his job as a cook, at 61 he can still cycle 30 miles a day without much trouble. Three weeks ago he cycled to Shap and back in a day and his lifelong passion for cycling is as strong as ever.
“The whole body is keyed up,” he says, looking lean and tanned. “The endorphins kick in and you feel high, you feel you’re flying. If you want a legal high, get a bike.”
But John feels more could be down to encourage people in his hometown to get on their bikes. “In cities like Cambridge and York you see a lot of bikes about, far more than in Carlisle.
“I rode through the centre of London when I was visiting one of my sons. I took my bike on the train and cycled from Euston. You can get all these maps of London with cycle routes on. There’s not enough of that information and encouragement here. Carlisle’s ideal because the lack of hills makes cycling easy. I just think people here are car centred.”
Liz says: “A lot of people, including men, have said to me ‘I wouldn’t dare ride a bike in Carlisle.’”
They have both felt wing mirrors brushing past them but experience has blessed them with ways of staying safe. When approaching junctions Liz takes the middle of her lane to ensure that no vehicle can squeeze her to the sidelines.
John makes sure he indicates, and he’s not shy about waving his arms around to make sure he is noticed by motorists.
The Birds’ three sons have inherited their parents’ enthusiasm. Hugh, 27, often cycles to work and Jim, 23, has cycled from Leeds to London.
John’s bike was given to him by 25-year-old Tom. Father and son once cycled home from Berwick together. “Tom said, ‘Dad, do you want to buy a tandem? I’m sick of waiting for you!’”
Eight years ago John cycled about 1,000 miles in two weeks, from Carlisle to John O’ Groats and, following a long train journey south, from Lands End back to Carlisle.
He lost a stone and couldn’t stand up straight for two days when he returned. But what an experience.
Even Liz and John admit that not every day is perfect for cycling, when wind is howling and rain lashing. And yet they never yearn for the comfort of a car over the freedom of a bike and its benefits for both physical and mental health.
“It’s a different mindset,” says John. “Cycling focuses your mind. Things become crystal clear.”
Check that your tyres are pumped up. Most people under-inflate their tyres, making cycling more difficult and heightening the risk of punctures.
Make sure your tyres are not worn. Worn tyres puncture easily and can be slippery in the wet.
Check your brakes. The brake and gear cables should both be taut. If the brakes are not effective or the cables are slack take your bike to a cycle shop.
Clean your bike, especially the gears and chain. Then oil the chain and any other exposed moving parts.
Check the height of your saddle and handlebars. Many people have their saddle too low as they like being able to put their foot down to steady the bike. But this means your knees will be excessively bent. Your leg should be straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you’re not happy starting out without being able to easily touch the ground, start off lower and raise the saddle as your confidence grows.
If you are new to cycling it is a good idea to start on quieter roads and plan your route in advance.
Practice looking over your shoulder, first with both hands on the handlebars then with your hand off the bar on the side you are looking behind. This will give you greater manoeuvrability and therefore better visibility.
Events in Cumbria include Bike to Work days, lunchtime cycle rides and a 70-mile, circular ride from Keswick’s Castlerigg Stone Circle next Saturday.
For more details about Bike Week visit www.bikeweek.org.uk
More cycling information is available at www.ctc.org.uk or cycletraining@ctc.org.uk
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