Travelling to work by bike
Shropshire Council - Kim Williams
Kim Williams, Sustrans Bike It Officer, works alongside the Cycle Shrewsbury campaign and travels all over Shrewsbury by bike.
"With the word ‘bike’ in my job title you would kind of expect me to cycle. My work takes me to schools around the town to promote and encourage cycling for the school journey. Both my commute and my at work travel are all done on the bike. My mileage can vary greatly. If I have an office day, they are quite rare, but do happen it is almost quicker for me to walk in than get the bike out, as I live exactly 1 mile away from the office. If I need to visit all of my schools, to deliver information or resources, then I can easily clock up more than 30 miles on the bike. A normal day, if there is such a thing with Bike It, is usually around the 10 – 12 mile mark.
Usually I ride my old, blue, curly handle-barred, drop cross-barred, 12 geared machine. I am very attached to it and have had it for more than half my life. My Mum and Dad bought it for me when I was about 15. I had always had a bike, but this was only the second ever new bike I had been given, having previously ridden an interesting assortment of second, third or probably fifth hand bicycles. It is not particularly attractive but it is reliable and I feel really comfortable on it. It has been all over with me and must have covered 1000s of miles. When I have equipment or tools to carry I use a two wheeled trailer and trundle along towing it behind me.
Through work I also have a Brompton folding bike which I take on the train when I have to go away for meetings. I wasn’t sure about riding it when it first arrived. It has a very different riding position but I do now enjoy being out and about on it. It also has great novelty value with the children in assemblies. My Brompton is called Betty - often the children remember that and not my name!
Although Bike It has increased the amount of work related cycling I do, I have always cycled to work. In fact before I started working I used to cycle to university. Distance to work is something I have always considered in applying for new jobs, if I couldn’t cycle to it I didn’t apply for it. I have cycled as primary school teacher and as a college lecturer, both roles requiring a little organisation to make them compatible with cycling, but nothing too complicated.
I used to keep a pair of work shoes under my desk so I could cycle in trainers and change on arrival. In terms of looking smart and cycling, I used to ride in wearing whatever shirt or top I had chosen for the day together with a pair of leggings or even shorts in the summer. I would put my choice of smart trouser or skirt in my bag and simply nip into the ladies and change on my way in to my classroom or office. If I had to cycle to a meeting during the day I would generally wear trousers and just tuck them in my socks for the journey – not forgetting to untuck before entering the meeting!
I do wear a helmet on my bike, in winter with a wide head band to cover my ears and keep them warm. I also wear a hi-viz vest, day and night. In the dark I prefer to have a couple of sets of lights on my bike, one on flashing and one on static. This winter I have really come to appreciate a good pair of windproof gloves, I wear a size bigger than I need so I can get a thin pair underneath. Little things like that make cycling a lot more comfortable."
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