RIDING a bike lends itself to contemplation. So, if you ride a bike, whether as part of the daily commute or for occasional warm-weather enjoyment, you have probably wondered at some point why cycling never seems to get quite the attention it deserves from those who seem to make the decisions about how public money is spent.

If this is the case, then you are in luck because numerous opportunities to make your views known to those seeking to serve as your elected representatives are heading your way. There are county council elections in May and, joy of electoral joys, a general election in June, bringing an array of candidates (a ballot of candidates?), all of whom are hoping to persuade you to vote for them. Most of these would-be vote-winners will be asking their constituents which issues they consider to be important; some may even listen to the answers.

This is why several hundred people gathered outside County Hall in the centre of Oxford last weekend. With the support of Cycling UK, Cyclox and other cycling interest groups, the Oxfordshire Cycling Network (OCN) had invited local candidates to present their perception of cycling’s place within strategies for the environment, health, education, economic development and, yes, even transport. The candidates then had the opportunity to hear from plenty of voters who choose to use a bike for commuting, shopping and leisure.

The national Space for Cycling campaign aims to create the conditions where anyone can cycle anywhere and calls on councils to plan, invest and build to create a network of cycle-friendly routes so that anybody of any age or ability can enjoy a journey by bike. The OCN’s proposal for a 366-mile network to connect Oxfordshire has received plenty of positive responses since its launch in March. Such a scheme is perfectly feasible were the local authorities involved to commit to the £120 million of expenditure that would be required.

Cyclox chairman Simon Hunt suggested that the creation of such a network, along with a much greater political priority for policies and initiatives that promote and facilitate bike use, would prove to be a very cost-effective investment of public resources. It could also be a vote-winner and, given the number of people who ride regularly or who would like to ride more often, a potential election-winner. Simon urged everyone with a vote to check Cycling UK’s website to see which candidates had signed up as a supporter of the Space for Cycling campaign and cast their vote accordingly.

In these complex political times, it seems this message at least is simple: Vote Bike.