Portsmouth is ideally suited for cycling and yet we seem to have permanantly congested roads and nowhere to park...

Cycling in Portsmouth

We're so lucky to have a flat landscape (except for Fratton and Copnor bridges) and still people insist on going by car. I know the cycle lanes leave a bit to be desired but we'd have better ones in only people were prepared to give up their on street parking. Not sure I see that one happening any time soon.

I've got to admit, I used to be a car driver and still occasionally am one for work. I can see the benefits of going by car - staying warm and dry, the ability to take loads of stuff with me as I travel, arriving smartly dressed etc but before I gave up my car I couldn't truly understand the benefits of cycling.

CO2 and cycling

From an environmental point of view, cycling and walking are the clear winners in the carbon footprint race to the bottom. No fossil fuels required here. It's not as clear cut as that though. People do need energy in the form of food before they can cycle or walk anywhere and there is a carbon cost attached to that. You obviously burn more calories from walking and cycling than just by sitting in the car, 350 and 500 more calories an hour respectively. And yet cycling and walking are still far, far better than driving.

"According to the World Watch Institute, a cyclist burns around 35kCal to travel one mile while a car burns roughly 50 times more or 1,800kCal". This is before taking into account the extra kCals of energy needed just to start a car up and the fact that it will nearly always run richer and use more energy per mile for short journeys than for longer ones. If we keep in mind that the average car has "1.56 people in (it), the bicycle is at least 17 times more efficient."!

The Governments Act on CO2 campaign asks people to use their car for 5 miles less a week than the do at the moment. This could be one of your 10:10 commitments if you like. It's probably one of the most energy saving ones you could make. Behind giving up flying of course.

Now we're not asking you to cycle to the London to Brighton race every day but cycling around Portsmouth is not a big ask in my book.

How far can I go?

At a steady pace of 10 miles an hour you could easily travel from the bottom of Southsea to the Paulsgrove/Portchester border in 45/50 minutes. Most journeys around the city are shorter than that. With parking the way it is you can usually get much closer to your destination on a bike as you don't have to look for a parking space and you don't have to pay for one either.

Here are 5 reasons why it's great to cycle in case you're not yet convinced.

       1.   It's great for your physical health.

A middle aged adult who cycles on a regular basis can expect to have the circulatory system of someone 10 years younger than them. Plus, cycling is the best all round form of exercise after swimming and has no impact on your joints like running does.

2.     It's fab for your mental health.

Cycling really helps you to destress and unwind. You can take out all your aggression on the pedals and the road. Best saved for open spaces with little traffic

3. No traffic jams

With the right cycle training, there are very few occassions when you would ever need to sit in traffic. Just remember not to undertake lorries and buses as they can't see you.

4. No petrol/diesel costs.

You'll need to pay for a little bit of maintenance but when the average car bill including insurance, tax, fuel and repairs goes well over £2000 it's not even in the same kettle, with or without fish.

5. Great for the planet

And for the community, car drivers seem to always be angry with other car drivers. I can't fathom why that is. They seem to hate cyclists sometimes too but that's only the naughty ones who don't stick to the rules of the road

Now I've given up my car I am reaping the benefits. I really enjoy cycling, I've lost weight, I've got lots of new cycling buddies too.

I can still carry loads of things with me as I've got panniers and am getting a bike trailer very soon. I can still stay warm and dry - the warm bit is easy, the exercise helps. And you just need the right kit to stay dry - and no I'm not alluding to lycra.

What next?

Now is a great time to get that bike out the shed as the council are really keen on cycling at the moment.Thanks to the Healthy Pompey funding, cycling is higher on the agenda than ever.

The new Seafront cycle route between Eastney and South Parade pier gets underway in January to be completed by March and there are loads more cycling initiatives including free adult and child training to the national standard, bike recycling where you can pick up a bike or learn how to repair yours for free and fun family rides too. See here for details. You can also get a map of cycling in Portsmouth from the Council for free.

Pompey Cycle Forum helps local cyclists to get their voices heard and is really active, they're even hosting a CTC conference so the national cycling organisation is coming to Portsmouth! They're great and their website is here

Strong Island bike rides get 100s of people involved and is a group run by some people down Albert Road I believe - their website is here

For more great cycling links see our "links" page under the "resources" tab.

Further reading:

Cutting your car use - Anna Semlyen (if they've got any left you can get a free copy from the council)

Your step-by-step guide to climate bliss - I Count

Do humans dream of electric cars? - Sustrans

The green travel guide - Paul Jenner and Christine Smith - quotes on this page come from their book