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| Cambridge is still the UK's cycling capital |
According to a recent article in Cambridge News, Cambridge has retained its crown as the UK’s cycling capital. This is not an idle boast by biased residents – Cambridge was awarded National Cycling Town status in 2008, while £7.2 million on cycling improvements were earmarked for Cambridge and surrounding villages for 2011-2. Cycling events are organised throughout the year to introduce families and residents of all ages to cycling, culminating in Bike Week, a nationwide celebration of cycling on 15-23 June 2013.
Cycling, alongside walking, is the cheapest, healthiest and most environmentally-friendly way of travelling. It saves time and money – and parking is free. Research shows that cycling four miles daily reduces the risk of heart disease by 50%. It’s also good aerobic exercise and doesn’t strain joints or muscles, so if you have arthritis, are unfit or suffer from asthma or bronchitis (cycling improves lung function), cycling can do wonders for your wellbeing. And for seniors with mobility problems, electric bikes and trikes can offer a big boost.
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| Cycling with my daughter when she was a preschooler |
On your bike!
It’s true that you never forget how to ride a bike, but if
you lack confidence because you haven’t been cycling for years or are
struggling to teach your child to cycle, help is at hand through two local
schemes: Bike It and Bikeability.
Bike It aims to
increase the number of school children, parents and staff cycling to school.
The scheme, which includes bike rides, cycle skills sessions and even
maintenance classes, has proved successful by raising the number of children
cycling to school from 23 to 40%. Maya Stratton Brook, Sustrans’ Bike It
officer for Cambridge, comments: “Sustrans has been working with Cycle
Cambridge to encourage children to get to school under their own steam since
January 2010. Cycling has so many benefits for children, including improving
their health, confidence and concentration. Not to mention the positive effects
it has on the environment.”
If you are new to
cycling, buying a bike might seem daunting - there are so many brands with
prices varying from a few hundreds to over a thousand pounds. Stephen Poulter
from Station Cycles’ Histon Superstore, advises: It is important to spend as
much as your budget will allow. There are many different styles of bike to suit
different styles of riding. Think about what kind of riding you will be doing
and where you will be using the bike. This will ensure that a sales advisor can
help you choose the right bike.”
Cycling with young children
Many parents
in Cambridgeshire are using bikes for school or nursery runs. Cycling with a
young child involves buying a child bike seat, trailer or special attachments. There is a
huge variety of child bike seats on the market - most models are rear mounted,
meaning they fit behind the saddle. They are designed for use from six-nine
months, when a child can sit up comfortably and wear a helmet but only a few can
go up to four-five years of age. Most seats have a weight limit - commonly 15kg.
We used Britax Jockey Child Bike Seat because it's sturdy and its weight limit is 22Kg. Other things
to look for in a child bike seat include:
- good padding, foot support and five-point harness, for
comfortable and safer journeys.
- a padded headrest - your child might fall asleep on
a ride.
- the BSI number BS EN 14344:2004, which is a safety
standard mark for children’s products.
Trailers,
also recommended from around six months, are attached to the rear of a bike and
can carry one or two children. Some models are so versatile they can be
converted into a pushchair once you reach your destination. And then there are
Dutch bikes, which are very popular in Cambridge because you can carry up to
three children and your shopping too! These are purpose-built bikes with the
trailer fitted at the front and incorporated in the bike’s frame.
If your child
is four years of age and can cycle, you can purchase a special attachment to
link their bike to yours or buy a tag-along trailer bike, an attachment that
turns your bike into a kind of tandem, with the smaller bike behind.
Whichever
product you buy, you will need to readjust the way you cycle to cope with the
extra weight. If you opt for a trailer, don’t turn abruptly or ride
aggressively over bumps as lighter models might tip over.
Buying your child’s first bike
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| Michela on her trike |
I learnt to
pedal with a trike and so did my daughter, but in the past few years balancing
bikes have become very popular. These attractive, wooden bikes have no pedals and
aim to teach your child good balance, so that they might not need stabilisers
when they are ready for their ‘proper’ bike. Balancing bikes are suitable from
two up to six years and some come with detachable/attachable pedals so you can fix
them to the frame when your child is ready.
