I've been commuting by bicycle on and off for the last 20 years. It's probably the one thing I've done that's helped to maintain my fitness more than anything else. As an aside it also saves me a stack of cash, saves the environment and makes me a healthier happier person.

Given the recent hikes in fuel costs, I thought I should write some advice for those of you who might like to commute to work by bike, but aren't sure exactly how to go about it. Here goes:

Choosing A Bike

It really doesn't matter what kind of bike you use to commute - if it gets you there it's good enough - but there are some types more suitable than others. A hybrid bike, a road bike or an MTB with slicks will all do the job nicely, and there are folding bikes which are excellent if you're planning to use the train during your journey. (I've lost count of the number of times I've been refused entry onto British trains because their bike capacity had already been reached - 3 lousy bikes! - so a folding bike eliminates this problem immediately. I have a couple of bikes for commuting, neither of which cost much money - an old 1983 10-speed Falcon road bike with mudguards for the wet and windy days, and a similarly aged 531 road bike which I've converted to fixed wheel for the really nice days. Both bikes together cost me less than £150, so you can see that it needn't be an expensive deal to set yourself up. Have a look on Ebay, buy last year's models from a bike shop, or just go down to the local tip and see what they've got. Obviously, the lighter the bike the faster you'll go, but a heavier bike will make you fitter!

Plan Your Route

THE most important part of commuting is route planning. Get a good OS map of your area, or check out the GMap Pedometer from Google - a very neat little tool which will help you find a route and work out your distances.
Remember - don't think like a motorist when you're planning your ride to work. The shortest route IS NOT ALWAYS the best. I tend to choose a nice flat route, avoiding main roads, and making as much use of cycle paths as possible. This helps me to stay away from the danger, noise and pollution of the car, and saves a lot of stress. It does add on a couple of miles to my route, but it sure makes it a whole lot nicer. Here's a map of my route - 16 miles and virtually no road. Possibly the best commute in the UK!

What to wear

The vagaries of the British weather are well known to us all, so it makes sense to be prepared for a bit of everything. There's an expression I love: There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.

If it's only a short ride (1-3 miles) then you can probably get away with some normal shorts and a t-shirt, or even go in the stuff you're wearing during the day. Any further than this and I'd suggest getting a proper pair of cycling shorts - the extra comfort cannot be understated, even if lycra does make you look like a nutter. There's plenty of baggy shorts available for MTBer's now that fit the bill perfectly - they look casual and have a padded insert for comfort.

A nice thermal base layer is a must have in my opinion (the merino ones from Howies are my favourite), and then a cycling top of some kind and a windproof/showerproof to finish it off. Three layers should see you through most of the crap that the British weather will throw at you in comfort.

Gloves! You so need gloves. Winter AND summer ones.

Finally, you'll need a helmet. There's a lot of debate about whether helmets make you safer or not, but after riding through a windscreen I can assure you you're better off wearing one!

Carrying stuff

Ok, so you have a bike, you're dressed to ride and you know which way you're going. Now what about all the stuff you need to carry?

For a start you're going to need a few tools - I'd suggest the following as a minimum

• A pump that fits your valves
• Some tyre levers (2 should be enough)
• A spare inner tube (or two if you're travelling a long distance)
• A puncture repair kit (in case you have a really bad day)
• Allen keys and spanners - the best bet here is a multitool - I carry the Topeak Alien II - a top piece of kit with all the extra gadgets I might need (including a chain splitter)

You'll also need to carry your waterproof jacket (when it's not raining) and a change of clothes for when you get to work.

So what to carry it all in?

There are a number of options here - the most sensible being panniers. Other's include rucksacks, bar bags, messenger (courier) bags, or bum bags. I usually commute with a Timbuk2 messenger bag and I can't rate these bags highly enough - I've had mine nearly 20 years now, and it's been through everything (including car windscreens) and it's still going strong. (A shame as I'd love another, but just can't justify an unneccessary purchase!)

When the sun is shining though I just go for a bumbag (or fannypack if you're American). These take up minimal space and keep your back sweat-free!

Other bits and pieces

• Mudguards! Essential in the wet - My faves are the SKS swappable RaceBlades - I can move them from bike to bike in about 30 seconds.
• Lights! Eventually you're going to be riding in the dark, whether by design or accident, and so you'll need lights that do the job. If you're commuting off-road then you'll need some really good ones, but if your journey is well lit then a lightweight LED set should do the trick.
• A bell. What can I say? Not the item most cyclists would wish for, but when you're coming up behind pedestrians on a shared-use path, there's really nothing better to alert them to your presence.
• A good strong lock. The last thing you need when you want to go home from work is to find that you no longer have a bike. Buy the best lock you can afford and leave it at the office (so you don't have to carry all the extra weight every day). If you can, take your bike inside too!

Motivation (or Getting Going!)

For some people getting going on a Monday morning is easy. Especially if the sun is shining and it's all downhill to the office. I'm not one of those people. For me it's hard enough just to get out of bed in the morning, never mind get on my bike for the hour-long ride to work. So, I have an ingenious method to ensure I spend the week cycling. On a Monday morning I don't! Instead I put the bike into the car and drive to work. Then at the end of the day I leave the car at the office and cycle home. Come Tuesday I don't need motivation - I need transport, and all's that's available is the bike. By Wednesday I'm back into the swing of things and getting up and getting going on the bike seems natural. Friday evening I get to drive home, which means I can get to the pub a little earlier (whilst the sun is still shining, hopefully).

Cycling Etiquette

I want to write a little about commuting etiquette, as I've been asked about this on a number of occasions, often something along the lines of "What can I do about the idiots on cycle paths who let their dogs wander all over the place and then threaten me with violence when I shout at them?"

Well.......you're going to be riding on roads, dedicated cycle paths and shared use paths, and it's probably not going to be easy to decide which is which, so I'd suggest treating everything as shared use. On shared use paths, cyclists are expected to give way to pedestrians (even those with dogs), due to the higher speed achievable by bicycles. However, dog walkers are also a hazard, particularly to cyclists and pedestrians 'are urged to keep them well under control' (Sustrans Info Sheet FF04 - Shared Used Paths

My advice is this:

1. Fit a bell to your bike and ring it well in advance of pedestrians.
2. If you're not prepared to fit a bell, then give a shout when you're in hearing range. A nice friendly "Hello!" or a loud cough does the trick. Actually, coughing is really useful here (my preferred method), it's really hard to take offence to someone coughing, but it alerts them you're there. (Some people get upset by cyclists shouting at them!?!) Alerting the pedestrians (with a dog) well in advance gives them time to grab their dog and make sure it doesn't impede you.
3. Slow down to pass. I can't emphasise this enough.
4. If the pedestrian moves out of the way (or takes hold of their dog) say "Thankyou". A nice smile helps too.

So...that's about it. Now just get your bike out and start riding to work!