Last week was National Bike week - but I'm guessing you knew that because it's been covered extensively in the press.

I even read an article by an MP with lots of suggestions as to why we should all be cycling. As ever, Bike Week was supported in different ways around Oxford. Several large employers offered free breakfasts for cyclists, so it was a case of a smoothy and an apple a day for me.

If your employers don't do anything for Bike Week, ask them why not - it's hardly difficult and they should be giving people some incentive to commute by bike.

People who cycle to work are more likely to be there on time, come into work less stressed from their daily commute and be more productive once they're there. In addition, cyclists are much healthier people so you will be less likely to have sick leave.

By cycling to work, you are also saving a parking space which cost organisations thousands per year - not so the humble Sheffield rack. Last but by no means least, you are improving the reputation of your company - your contribution of cycling to work reduces their carbon footprint. A free breakfast now and again is the very least your employer can do.

Cyclox ran a different bike ride every day during Bike Week so there was plenty of opportunity to get out and ride if you were happy to brave the weather. You could do a tour of interesting art in Oxford or go and pick strawberries.

I managed to go out for a fairly long ride considering the eight-month-old bump I'm currently carting around. We cycled from Jericho to Littlemore, mainly along the towpath - what a joy! The resurfaced towpath is fantastic to cycle on - please let's see the new surface extended past Donnington Bridge. Now that we've seen what a difference a good surface can make, we really want to have as much of it as possible.

The long days we've got at the moment make late evening cycling an absolute must. There's something very special about cycling past gaggles of silent geese on the Thames in the dusky light. Why would any sane person fork out for gym membership when there's a free outdoor gym on your doorstep?

There are so many organised bike rides up and down the county at this time of year - it can be quite hard to keep track of them - and for obvious reasons, I haven't been paying as much attention to them as I normally do. A good place to start, if you're on the lookout for organised rides (after checking the Cyclox website, of course!) is www.bike-events.com which lists lots of the major bike rides up and down the country.

It's also worth keeping an eye on places like Blenheim Palace - you've just missed the amazing Oxford Big Bike Ride with a choice of different rides. Rides like this are important because they inspire people to get into cycling. Once you realise how easy five miles really is, you can build on this and soon you'll be breezing through 40 miles, with a banana in your pannier and flapjacks all round. Go on, get your bike out and go for a long ride - you'll be glad you did.