THE last few weeks in our Jericho workshop we have been blowing off the cobwebs, loads of them – more than usual in fact.

They are not a regular occurrence in our bike shop, honestly we are pretty tidy, but recently they have been coming in, en masse attached to the bikes that we have been servicing.

This is because bikes are being hauled out of dusty sheds, left, right and centre throughout North Oxford, and the major reason being cited is the horrific traffic that the roadworks at the Cuttleslowe and Wolvercote roundabouts is causing, and will continue to cause for more than a year, reports say.

The county council’s leader, Ian Hudspeth, has urged commuters to use public transport instead of cars, but if you consider that buses will also get caught up in the automobile pile-up each morning you can see why more people are turning to two wheels.

Which is great for cycling, the more people out there on bicycles the better it gets in terms of visibility and, dare I say, the dominance of cyclists.

And, if out of the horrific roadworks are born some new dedicated cycling commuters then the heartache on the roads will be worth it, I selfishly consider.

But doing up an old bike can often bring difficulties and can lead to anger towards the new mode of transport from the rider, and you may find there is a good reason that bike was put in the shed to be forgotten about, and it can also cost a pretty penny to rectify, albeit a lot less than fixing up an old banger car.

The cost of replacing bent wheels and broken bottom brackets can sometimes bring on pure anxiety after a hard week sat in North Oxford traffic jams. It’s often hard to say goodbye to old trusty and invest in an up to date new one but it can sometimes be for the better in terms of reliability and safety.

Unreliability, lack of comfort and slowness are issues with bicycles that can deter even the most committed cyclist. Keeping your steed in the upmost condition and being proactive about possible breakdowns can drastically increase your enjoyment of cycling and keeps bums on saddles.

You take your car for a yearly MoT so why not your bike? It’s got to be roadworthy as well.

I hope those switching to cycles for the duration of the roadworks will consider investing in their bikes.

If they see how easy it can be and how much more enjoyable it is rather than sitting in traffic twice a day on the North Oxford roads they would be more inclined to remain a cycle commuter once the new great Oxford interchange has been finished.

If they suffer breakdowns or their bike is extremely painful to ride they will look for the nearest double decker to alleviate their pains.

The work at Cuttleslowe and Wolvercote adds to the misery for drivers already being experienced at Kennington and Frideswide Square.

If you are affected by them perhaps it’s time to dust off your own cobwebs and try two wheels instead of four.

It’s certainly going to be quicker for the foreseeable future.