The government wants us to cycle to work, for the sake of our health and the environment, and so it doesn't have to provide any more public transport capacity. I've just started. It's 7.5 miles from South to Central London, which takes about 45 minutes. I bought a good road bike and have found it an efficient way to get some exercise while saving on Tube fares.

Unfortunately, despite the propaganda posters depicting beautiful (helmetless) riders imploring you to “catch up with the bicycle” it's not all Amsterdam-style relaxing pedalling. London still isn't built for cycling. The cycle lanes are usually a bit of green tarmac on the left of the road. The road is still the same width it always was, so buses and lorries have to drive in the cycle lane and block it at traffic lights. Half the time the cycle lanes run through parking spaces, leading to much frantic blind spot checking as you hope the drivers on the outside are paying attention.