On my bike: Peter Walker

Why do you cycle?

To get to where I want to go, usually within a minute or so of when I expected to arrive, and often with a smile on my face.

How far do you ride each week?

I’m not sure but I’m on a bike most days.

Which of your bikes is your favourite?

My everyday transport bike with hub gears and a massive crate on the front. It makes me happy every time I ride it.

What do you always take with you when cycling?

A lock, sometimes two. I’m a paranoid London cyclist.

Who mends your punctures?

For the most part, me. But my everyday bike has Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres which haven’t punctured in two years.

It’s raining: bike, public transport, or car?

Bike. It barely ever rains in London these days. If it does, I have a very unflattering pair of waterproof over-trousers.

Lycra or normal clothes?

Most of the time it’s normal clothes, but if I’m going on a long leisure ride, then Lycra.

If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get?

A spare set of lights or a new cargo net for my vast front crate.

What’s your favourite cycle journey?

My 3.5-mile commute to Westminster. Quicker than public transport, costs nothing, keeps me healthy, and is a source of pleasure.

What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists?

Going back in time and starting in about 1981 with a decades-long programme of building safe infrastructure.

Peter’s latest book, The Miracle Pill, is now available in paperback.