The Scottish government are running a Greener Travel Week at the end of August and I'me going to be a case study for it.

Just had a call from the media people involved and I'm doing a radio interview next week for Real radio and will be in local and national papers.

So what do I want to get across about the benefits of cycling to work? Fitness, environment, cost savings – anything else. 😉

some sound bites would be good too.

I think this will be my 15 minutes 😉

anything else.

You could point out that bike commuters are protected from cars by their invincible force-field of smugness. 😉

Fun.

And its much, much, much, much easier to park.

Keeps high fitness, low carbon footprint, high staff motivation.

The Scots need to start slowly on this……A+E could be overwhelmed if too many saturated fat clogged hearts inch over 100bpm.

Cycling in cities is much quicker than driving, no need for a gym membership, less stressful, cyclists take fewer sick days.

Good luck, here's what I would like to hear:

Get fit, save money, help environment, reduce congestion, cut out waiting for delayed and overcrowded buses and trains, or being packed in like sardines when they arrive, no more sitting in traffic jams, easy parking, predictable journey times whatever the time of day, quicker over short journeys in towns and cities (e.g. up to 5 miles) or so than anything else.

However, employers, councils, planners and policy makers need to catch up with the demand for improved facilities and conditions for cyclist, eg showers and parking, and addressing the growing conflict on the roads. Our road systems are simply not designed with cycles in mind, and that needs to change for everybody's sake.

Just don't understand why anyone wouldn't cycle on an urban commute of up to 10 miles. Actually I do, cos it's scary on the road unless you are a seasoned road rat. That's the biggest blocker imo.

Let drivers know that more bikes = less cars, which is better for them!
Stop treating us like second class road users.
+1 on Feenster's 3rd paragraph.

That's the biggest blocker imo.
It's not though is it. Laziness is – Massively over any other reason.

Just don't understand why anyone wouldn't cycle on an urban commute of up to 10 miles. Actually I do, cos it's scary on the road unless you are a seasoned road rat. That's the biggest blocker imo.

That and the crap weather we have in the UK. No normal person is going to cycle to work in the pi$$ing rain and I don't blame them.

Let drivers know that more bikes = less cars, which is better for them!

Exactly! the more bikes on the road, the more pleasant life will be for EVERYONE! I just don't get it when drivers shout "Get off the road". Ok, I will, and I'll get back in my car, if that's what you want, and so will all the other cyclists, if that's what you want, and then the traffic jams that have turned you into an angry impatient fat slob will be even longer, and you'll get angrier and fatter, and you'll be going slower. Is that what you want? You haven't even thought about it have you?

and breathe….

There are NO losers of more cyclists, apart from car makers and oil companies, and tax collectors I guess. Or is that too simplistic? Does the motor vehicle now underpin our economy and way of life so deeply that it can't be removed?

and one more +ve of cycling, once you've got the right clothes on, and get warmed up, it doesn't matter hwat the weather's doing, even in the winter.

That and the crap weather we have in the UK. No normal person is going to cycle to work in the pi$$ing rain and I don't blame them.

Sigh…And you are on a cycling website! You are supposed to be "the converted". Maybe there is no hope!

What about Copenhagen? Compare their weather with ours, and their cycle usage…..

So, yeah, actually Dezb you're maybe right it is laziness….

Sigh…And you are on a cycling website! You are supposed to be "the converted". Maybe there is no hope!

But I was talking about normal people, not cycling nuts.

Forget all the tree hugging stuff, everyone already knows that. Tell em it works better than prozac, means you can eat cake, and gives you a pert bottom.

Forget all the tree hugging stuff, everyone already knows that. Tell em it works better than prozac, means you can eat cake, and gives you a pert bottom.

and compare the women [and probably men too, but I can't judge] in Copenhagen with ours…..

Forget all the tree hugging stuff, everyone already knows that.

Well I can't really as the focus of the whole campaign is 'greener travel' so I can hardly ignore the environmental aspect.

Re Copenhagen, the thing is cycling is ingrained in the culture; it isn't and probably never will be in the UK – car is king. Not in my lifetime anyway.

Could you point out all the hotties on bikes in coppenhagen, and that Scotland could do with a similar amount of hot ladies.

/Doh!
Just saw feenster's reply. Depraved minds think alike.

Anyone know the average cost per mile of running a 'normal' car – fuel, servicing, tax, etc?

Well I can't really as the focus of the whole campaign is 'greener travel'

Journo: "So Gary, cycling is good for the environment?"

Gary: " Ah,forget that! Check these Danish bird's arses!"

Yeah, one of the very best things about cycling is that I can eat cake and drink beer with impunity. I'd be the size of a house if I didn't cycle commute.

I've commuted to work every day since October and it's only rained enough for me to put my waterproofs on 3 times. It's surprising how little it actually rains in the rush hour, even if it's pishing down when you wake up.

Anyone know the average cost per mile of running a 'normal' car – fuel, servicing, tax, etc?

A lot more than a bike 😀

Well I can't really as the focus of the whole campaign is 'greener travel' so I can hardly ignore the environmental aspect.

