Five days, five ways

Distance: 6.88 miles Journey time:  23 mins 40 secs Cost:  £0.00 Today, I did my usual commute on my bicycle and, needless to say, I really enjoyed it. It was a bit cooler and breezier outdoors than the last few mornings but it was dry and sunny. My normal route is on the road through Chilwell and Beeston until the junction at the western end of University Boulevard where I join the pedestrian/cycling path that borders the university campus. Thereafter, from Dunkirk roundabout, it's either the road or the cycle path, including the relatively new western corridor cycling lane over Abbey Bridge and on to Castle Boulevard. I find some motorists are still adjusting to the cycling lane on Castle Boulevard, and it's not really a surprise. The way the lane has been carved out of the existing carriageway means that if you're driving towards the city centre and want to turn right across the cycle lane, you have to not only be aware of oncoming cyclists - as you would

Distance: 8.23 miles Journey time: 1 hr 00 mins 36 secs Cost:  £2.60 (Indigo bus ticket) On what would have been another glorious, sunny morning for cycling to work, I set out on foot for today's journey, headed for the bus stop outside the Manor pub in Toton, a 15-minute walk away. I use buses very infrequently, mainly because the tram station is nearer to where I live than the nearest stop for the Nottingham-bound bus service. In fact, it must be several years since I last boarded the Nottingham to Derby service run by Trent-Barton called Indigo. It was called the number 5 bus in days gone by. The bus journey wasn't as pleasant as yesterday's tram ride, mainly because the bus doesn't run on the road surface as smoothly as a tram glides on rails. I was almost being unseated by the vibrations of the vehicle as it passed over potholes, sunken manhole covers and sections of tarmac repairs to the road surface, and also when it went round tight bends in the road.

Distance:  7.78 miles Journey time:  58 mins 26 secs Cost:  £4.00 (Nottingham Express Transit day ticket) I'm a big fan of the Nottingham tram system, not least because the Toton Lane park and ride station is a ten minute walk from my home, which makes the tram a convenient commuting option. I've also found the service to be unfailingly punctual. Nonetheless, I did set out on the walk to the tram stop this morning once again wishing I was riding my bike to work instead. Like yesterday, the skies were bright and the temperature was warm. On the walk up the hill to the station I looked to see what was coming from the exhausts of vehicles passing me, wondering if the visible emissions from some cars and vans are more polluting than the invisible fumes from others. I concluded that they were - especially when an older van went past emitting a lot of blue smoke which blew back towards me. It was the kind of stuff you can't help but smell, even if you try not to i

Distance: 7.53 miles Journey time: 29 mins 57 secs Cost: £9.76 (comprising £6 car park charge and £3.76 vehicle costs using AA estimates) The commute to work in my car this morning was straightforward and quite pleasant. Due to the largely blue skies and mild temperature outside at 7.30am, I wished that I was heading to work on my bike instead, but one car journey during the week is necessary for comparison purposes, and this was the day for the car. I understand all the reasons why the car is such a popular and convenient form of transport for many commuters, but even so, the journey did take around five minutes longer than the average time it takes me to cycle to work. This was mainly due to some minor road congestion and parking a short distance away from my office and walking there from the car park, whereas the building I work in has secure bike parking. The traffic seemed slightly lighter than normal for a Monday morning on the route I used - the A52 through Bramco

These are questions I ask myself frequently, but for the purposes of this blog...I am Tim Baggs, I work in Nottingham city centre for the Royal College of Nursing and I almost always do my commute to work on a bicycle. I cycle for commuting, pleasure, fitness training and competition, riding between 5,000 and 6,000 miles a year. I live seven miles away from the RCN’s Nottingham office and I find cycling is the quickest, most convenient and most cost effective way to commute. For me, it’s by far the most enjoyable method, too – I am rarely delayed by traffic congestion and if the roads are too busy I can cycle along the canal towpath into town instead. In fact, the canalside is sometimes my route of choice because it’s tranquil and free of traffic and stop signals. The 'argh' factor of stopping for a red light just isn't the same as the 'ahh' factor of giving way to an assertive mother duck crossing the path with her ducklings obediently in tow. I’ve cy