“I started commuting to work by bike about six months ago,” says Mark Wilson, an app developer who lives in Aigburth, south of the city. “I did it originally to save money, but where I live it only takes me fifteen minutes to get into town by bike rather than anything up to an hour by bus on a busy day.”

“I used to ride my bike all the time when I was a kid,” says self-employed graphic designer Ed Lamb from The Wirral. “But like so many people I got into the habit of driving into work every day and never really considered that there was an alternative. It was just something I did.”

“It was an absolute life-changer for me,” he says. “I had a lot of personal problems when I was discharged from the army. I’d served 22 years. I was discharged with Depressive Disorder and a hip injury. Cycling got me out in the fresh air, got my heart rate up and got my endorphins flowing. I feel that my experience puts me in a good position to help people make their lives better through cycling.”

“I’m a creature of habit so I tend to follow the same routes to and from work everyday. I found some nice quiet routes to get me around so all in all it’s a pretty pleasant experience.”

“I used to get the bus it took an hour so I thought I’d cycle and now it takes 25 minutes.” - Michael Barton, Assistant Practitioner, Broadgreen Hospital

“You aren’t bound to a timetable or stuck in traffic.” - Andrew Holliday, Senior Business Improvement Consultant, Civil Service

“When I can’t cycle I miss it.” - David Foulkes, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Broadgreen Hospital

"You feel ready to take on the day after a nice ride to work." - Tracy Hitchmough is self-employed at Sew Creative