Chapter 1 REASONS FOR COMMUTING BY BIKE
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ter mom or dad, hovering over your children? It’s not good for them. Cycling is so perfect for children, a liberating form of transport. Yes, road traffic is dangerous but teaching children good road sense will better equip them for the big, bad world than mollycoddling them in autos. Cycle education can start early. Take your kids to kindergarten in a bike trailer. Later fit a trailerbike so the child can pedal, with you controlling the steering. By age 6 or before, children can pedal to school alongside you on their own bikes. Even when the kids are older you may need to keep the trailer in order to carry instruments and sporting equipment to school. Having kids is no excuse to stop bicycling to work!
“Cycling requires too much specialist clothing and gear”
The basic necessities for cycling are just you and a bike. Doesn’t have to be an expensive one. You don’t need the latest gizmos. Later, you’ll be eager to add the accoutrements but, to begin with, you need very little. If you plan to cycle in the dark you’ll need lights and, if your bike can’t cosy up to you at work, you’ll also need a lock. To start, any bike will do. If the only bike you have access to is an entry-level mountain bike with front and rear suspension units you might struggle a bit. A change of tires will help lots: from ‘knobblies’ to thinner, smoother tires. You don’t need specialist cycle clothing to ride a bike. Of course, the gear is nice to have for faster, recreational rides but Lycra isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Just get on your bike, and go.