- Cycling City York

Meet the super commuter!

Once a month I make a journey from my home near Southampton to my company’s office on York Science Park. I rely on a combination of public transport and my trusty folding bike to carry out the 272-mile commute, and also travel to London, Leeds, Birmingham and other cities in the same way.

I have cycled to work for most of my life, covering journeys ranging between one and seven miles. When my job changed and I started travelling to major cities across the UK, including York, I got a folding bike. I work in a high pressure job and commuting in this way has several benefits. I use my travel time on public transport to catch up on work, freeing up more time for leisure at home.

My journey to York involves a five-mile bike ride from the village where I live to the nearby town of Hythe, where I takes the ferry across to Southampton. I then cycle a further one-and-a-half miles to reach Southampton Central Station, where I catch a train to Waterloo Station in London. I then cycle three miles across the capital to reach King’s Cross Station, where I board a train to York. The final leg of my journey is a two-mile bike ride from York Station to the city’s Science Park.

The cycling legs of my journeys are an excellent way of de-stressing, and give me freewheeling thinking time that helps me to solve problems and clarify priorities. Cycling has also improved my fitness levels and given me a much better knowledge of the places where I work. Depending on the weather, I try different routes, stop off at interesting shops and never worry about parking or traffic jams.

I carry a pack-away waterproof top and trousers in a small rucksack, along with a pump and cycle repair kit, although I've only had to make one repair in seven years.

Here are my top tips for anyone keen to start commuting to work, school or college by bike:

• Buy carefully: I didn’t go for the cheapest folding bike, but didn’t go for an expensive one that folds up really small because I wanted the stability of a bike with bigger wheels.
• Be seen: Get good lights and a reflective jacket.
• Be safe: Get a good, comfortable helmet.
• Be secure: Get a decent lock.
• Be adventurous: Start exploring different routes and you’ll discover favourites to suit your different moods.

Alistair McNaught is a senior advisor for JISC TechDis.

Posted 07/07/2010