Guest Bloggers: The best car drivers are people who cycle

This week we talked to Cheryl Paget who proves the best car drivers are people who cycle. Have a great weekend, the sun is meant to come out!



So, two things happened in 2011: firstly my 77 year old Father-in-Law who has had two hip replacements cycled 1407km from Lands End to John O’Groat’s (the length of Great Britain) and secondly, my employer organised a “Shape Up for Summer” exercise and diet challenge for its staff.

The latter made me realise just how deeply unfit and overweight I was, and the former made me wonder what on earth my excuse was not to cycle the paltry 5.6km from my house to work every day, especially considering that when I lived in England I cycled everywhere.

Since moving to NZ I have adopted the kiwi way – that is, drive everywhere, and I really had run out of excuses for not getting on my bike. In England I used to plan my week around cycling – I would arrange my appointments on one or two days so that I would only use the car on those days, the rest I cycled. I saved a fortune in petrol and looked great from all that exercise. Then I moved to Hawke’s Bay, with all that amazing food, long lunches and wine, I stopped riding and took up eating! The bottom line (double pun intended) is that I needed to lose weight and biking is a really good way to keep trim, and compliments the swimming and walking I started doing during the “Shape up for Summer” challenge.

So, shamed into action by my pensioner relative, I really had to get on the old bike.

A quick and inexpensive trip to Revolution Bikes to have my trusty steed checked over, a few trial runs around the area to make sure the old adage that once you learn how to ride a bike is true - and I was ready. D-Day was chosen as the first day back at work after the Christmas break. Start the New Year off as you intend to carry on I thought.

So I’m into the third week of cycling to work - there are odd days when I need to take the car, but I intend to cycle every day and plan when I need the car, rather than the other way round.

If you think you can mostly drive and cycle in on a couple of days it just doesn’t work out, you need to completely change your attitude to your commute to stick at cycling to work. Well, that’s my theory! The challenge will be when schools start back, I just hope the need to operate “Mum’s taxi” will not impinge on my riding to work, but I will just need to plan my week a bit better I think.

It is a tad hairy out there I admit, dodging car doors being opened onto you, swerving to avoid people who pull over into the cycle lane to park, narrowly missing people who overtake then immediately turn left, and you need to give drivers at intersections the evil eye to make sure they see you before they pull out, and I will confess, I avoid roundabouts if I can. But it’s no worse than being in a car, and let’s face it there are poor drivers out there who are a menace whatever vehicle you are in, and at least it gives me something to talk about (I’m a great Facebook ranter!)

The net benefits outweigh the odds though, I feel much brighter when I get into work and mentally alert ready for the day. After all, there’s nothing your boss can throw at you that you can’t deal with if you feel that you dodge death daily on the roads! The fact is, the best car drivers are people who cycle, so if everyone rides a bike at some point they will be more considerate of cyclists. The road is safer for everyone if car drivers wait that extra nano-second for the bike to go past, or check their side mirrors before getting out the car, and the best way to understand what a cyclist is going to do on the road is to be one yourself.

Even after two weeks I have noticed a difference in my fitness, I am less puffed out and not quite so bright red when I arrive, and I am experimenting with getting changed at work or just cycling in my work clothes. I am actually quite pleased that I can cycle up the hill to my house – a while ago I would get off at the bottom and push the bike up (one of my excuses for not cycling was “the hill”) two weeks ago I was getting halfway up and then getting off, this week I have actually managed to cycle to the top! OK, so I need a lie down and a beer when I get home, but hey I did it! In another couple of weeks I may be able to cycle up the hill without seeing stars, but I reckon I will still need the beer!