Not necessarily. The point of the campaign is to get more people cycling. It's already been decided by other's that it's green. That's a given. It doesn't matter what people's reason's are for cycling, as long as they're doing it. As IanMunro says, people already know it's green. Those who care about that already try to cycle. So it's good to try to apppeal to the 'normal' 'non-tree hugging' 'non cycling nuts'. You need to give answers to "Ok, so it's green, but what's in it for me?"

Just found costs per mile on the aa website – around 59p per mile for the mileage I would do if I drove to work. Obvioulsy the car is still taxed, insured, etc but thats a big number.

True feenster and it's not something I would normally bring up but they will ask the 'green' question.

Big-John

You are spot on, I've been riding in every day since Sept and only had my waterproofs on about three times, I don't even bother carrying them now. It is really odd, you think it rains all of the time but it doesn't.

Cycling to work is fun, cheap and easy, you just need to be organised.

I do echo what others have said though, there is a lot employers could do to help make it easier.

How about something along the lines of the cycle to work tax scheme is a complete joke and has more holes than a fishing net. I'm chuffed that me and my mates have all been able to get really good MTB's that will rarely see the commute to work, but will give us loads of fun at the weekends.

Plus I think its excellent the scheme has contributed to reducing the profitability of local bike shops by as much as 30%, whilst also creating a highly competitive market between C2W scheme providers only because the Govt did such a bad job of creating the scheme in the first place that it needed middle men.

The impact on local bike shops is particularly evident at a time when overall bike unit sales are flat and in some cases declining during a time of significant shortages. This has the impact of reducing their profitability which in turn means they'll struggle to invest in new stock and people to support all the new cyclists which apparently are flooding our streets.

Or something like that.

How about something along the lines of the cycle to work tax scheme is a complete joke and has more holes than a fishing net. I'm chuffed that me and my mates have all been able to get really good MTB's that will rarely see the commute to work, but will give us loads of fun at the weekends.

Plus I think its excellent the scheme has contributed to reducing the profitability of local bike shops by as much as 30%, whilst also creating a highly competitive market between C2W scheme providers only because the Govt did such a bad job of creating the scheme in the first place that it needed middle men.

The impact on local bike shops is particularly evident at a time when overall bike unit sales are flat and in some cases declining during a time of significant shortages. This has the impact of reducing their profitability which in turn means they'll struggle to invest in new stock and people to support all the new cyclists which apparently are flooding our streets.

Or something like that.

cyclists take fewer sick days.

Is that a fact?
I'm sure i am more likely to take.. erm.. a 'sick day' and go biking than if i had no bike 😉

Stress relieving effect of regular exercise?

I save money on condoms as regular cycling has ruined my sperm count …..

Lycra really looks good on radio………

On a more practical basis – I've seen various figures about the average car journey being 1.5 miles (lies, lies, statistics …) – if you could substantiate this and point out that it's no distance, free parking etc etc.

Fitness/looks – how many bloaters do you see cycling ? (Possibly phrased differently)

I've been riding in every day since Sept and only had my waterproofs on about three times, I don't even bother carrying them now. It is really odd, you think it rains all of the time but it doesn't.

Wow, talk about tempting fate. After posting this I left for my ride home. Jumped on the bike, past some old bloke loading animals two by two onto a wooden boat then up the road, just as the sky turned black and dumped half of the North Sea down on my head. It took about 10sec to be drenched through. The road turned into a river as cars pulled over.

It was actually quite fun, a bit like being a kid again and knowing that your mum will tell you off when you get home!

So any of you scottish folk heard me on the radio then? Been on holiday but a few colleagues have told me I'm on Real Radio every day before the 6pm news.

It's just as well I've got a face for radio.

How about pushing for more integration. I commute 75 miles from one side of the Pennines to the other so a full bike each way is not really do-able. I currently drive in from 6:30 to 8am. What I'd want is a bike to a train, say 10 miles, train to the other end with say 10 miles at the other end too. I can't beleive that there arn't loads of people like me.

C

Exactly! the more bikes on the road, the more pleasant life will be for EVERYONE!

😀

Never heard you, sorry!

Damn just did some maths then realised this thread is old. Ah well, in any case:
In 2001, 46% of people with a commute under 2km went by car or van. About 6% cycled. (40% walked though).
(England & Wales; no numbers from Scottish census that I can find)

My problem with cycling to work is that I have to provide a community based service in a large rural area, so often need to travel across the region to go on home visits sometimes clocking up +50 miles in a day in addition to the commute, just not viable on a bike due to the time needed to get from place to place.
I organise my days so that some days are office admin days and I try to cycle on those days.
If there were one or two 'work' pool cars that could be used it would be great. But I suppose that's asking too much of the Local Authority. They've just started offering pool bikes for use within the various council bases in town, but as most of my clients live +10 miles from the connurbation, it's not much use 🙁

Thanks for your comments, although all I wanted to know is 'have you heard me on the radio yet' ; ) 😉

You mean you asked a question on here and just wanted simple, to the point, yes or no answers? 🙂

Well I wanted answers a month ago before I did the radio interview. Reviving the post was tongue in cheek really. I don't think you read my last post though.