You’ve just moved onto public transport. You’ve stopped using the car and are braving the buses, trains, trams, tubes and river taxi’s. But, as the officials keep stressing, we still need to make more effort. Why? The environment of course! Yes, in this economic meltdown, we still have to worry about global warming. We can’t keep avoiding the unavoidable – it’s impossible. So, we need to take the next big step: cycling.

However, there’s a personal benefit too… Cycling is a cheap, effective method of travelling around London. Think how much you spend on buses – 90p spent twice a day over a year amounts to £657! And that’s not including trains and tubes, where travel cards and tickets cost considerably more. One decent bike for travel in London can cost under £300 – less than half the amount spent on bus tickets! Then you can get all the necessary cycling equipment (i.e helmets, lights, reflective clothing) for under £50, and you’ve saved £307, contributed to keeping the ice caps from melting and lost some weight to boot!

There are many reasons that might frighten you of cycling, put you off even, for example the “dangerous” roads. However, now the cycling nation is being backed by Boris Johnson, Transport for London are offering cycling training which helps you deal with traffic and can teach you all the necessary safety for cycling around London.

Can't currently afford a bike? Transport for London comes to the rescue again: after teaming up with lead cycling brand Evans, they can tempt you to cycling with genuine offers of discounts (see here for more details).

Still not convinced? Try rollerblading. Safer, and definitely worth the ride.

The Transport for London cycling website can be found here

By Georgia Wright