4ucycling

I have a very interesting job title, I'd like to share it with you and talk a little about what I do. I am a strategic cycling officer and infrastructure consultant. Quite a mouthful right? Let me tell you what I do. I go to schools on a Monday (a different school every week) and I leave on a Thursday. On the Monday I hold an assembly with all the kids and teachers and tell them why I'm at school. Basically my job is to make an overall assessment of the school and its surrounding area in terms of its suitability for cycling. I tell the kids that I am here so that more of them can cycle to school. They are on my side. I spend the next few days cycling around the local roads and making reports about the suitability for cycle paths. I also look at the school itself, where can they put more cycle shelters- do they have enough cycle shelters? I liaise with the head of the school and give them information about funding - there is up to £5,000 available in grants for schools that ...

Catherine, you prefer a bike as your means of transport. Why? A bike is a fast and inexpensive way of getting around. And it does me good to get a bit of exercise after uni, for example. I save on going to the gym and it’s fun. What do you like most about cycling? What I like best about cycling in the city is getting from A to B quickly. There’s no waiting, unlike with public transport. With the bike, I don’t have to worry how many minutes I have to wait for the tram. I just ride off. And when I go cycling at home (I’m actually from the countryside), it’s a great contrast. Especially in summer, when I want to ride to the lake or along the river. And if you had a choice, which city would be your favourite for cycling? Hmm … maybe somewhere in Iceland. I think Iceland’s great. Where I wouldn’t feel safe as a cyclist would be in Los Angeles or Barcelona. LA isn’t for cyclists who want to get to their destination in less than three hours. The promenade along the beach in Santa Monica ...