Bikes and brakes

I recently wrote a piece on biking in Amsterdam for Time Out Magazine. Biking in this city is a strange phenomenon, much more of a way of life than an outdoor exercise. Here life continues on bikes as it would do in a home. Bikes carry dogs, shopping luggage, an entire crèche of children… but the whole concept of biking here has got me thinking. Biking in The Netherlands is a way of life, an absolute necessity and regardless of red lights and traffic laws, bikes rule. In the UK cyclists are second class citizens forced onto the pot-holed sides of roads with no bike paths. I wonder what it would take to introduce the humble town bike to the streets of the UK?

In two weeks I set off with my Dad on the most challenging bike ride I have ever undertaken. We are riding the length of the UK from Lands End to John O’Groats. I do intend to wear a cycle helmet (a totally foreign object in Amsterdam) and I will probably refrain from texting twitter updates whilst on the move. How inconvenient it is to cycle in the UK!

To follow the highs and lows of our challenge please visit our blog Freewheeling.