If you are
buying a bicycle for older children, it can be difficult to decide which one is
best. Sustrans’ Maya Stratton Brook advises: “It’s important to choose a model
that has some room for adjustment as your child grows, but don’t be tempted to
buy a bike for your child to ‘grow into’. Avoid cheap flat-pack bikes from
catalogues - it’s worth paying a bit extra for a bike from a shop so that you
can be sure that it is set up correctly.”
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| Michela with her first bike |
Station Cycles’
Steven Poulter agrees: “Unfortunately, children do grow out of their bikes
quickly. However it is important not to buy a bike that is too large hoping
they will grow into it, as a bike that is too large for your child can be
dangerous to ride. There are many different wheel sizes of children’s bikes,
relative to their size and age. As a rough guide, we recommend a 12in wheel for
ages 2-5, 16in wheel for ages 4-8, 18in wheel for ages 6-9, 20in wheel for ages
8-12 and 24in wheel for ages above 12 until they can fit comfortably on a 26in-wheel
bike. This is only a guide and you should pop into your bike store to choose
the right bike for your child.”
Is cycling dangerous?
In Britain
there is a fatal cycling accident for every 31 million miles cycled, but of all
road accidents, only around one in 28 deaths involves a cyclist. So cycling is
much safer than driving.
Safety is
still very important, though. Juli
Abensour, of safety cycling accessory company VizzKids.co.uk, offers four
top tips on road safety:
- Be visible and vigilant
- make sure you can be seen by motorists. Those who drive the same routes
daily can be subject to ‘inattention blindness’, which means a motorist
doesn’t notice a hazard in plain sight. Cyclists also need to make sure
they’re given a second look on roads, wear high-visibility gear and use
night cycle lights.
- Wear a helmet - if you fall off your bike,
a serious blow to the head on a pavement or road can be fatal. Encourage
your child to wear one too, even if they are strapped safely in a child
bike seat. Wearing a cycle helmet is important as it reduces the risk of
head injury by 85% and the risk of brain injury by almost 90%.
- Maintain your bike
- faulty breaks, worn tyres, slipping chains can lead to accidents. Pop
into your local cycle shop every six months and get your bike serviced. Bicycle
maintenance is a must.
- Follow road laws - respect red
lights and use cycle crossings on busy roads.
Other safety
recommendations from community-interest company Get Cycling include:
- Cycle assertively but politely – watch out for
pedestrians stepping out, they can’t hear your “engine”.
- Use cycle lanes but do not ride too close to the
gutter – this way motorists will be able to see you and won’t try to
overtake you when space is tight.
- Learn to look behind with confidence, or use a
mirror. Signal when you want to turn left or right using your arm.
- Keep your eyes and ears open - watch out for car
doors opening and cars coming out of drives.
- Do not overtake lorries or buses on the left at
junctions because they have a blind spot.
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| Cycling down King's Parade |
Ready, steady, pedal!
Now you
are all kitted up and raring to go, which are the best routes and itineraries? New cycle maps are available from the Cambridge Tourist
Information Centre at Peas Hill, including central Cambridgeshire, Cambridge to
Saffron Walden and an updated Cambridge cycle map. Or you can use the online
journey planner Cyclestreets.net, which covers the whole of the UK.
If you’d
like some tried-and-tested recommendations, here are a few suggestions from local
parents. VizzKids’ Juli Abensour is a fan of
cross-country cycling: “Cambridgeshire’s flat landscape is a great place to get
into cycling. There is a wonderful new cycle route courtesy of the National
Trust called The Lodes Way. This nine-mile, scenic cross-country route runs
from Wicken to Bottisham passing Anglesey Abbey. Some of the bridges are
narrow, so cycling with trailers might find it a tight squeeze.”
Hermione
Eccleson, mum of Bronwyn, 7 and Jago, 4, plans to cycle with her children from Grantchester
Meadows in Newnham to Grantchester. “It is a nice, easy ride through and there
are beautiful views across the river and fields. And, of course, tea at The
Orchard as an incentive!”
Genevieve Guetemm,
mum of three-year-old Florence, agrees: “If the weather is nice, I like to
cycle to Grantchester. Cycling in the other direction (to Fen Ditton) is not as
pleasant - it's too narrow and too busy, especially in the weekend. Overall, I
prefer cycling when there is a dedicated cycle lane, so the recent improvements
carried out in Gilbert Road are very welcome.”
