Bicycle Network: New commuter

Make my ride more comfortable

Learning some handy tips will help you increase your confidence in no time

Riding in Traffic

Feeling jittery about riding on the road? Nicola Dunnicliff-Wells has some simple rules that will help you navigate in traffic.

Riding in wet weather

Stay in the saddle in wet weather with these tips from bicycle commuter Lisa Dempster.

Riding in winter

Tips for surviving those cold, wet and miserable winter months.

Top ten riding tips for beginners

Basic skills and tips for new riders - it's never too late to learn.

Bike Fit

Make sure your bike is adjusted to suit you.

Top tips to get started

1. Talk to someone who currently rides, and scope out the path you plan to ride. Drive the path, and look at it from a bike riders perspective to get comfortable.

2. Be prepared. Have a trial ride to your work on a weekend if you can. Make sure you don't carry too much on the bike.

3. Take your work clothes in on an earlier day, even your lunch if possible. Have the necessary toiletries, towel etc at work too.

4. Make sure your bike and clothes are all ready packed the night before so there is less incentive to change your mind.

5. If you are unsure about your fitness levels to complete a return trip ride one way to work on your first day. Get the train or bus home that night and also from home back to work next day, ride home second day. Have a one day break then again until you build up to a full trip there and back.

6. Calculate the money saved on public transport tickets, fuel, car wear-and-tear and the like. Add the quality-of-life benefits, like having your exercise built into your day, and getting to experience the streets, instead of watching them passively from inside a vehicle. Multiply by the convenience of no queues or traffic-jams, and by the extra level of endorphins flowing through you. Think of all these things, and it's easy to get pedalling! A great cost-benefit equation.