Cycling is in our car-free-dom mix of travelling options. Including, bikes that fold, tour, carry two-people and can pull-a-trailer. We’ve done a fair bit of cycling over the years.

Cycling is wonderful when you have space to peddle around free from the worry, noise and smell associated with cars and other vehicles. However, in a city, or almost anywhere in the UK, you can’t really get away from the worry, noise and smell of cars and other vehicles.

What that unescapable reality means is that although getting from A-to-B, when it is too far to walk, the bus doesn’t go that way, or you need to get somewhere more quicky, it definitely makes sense to reach for a bike. But, and it is a BIG but, most of the time I don’t find it a relaxing way to move around. Indeed, close encounters with cars and other vehicles do the quite the opposite.

The potential vulnerability felt on a bike when the ever-expanding size of cars on the road get too close can really get under my skin, and makes me feel so annoyed that I get so angry about being annoyed, particularly when I am supposed to be chilling out ‘en bicyclette’ (as they would say in France). And, when you can’t be heard over the traffic noise by whoever you might be cycling with it does get a bit dispirating.

There are some gradual improvements to making space for cycling in our city, Sheffield, and any off-road cycle paths are a major step in the right direction. As well as ‘Active Neighbourhoods‘ (where people movement is prioritised over car movement) giving some glimmers of hope.

That said, our enthusiam to reach for the bike has diminished in recent times – it just takes one nutter of a driver to make a ride turn sour, particularly if you are out with your child. That, and the many hills in Sheffield, certainly add to the challenge of peddling around! E-bikes are increasingly popular around the city.

Sorry it’s feeling a bit downbeat this post on cycling, but I am just trying to paint a picture of the highs and lows of car-free-dom. Don’t get me wrong, there is no way on earth I am about to buy a car! However, trying to deal with the challenges of ‘alternative’ modes of transport in the face of car-centrism is a reality that can’t be ignored. Taking deep breaths to try to stay calm, particularly if you are peddling up hill(!), is often the only realistic option!