Cycling gives you freedom
Riding a bike gives you freedom. Within seconds of leaving your house you can be on your way and there's no need to worry about finding the right change for the bus or queueing for a parking space.
It's a great way to give older children some independence when travelling to school or to see friends - and it means parents don't have to become a daily taxi service!
And if, like Julie McCullough (featured below) you don't drive, cycling offers a quick, cheap and easy way to get about.
| Julie McCullough lives off Harwich Road with her daughter Lucy, 7, and partner Steve. |
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“I made a pledge, as part of the Summer of Cycling, to cycle to school with my daughter Lucy when the new term started in the Autumn. “I soon found that taking up cycling is the best thing I have ever done. All it really took was someone suggesting it to me, and having made a pledge I wanted to stick with it. “At the time I didn’t own a bike and hadn’t been on one since I was about 15. So we started looking round for a second hand bike for me to ride. “Lucy and my partner Steve both already had bikes so once I got mine we spent lots of the summer cycling. We had a fantastic time and cycled to lots of different places such as High Woods Country Park, Leisure World for a swim or along the river and up to Castle Park. We also practiced the route from home to Lucy’s school, ready for the new term. “It was great because it gave us something to do together as a family, and it’s free! Lucy has really loved it and I think she will remember this holiday as one of the best we’ve ever had because of the days out we have had on our bikes. “Now Lucy cycles to school everyday, unless she is going to a friend’s house, and either me or her dad cycle with her. She has moved up from her little bike to one with gears and was a bit wobbly at first, so we have spent time cycling on quieter roads to help us both build up our confidence. “Cycling has given me so much more freedom. I don’t drive so in the past if I needed to get any shopping I used to wait for Steve to get home from work so we could drive to the supermarket or I would have to walk into town. Now I can just hop on the bike if I need to which is so much quicker and easier. We all feel healthier for it, too.” |
“I decided to get back on a bike after we visited the Cycle Colchester stall at the Children’s Festival in Castle Park early in the summer. 
