In the spirit of only using this hellsite to be useful, here follows everything I have learned since becoming a reluctant cyclist in my late 30s this summer. If you're tempted to get on a bike for the first time in ages, you're welcome to ask me questions A thread.

I got mine from a local co-op, the Bicycle Doctor in Fallowfield. They are friendly, not-patronising and do free services. Cycle to Work take a big cut from indies, so I bought directly from the shop and used the scheme for panniers, lights and a truly disgusting fluoro jacket.

I had not cycled since a flock of geese tried to run me into the river in Limerick, and never in a big city like Manchester. A good tip is to find a friend who is confident on the road and for your first time, cycle behind them to observe their road positioning, turning etc.

I watched all the British Cycling videos on YouTube about junctions, holding the lane etc and bought myself a second hand copy of Cyclecraft, the Highway Code guide for Cyclists. The road positioning was an issue of confidence for me, but it's honestly safer out of the gutter.

I learned how to do basic safety checks on my bike (tyres, brakes etc) but I am keen to learn more so we can go for longer cycles. This was something I loved about @LadyVelo's book - where she talked about the confidence from learning how to tend to your own bike.

So many workplaces have cycling communities (we have a great group at Salford who share tips) and in my experience, people love talking about their routes. My fave apps for route planning are Komoot, CityCyclist and BikeMap.

Cycling is a time to be aware but chill. I had to tell myself I was new and not doing the Tour de Oxford Road. I take it easy, let people go ahead of me, and never exhaust myself. I wear my normal clothes and shoes unless it's a longer ride at the weekend.

Cycling gave me my independence back during a pandemic and allowed me to see friends and bits of Manchester I didn't know. It also showed me I can take a tumble on the Fallowfield Loop, skin my knee for the first time in adulthood and only have a bruised ego for maybe three days.