On my bike: active travel commissioner Simon O’Brien
Why do you cycle?
I love it. I sold my car 40 years ago as an environmental statement, then realised that getting around by bike was brilliant.
How far do you ride each week?
Between 50 and 100 miles a week.
Which of your bikes is your favourite?
My Tierney Tourer, handbuilt for me by the late, great Liverpool frame builder Norman Tierney. It’s 531, Campagnolo throughout. Does the job commuting into town or fully loaded on tour.
What do you always take with you when cycling?
Puncture repair kit, tyre lever.
Who mends your punctures?
Moi.
It’s raining: bike, public transport, or car?
Bike. If it’s proper nasty, bike and train. Merseyrail are brilliant with carrying bikes.
Lycra or normal clothes?
Normal clothes always.
If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get?
The few Landranger OS maps I am missing. To be able to see the whole picture in detail is still better than any app.
What’s your favourite cycle journey?
Getting off the ferry at Portugalete, then meandering through the Basque Country and Cantabria with my killer-climber wife, Elizabeth, and long-suffering daughter, Rosa, to catch a ferry back from Santander.
What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists?
Better, safer infrastructure where needed – which is just about everywhere!
