Arthur Lamy is the manager of Boudins for Bikes, in  Sand Street, and author of Jersey Cycles. He has spent 15 years as a tourist guide and writer, and is also a keen photographer.

In his first blog for the JEP website, and as part of the More for Your Money campaign, he explains why it makes sense to give up the four wheels for two. He will continue a weekly blog on the website on the joys and pitfalls of cycling in Jersey.

‘So here we are, the middle of January and, for those who haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution yet, or possibly would appreciate another chance, here it is.

Not only another chance but, in the true tradition of today’s straitened retailers, a buy one get four free offer, a last chance to resuscitate your conscience before all is lost. How would you like to lose weight, get fit, spend more time with the kids, do something for the environment and save loads of money?

Doing any one of these should put that smug smile of satisfaction on your face, but all of them? Yes, it’s so easy, take up cycling.

Daunted? don’t be, with a little effort it can happen for you. But before you start, here’s a little monetary motivation and, if I can paraphrase a good Jerseyman I know: ‘Hit them where it counts, in the wallet!’

So forget the first four resolutions, let’s look at the economies of self propelled transport.

What are you going to save by cycling?
Well quite a lot really, let’s look at the cost of motorised transport.

Parking charges – If you use public car parks, a monthly ticket costs almost £100, and even more if you use scratch cards. OK, you have company parking? Why not sell the space to a colleague and buy a new bike or some cycling stuff with the money.

Running costs – Every one has a different size car but, at say £10 of fuel a week, you’d have paid for everything in six months. One car tyre pays for a helmet, lock and lights, never mind a set of four.

Your time – How much of your precious time do you waste in a traffic jam? For such a small island, with next to no distance to travel, it’s amazing how long it can take. On one of the very rare occasions that I’ve used a car, it took 45 minutes to cover three miles. You work flexitime and don’t commute during the rush hour? Great, the roads are your oyster, enjoy them whilst they‘re traffic free.

Convenience – Door to door, no waiting for buses and park almost wherever you want to. If you commute by bus now, 20 weeks of bus fares should get you a new bike with some change. In fact, doesn’t it say on the back of some buses that a car ‘costs you £10 a day to run’? If that’s true, a car-free month should see you fully equipped.

Are you warming to the idea yet?

If you can’t beg, borrow or find a bike by some other means, here’s what it’ll cost. I know that buying things that you rarely buy is sometimes alarming, so, as I’m no good at figures, I’ll use ever day items as a comparison.

A new bike – three season tickets for a public car park; a cheap laptop computer; five games for your PS3.

A set of lights or a lock – three packets of cigarettes; 40 Mars bars; or a bottle of apple brandy.

A cycle helmet: large fish and chips with a large drink for four, a gentleman’s shirt in the sales; or one training shoe.

And as well as the all the money you’ll save, you’ll get slimmer, fitter, greener and happier into the bargain.’

Braking (hard) News

• New cycle link opens at St.Brelade
Last Tuesday I was among the great and the good, and a few politicians, at the opening of a new link which joins Route1 at Quennevais Sports Hall to the Airport and then onto St.Peter’s church, where you can join other sections of the Cycle Network. For people who are a little nervous of the traffic, or who want to cycle with young children, this is a great facility. Now you can cycle all the way from town to St.Peter without getting too close to any of the 107,996 motor vehicles registered with the DVS.

• Another contender for the Around the World cycle record
Many of you will have seen the BBC series which followed the exploits of Mark Beaumont, the Scot who set a new world record by cycling around the world in 195 days. Next April, James Bowthorpe, an honorary research fellow at a Parkinson’s Disease clinic in London, hopes to beat Beaumont’s record by ‘at least three weeks’. In doing so he hopes to raise £1,800,00.00 for research into Parkinson’s Disease.

• And finally
Ten out of ten, and a gold star for St. Brelade Constable, and Minister for Transport, Mike Jackson, the only politician to cycle up to the opening of the new cycle link on Tuesday.