Cycling has been great for fixing my dodgy knee after a cartilage removal and tendonitis relief as well as general exercise.

I live in a rural area which is pretty scary at times with huge trucks hurtling along, passing too close for comfort. I have written to the council suggesting some signage and perhaps a line along the edge of the road that leaves enough room to cycle (there is a line but often it is right on the edge of useable road) for safety. No response of course, but there was a meeting held in Kaikohe this week discussing the issue of cycling, so fingers crossed.

It is different in the country as well, simply in terms of distance and terrain. While I can get most daily things in the village by bike, town is at least half an hour by car, over a very long and steep hill. With no public transport, a car is a necessity. We car pool as much as possible, and pick up hikers too.

I guess there is no single or simple solution to the transport question - each has its place and purpose.

Its such a prick cycling home in the rain. Love the saving $$, love the increased fitness and hotter bod, love the speed of cycling into the CBD.

Again its a prick when it rains.

I live in Christchurch and in my opinion, it's the most cycle-friendly city in the world (apart from the odd unobservant motorist!) and it really baffles me that more people don't cycle. It's flat (unless you're lucky enough to live in the hills), there's a great cycle lane network and it seems to always be faster than driving.

My only complaint is the lack of cycle lanes in and around the CBD, it can feel quite dangerous cycling through town sometimes. Bike Wise month has not been highly publicised which I feel is a shame as it would be great if more people were encouraged to cycle around our city, and indeed anywhere.

I think many people would agree that cycling is a cheap, healthy, environmentally friendly means of transport, but to maintain that "everything about cycling is good" is just ignoring the negatives of pedal power. It's those negatives that stop more people from partaking. These include having too great a distance to travel, having to cope with rain and wind, cycling when the roads are icy/dangerous, no means of washing/cleaning up when getting to work, the danger at night when there's poor visibility, inability to cope with hills, getting one's hair mucked up, inability to easily carry lots of shopping, the extra time needed. There are lots.

The reality is, even with the negatives, the car is just so much more convenient in many ways for many people.

I walk, cycle, take the bus, and drive the car, depending on circumstances. Cost and convenience are the main drivers for me. Environmental issues don't really come into the decision.

Having recently moved across to Melbourne (from Wellington) for a few years I've been pleasantly surprised at the genuine commitment to cycling as a mode of transport shown by successive governments. Networks of arterial cycle routs have been constructed without pandering to the non-cycling lobby groups. Obstructions have been overcome with dedicated bridges and floating pontoon sections along the Yarra and there is a never ending supply of bike stands in the CBD.In short, the governments are willing to spend the money to accomodate and promote cycling as a viable transport mode.

This week they have announced another $18 million to be spent on cycle lanes with an emphasis on commuting over recreation. Car lanes are being removed from a number of inner city thoroughfares to make way for 2.7m wide two way cycle lanes....now thats progress. All new major roading projects (including motorways) will be required to include cycleways. Unfortunately NZ still seems to dwell on the obstacles and not look at the bold solutions that make the conversion BACK to cycling as a primary mode of transport achievable.

Public transport (in particular the pricing structure) is also light years ahead over here with the net result being that our family of four will easily get by without the need for a car with minimal inconvenience. Maybe some of NZ's mayors should postpone their junket tours of exotic locations and look a little closer to home for inspiration!

I'm all for cycling as a form of transport for myself and others. However I think the number of bike-car accidents is unacceptable and puts many people off cycling both in and around cities.

I believe people do what they're incentivised to do and if we, as a country, are serious about looking after the environment and encouraging alternative forms of transport, then we need to start incentivising this kind of behaviour.

Why aren't there changes to our roading laws to give bicycles and pedestrians far greater privileges - why does the car always rule? And despite the number of accidents every year involving a car hitting a cyclist or pedestrian, why are the fines still so low and why do so many drivers never get caught for a hit-and-run?

Many more school children should be cycling/walking to work but because of the fear generated in our society now, excessive traffic is generated by parents picking kids up and dropping them off to school twice daily - we all know how much better the traffic is during school holidays. What are we doing to get our kids cycling to school safely - city councils and schools could surely make improvement here.

Let's get serious about prioritising these forms of transport that we know are good for our planet and our bodies. Our society will start taking it more seriously, when the people who choose these modes are prioritised in our legal system.

Cycling is the answer to the worlds transport problems. Governments should be looking at a investing big time into cycleways. Tax credits for people who ride to work would be a great idea. Imagine if everyone living within 5km of work had to cycle to work. I personally ride 16km each way. 5km is not far. If your not fit enough to ride 5km you should do something about it! Unfortunatly its not likely to happen, humans have become far too lazy! many would rather spend hundreds per week running their SUVs.