I have been riding to and from work for about seven years and it's fantastic. Everything Fieke wrote about - fitness, awareness, cost are all great benefits. Plus it's quicker than taking the bus.

I started riding to and from the cafe I worked in in Tea Gardens, NSW, which was a ten minute ride down a bush track and over a bridge where pelicans used to hang out was great. I could often see dolphins swimming in the river below me too.

I now live on the north shore in Sydney and cycle over the Harbour Bridge to my studio in Surry Hills. I can avoid most busy roads by taking back streets, though I'd love to see more bike friendly infrastructure and attitudes. On the whole it's proved an easy thing to manage without hinderences that would stop me riding. But in the main that's because I've settled for something far far less than we could have.