Sustainability
Edel Hackett
This is the first of a series of monthly columns on simple ways we can live a greener life. Think of it as the equivalent of yoga for people who have a few drinks at the weekend –nothing too sanctimonious, just simple lifestyle changes that you can stick with.
Cycling is one lifestyle change that I am always urging people to try. Maybe it’s because I’m originally from Dundrum in Dublin, home of Stephen Roche. I still remember clearly the day Roche returned to ‘the village’ after winning the Tour de France in 1987: teenage boys, clutching their Eddie Merx racers, swooning at the lovely Lydia alongside grannies, experts all in the tactics of mountain climbs, pelatons and breaks.
Despite the cycling nostalgia, I’m not advocating competitive cycling in any shape. I’m actually a fan of the complete opposite – the type you can do in your skirt and high-heels. Besides a good helmet you really don’t need special gear to make short everyday hops on your bike. Let’s face it, if you have to invest a small mortgage in fluorescent tops, padded shorts and Gortex shoes just to spin down the road, what are the chances of actually ever getting onto a bike?
What I’m suggesting is that you swap just one car journey a week for a short bike trip. Cycling keeps you fit, it’s cheap, fast and reliable. For me, the best incentive is that I can get right to where I want to go quickly without the headache of double yellow lines, loading bays or that warning nod from the traffic warden.
A few years ago, I would have suggested a strong right leg as an essential accessory – very handy for shunting off cars coming in on top of you. But with the welcome focus on Smarter Travel in Westport, drivers are becoming much more aware of cyclists. The roads are definitely getting safer, but you do have to stay vigilant, particularly outside of town. Keep that right leg in reserve just in case.
If you haven’t got a bike or haven’t been on a bike since you left school why not rent one for a day to see how you get on. Sean Sammon at the top of James Street, Westport, has a yardful of bikes for rent. Clew Bay Bike Hire on Distillery Road has an amazing range of bikes for all needs as well as tag-along trailers and bikes for younger children.
If you catch the bug and you want to buy a bike, ask your employer to sign up to the bike to work scheme (www.bikescheme.ie), which covers bikes and accessories up to a maximum cost of €1,000. The bike must be purchased by your employer, but the scheme can then operate either with your employer paying for the bike, or through a ‘salary sacrifice’ agreement in which you pay for it, tax free, over 12 months.
So, get on your bike. Enjoy the beautiful spring weather and join in the wheel revolution.
