FOR ME, cycling is part of everyday life. I cycle to school most days and other times to places such as village fairs and parties.

Sometimes I just go on long bike rides with family and have a good time! The reason I cycle a lot is because it is lots of fun. Making my bike go fast and knowing I am generating that speed is very motivating for me.

Another reason that I cycle is because I know it’s good for me, so when it comes to PE at school or other activities you can keep up and complete them. It also comes in handy when it comes to other sports like rugby, football and athletics where you need lots of fitness to compete well.

On to cycling alone – I feel very privileged to be able to cycle alone. My parents let me after completing my Bikeability cycle training. It means I do a lot more cycling than I would have done otherwise. For instance, I once had to cycle alone to a sports event that otherwise I would not have been able to reach. I had lots of fun and went home to tell them about what I had done.

But even with all these highs there are a few lows out there about cycling. There are obvious ones (such as falling off and hurting yourself) and less obvious ones (that I will come to).

Let’s start with falling off. First, everyone knows it’s painful. I have fallen off a lot of times and I know the experience but the reason I fall off (most of the time) is because of silly mistakes such as going on to the kerb at an angle or not looking ahead, but I have learnt from these mistakes and hope to not repeat them.

On to the less obvious; some car drivers don’t always use their brains. They overtake on blind corners or when other vehicles are approaching. I have encountered some of these dilemmas and did not enjoy them at all. Fortunately, I have not been hurt, only left shocked and bewildered by why they take such risks just to overtake a boy on a bike.

One of the nicest things about being able to ride a bike is it is very easy to socialise. Me and my friends do this every once in a while and I thoroughly enjoy it!

But with a mere six per cent of the UK riding their bikes at least once a month we could get a few more out on the road. If we could, it would mean a lot fewer cars on the roads, less air pollution and everyone would be happier, healthier people.