At various times in the past I’ve commuted by bike into work. For a variety of reasons over the past 18 months I’ve not done so, chief among them being that I now work an approximately 30 mile round trip from work. On top of that, the whole process takes so much organisation – making sure you have the right clothing to wear (see option 10) when you get to work, getting up earlier to ride in, keeping some showering gear at work, having sufficient lighting to get you to and from work etc.

In short, it’s a pain but worthwhile, even if it’s just being able to sit at work feeling just a little more smug than usual knowing you’ve just covered 15-odd miles on your bike. I was thinking that a reliable spell of warm weather over the summer might encourage me to ride in at least once a week but so far I remain steadfastly committed to my car as transport.

Even so, every little incentive helps. And in the States, reports Pinch Flat News, they have a great (if somewhat under-publicised) scheme running that helps bike and ‘alternative transport’ commuters get free cab rides home if they have an emergency and need to get home quick.

What a good idea though. And why stop there? Why not give ‘alternative transport’ users over here a certain number of free cab rides per year, but let them spend it as they see fit and not just use for emergencies? Seems like a great incentive which probably wouldn’t end up costing the Treasury much money at all but give a lot of flexibility.

Who says there’s no such thing as a free ride after all?