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A cycle fit at Mosquito Bikes costs £90; visit www.mosquito-bikes.co.uk or Rock ’n’ Road in Southampton (02380 221022). Go to www.bikefitting.com to find the nearest bike shop to you that does cycle fittings

Commuting to work is a hazardous affair

As a cyclist in London I’m on a par with 4x4 drivers in road users’ popularity stakes. And I can understand why: motorists dislike us because we whizz past them unpredictably like swarms of drunken wasps; and pedestrians live in fear of being run over by a bike that appears silently out of nowhere.

No wonder we cause so much fuss. With no compulsory cycling tests, abilities on the road range from the skilled to the downright scary. I’ve been cycling to work for two years and though my only training has been a cycling proficiency test (at age 10), I feel I’m fairly skilled.

Although only a 20-minute ride on the flat, my daily commute from Elephant and Castle to work can be hazardous. I must avoid sleepy pedestrians crossing the road first thing in the morning, and motorists suddenly swinging open the doors of parked cars. Then there are roundabouts with four lane sections and bendy buses that snake all over the road. My trip culminates in me traversing four lanes of a dual carriageway. This makes me blanch daily.

So I contacted Cycle Training UK, a centre near Waterloo station that trains instructors nationwide, and set up a two-hour lesson with David Dansky. The training includes both a basic section, which takes place off-road, and an advanced on-road section. It also addresses many of the trainee’s aims — in my case to cycle safely — and, if you like, you can ask an instructor to accompany you on your commute route.

I was sure that I’d learn most in the advanced part of the course but it turned out that many of the basics were new to me. I’d never known how to do an emergency stop — you push your bum out over your back wheel and pull hard on the brakes with both hands, keeping your centre of gravity and head low — or how to use my gears well (the “main weapons in bike control”, according to Dansky). He also taught me key skills such as looking backwards for long periods while cycling (useful when trying to pull out into traffic) and how to swerve to avoid obstacles.

For the advanced part of the course we headed for the streets. Although we worked on Highway Code rules, such as how to deal with junctions and to cross dual carriageways, one of the most valuable things he taught me was how to have presence on the road. Often cyclists stick nervously to the left but Dansky told me to think of myself as being in the flow of traffic and so to come farther out into the road. It may sound counter-intuitive, but this encouraged motorists to allow more space when overtaking me and I felt much more visible.

Dansky also placed a lot of emphasis on keeping my wits and turning around to look directly at motorists who are coming up fast behind me. Somehow, this eye contact forces them to slow down and also reassures them that I know that they are there.

Overall, I believe that the course is well adapted to the realities of urban cycling. I feel that I have gained much practical advice on controlling my bike and on avoiding danger by anticipating other people’s actions. I might even sign up for another lesson.

LUCIA ADAMS

A two-hour lesson with Cycle Training UK, (020-7582 3535; www.cycletraining.co.uk) costs from £55. For details of bicycle courses nationwide, visit www.ctc.org.uk

Highs and lows of cycling

Will pedal-power turn you into an athletic deity or mean you risk your life daily to end up walking like John Wayne?

GOOD FOR YOU
Joint-friendly Cycling is a low-impact sport and is better for your joints and muscles than pounding the pavement or treadmill, says Joe Beer, the sports scientist who coached Graeme Obree, winner of the 1993 25-mile British championship and one-time world record holder. “Very few people are built for running but cycling is better as the circular motion is kinder on the body, especially if you’re unfit or heavy,” he says.

Slimming Bicycling is an excellent way of shedding pounds because it’s easier to cycle for longer than it would be to jog or to work out at the gym. “Once you go past the 20-minute mark your body starts burning fat instead of carbohydrate,” says Beer.

Cardiovascular The British Medical Association estimates that riding at least 20 miles a week reduces a cyclist’s risk of heart disease to half that of a non-cyclist.

BAD FOR YOU
Hand, wrist and bottom damage are the three main areas that can suffer from cycling. The vibrations of the handlebars can cause numbness or pins and needles in the hands and wrists, similar to repetitive strain injury. Padded gloves can reduce this and making sure that the handlebars are in the correct position. Padded cycling shorts, worn underneath trousers, can prevent painful posteriors, but make sure that your seat is at the proper angle.

Accidents More than 15,000 cyclists were involved in road accidents in 2004. Of 134 fatalities, one third were children. Nearly three quarters of people killed had serious head injuries, and a 2003 research review concluded that helmets do protect against most types. There may be safety in numbers. Transport for London figures show a 72 per cent increase in cyclists on London roads since 2000, but a decrease in accidents from 3,500 to less than 3000.

KATE WIGHTON

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