A month without wheels

We are increasingly being told to recycle, cut down and conserve, so for the whole of last month, SNJ green reporter James Davis traded his four-door hatchback for pedal power.

THE second after I nonchalantly floated the idea of ditching my car for a month, my mind began to race about exactly what I had taken on.

"That's a splendid idea," beamed my editor, and it was done.

I would spend June finding out what life is like without my own vehicle to see if it is possible, or more importantly practical, to meet the demands of a job where leaving the office is a daily occurrence.

I would be cycling, taking buses and using anything but my own car to get to and from work, daily jobs and meetings as well as football practice, friends' houses and nights out.

The inspiration came from the Jam-Busting June campaign run by four south west councils, whereby commuters were urged to reduce the number of cars on the road.

With cycling providing the cheapest and healthiest option, I grabbed my trusty, rusty and dusty steed by the handlebars and prepared to take on the Five Valleys' tough and occasionally uncompromising terrain.

And as both national bike week and the British Hearth Foundation's Lifecycle campaign fell into the four-week period I was comforted by the fact that others might be sharing my pain.

During my first ride to work on a sunny June 1 morning it became clear that the picturesque seven-mile, 25 minute ride from Bussage via Bisley was good for me in a number of ways.

As well as raising the heart rate and helping improve physical fitness, I soon began to benefit from the fresh, morning air and extra time I had to clear my head ready for a day's work.

As the first week went on I realised that while driving my car home on auto-pilot, much of the outside world had been passing me by.

Thinking about the moment a speeding car robbed a badger of its life becomes more vivid on a bike.

I was awoken to the minute-long silences experienced on country roads, the enormous, pink summer evening skies and the exchanged 'hellos' with walkers and other cyclists.

And the list of positives went on.

My spontaneous decision to drop by at the home of old friends was rewarded with a good chat and slap up meal.

On many occasions I smugly pedalled past queues of rush hour traffic, although car fumes are irritating even in a town the size of Stroud.

I was surprised - and relieved - to find my journeys did not take as long as I had imagined.

And despite the occasional grimace there were humorous moments. One morning, I arrived at a vehicle repair centre, slightly dishevelled and windswept.

"They not providing company cars any more mate," hollered a greasy mechanic.

The irony of the situation was not lost however - I was there to write an advertising feature for a company which specialises in putting cars back on the road while I was trying to take one off.

Despite all the positives, a number of downsides quickly presented themselves too.

While my mind might have been fresher, my body was certainly not.

The combination of scorching sun and physical exertion made for many an uncomfortable morning at the computer.

Many times I wondered how many employers in Stroud have shower facilities available for those wanting to ride to work. I suspect very few.

And on a cooler day, when the heavens opened I was given a taste of what it might be like trying to cycle to work during deepest, darkest December. Perhaps my resolve would not have lasted had I taken on the challenge then.

On the odd occasion I used cycle paths I found some were more of a hindrance than a help as those which are incorporated into the pavement include many stops to cross roads.

On a few occasions, difficult journeys were overcome. One hot weekend a fellow reporter and I decided to spend a day at one of the recreational lakes in South Cerney, near Cirencester.

With it being a 35-mile round-trip, and as my colleague, Liz, doesn't have her own car, I signed up to the Stroud Valleys Car Club and borrowed one of its three cars for the day.

Such clubs offer an economically-sound alternative to car ownership for families with only one car or for anybody who drives under 7,000 miles a year.

For around £20, including fuel, we enjoyed a day's sailing, reading and sunbathing beside the water.

Another problem I encountered during the month was finding a way of getting into town for a drink on a Friday or Saturday night.

Had I been doing the feature a year or so ago getting there would have involved scrounging a lift or taking a taxi but the Five Valleys now has its own weekend night bus.

For just £2.50 each way I was able to arrive in town at 8.15pm to meet friends and then hop on a return bus home at 2am.

During the month, I found that being organised was as hard to adjust to as occasionally having to ride 10 or 15 miles a day.

When cycling to work I had to carry a change of clothes so I could freshen up when I arrived. In general I had to set-off earlier, although some journeys at peak times were actually reduced by cycling.

And transporting heavy or bulky items is extremely impractical on a bike or even the bus, which I took on a few occasions.

Getting rid of my car would be a big commitment, especially as this is a rural area.

But if the Government, local councils, employers and individuals become more switched on to alternative methods of transport, as they surely will have to, it may soon become a more viable option.

The month was a success overall. I rode more than 150 miles, my resting heart rate dropped from the low 70s to the low 60s, I feel fitter and I enjoyed the experience.

For now, I will cycle to work when I can, look to share lifts or use public transport where possible and hope it's too long before a car is no longer a near-necessity.

USEFUL CONTACTS *Stroud Valleys Car Club - Jessica Hodge - 01453 750348/info@svcc.co.uk *The Stroud Night Bus - Graham Stanley - 07885 042 785 *Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity - www.sustrans.org.uk CYCLING FACTS *According to Sustrans, if you are currently spending as little as £1.20 a day on fares and petrol, changing to cycling could save more than over £200 a year.

*A quarter of all journeys made by car are under two miles long.

*The average school run is just over three miles and would take only half an hour. Thirty-three per cent of children would like to cycle but only two per cent currently do.

*Nearly half of all UK residents live within a mile of the growing National Cycle Network, which carries more than 230 million journeys each year.