I wish... I cycled to work

Cycling to work sounds fantastic: It's cheap, good for the environment, improves your fitness, and you don't get stuck in traffic jams.

On the other hand, cycling to work sounds awful: It's hard work, subject to weather conditions, and undeniably dangerous.

So why do I wish that I cycled to work?

I loved cycling when I was a child. I loved it when I was a teenager. I forgot about it when I discovered cars and girlfriends. But I fell in love with it all over again when I moved to London and realised the quickest and most reliable way to get around was on two wheels.

I cycled six miles to work, then two, then four. Along roads, along cycle paths, along canal towpaths. As long as I could shower or change at the other end, the weather didn't bother me.

Then I moved out of London.

I couldn't cycle to work anymore. I had to catch a train. Two hours each way. Horrible. So I got a new job. Bit more local. Thirty to forty minutes each way. Better. But by car. One word: traffic.

I wish I could cycle to work again.

It's 18.8 miles. A climb of 1309 feet. 1 hour 58 minutes of cycling. According to Google Maps. It's not something I could do every day, but I could do it once. I could do it by the end of September.

I will cycle to work by the end of September!

What is your wish of the month? What are you going to do about it?