Ailish
Meadows, mum of Caitlin, 3 and Shannon, 1, says: “Last weekend Arthur and I
took our daughters on the back of our bikes along the cycle path beside the
guided bus route, from Arbury to Impington. It was a really nice and easy ride
and we could cycle side by side - the path is very wide so we could chat to
each other as we cycled along.”
My vote also
goes to Grantchester and the delicious scones from The Orchard. This summer we
want to ditch the car and cycle to Milton and Wandlebury County Parks, where
bikes park for free.
Parking your bike and keeping it safe
Here are
three top tips on how to keep your bike secure:
Do
not leave your bicycle in isolated places. In Cambridge two large free cycle
parks are located at Park Street and Grand Arcade car parks. The Grand Arcade
cycle park, accessibile off Corn Exchange Street, also has a cycle shop and
hire facility. If there is no bike park at your destination, use sturdy street
furniture like trees, lampposts and railings (don’t do this if there is a
notice forbidding cycle parking).
Always
lock your bicycle through the frame and lock wheels and detachable parts.
Remove lights and quick-release saddles and take them with you. Invest in a
sturdy lock – the lock should cost 10 per cent of the value of your bike. Using
two locks is prudent - one should always be a D lock.
Take
a photograph of your bike, note its frame number and register it on www.immobilise.com, the national property
register, which can help to identify your bike if it’s stolen and recovered. If
your bike is stolen, contact Parkside police on 0345 456 456 4.
Product reviews: Britax Jockey Child Bike Seat
& VizzKids’ safety cover
The Jockey might sound expensive at RRP £129.99 but is suitable
from around nine months to four years of age – and from 9 to 22kg in weight. This is
quite a long life span – most seats last only a year or two because of lower weight
limits.
Features include
a reclining option, a reversible, washable cover and a comfortable harness
system with child-proof plug-in-buckle.
VizzKids’ neon yellow seat cover straps to any child bike seat and has bold text on the
back that reads ‘CHILD ON BOARD’, alerting motorists of your precious cargo.
An additional cycle light can be slotted into the PVC pocket built into
the back of the safety cover, while a mesh zip pocket provides storage for
small items, such as a puncture repair kit. It is manufactured
in the UK and has a RRP of £23.99.
Useful websites
Bike shops in and around Cambridge
Avenue Cycles, 100 Stretten Avenue, CB4 3ER. 01223 322716
Ben Hayward Cycles, 69 Trumpington Street, CB2 1RJ. 01223 352294
Bicycle Ambulance, Park Street, CB5 8AS. 07838 162572
Billy’s Bike & Skate Store, 15 Burleigh Street, CB1 1DG. 01223 568368
Blazing Saddles, 110 Cherry Hinton Road, CB1 7AJ. 01223 415367
Bridge Cycles, 22a Magdalene Street, CB3 0AF. 01223 361411
Cambridge Cycle Centre, 8 Botolph Lane, CB2 3RD. 01223 307114
Cambridge Station Cycles, 7 Station Road, CB1 2TZ. 01223 307125
Station Cycle Superstore, 9 High Street, Histon, CB24 9JD. 01223 232182
Cycle King, 195-197 Mill Road, CB1 3AN. 01223 214999
Halfords Ltd, 442 Newmarket Road, CB5 8JL. 01223 454280
Howes Cycles, 104 Regent St, CB2 1DP. 01223 350350
King St Cycles, 82 King St, CB1 1LN. 01223 367275
Kingsway Cycles, 8 City Road, CB1 1DP. 01223 355852
Lensfield Road Cycles, 69-71 Lensfield Rd, CB2 1EN. 01223 323559
PRIMO Cycles, 5-7 Jesus Lane, CB5 8BA. 01223 500502
The Bike Man, The Market Square, CB2 3QJ. 07850 814186
The Cambridge Bicycle Doctor, 07964 427151
The Electric Transport Shop, Hope Street Yard, CB1 3NA. 01223 247410
The School Run Centre, Hope Street Year, CB1 3NA. 07772 738899
Townsends Light Blue Cycle Centre, 72 Chesterton Road, CB4 1EP. 01223 315845
University Cycles, 9 Victoria Avenue, CB4 1EG. 01223 355517
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