The Bicycle Diaries, Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

That's how good I am at sticking to new ideas.

Nevertheless, and contrary to vicious elements inevitably briefing against me, I have stuck at my cycling: I've done 300 miles (almost exactly) in the course of these nine weeks, making 33 miles a week (still short of my target, but respectable all the same). If I'd actually stuck to the bicycle diaries thing, it would have been boring, because I've categorically not been anywhere interesting. The only excitement was when I found a path closed and could not work out how to get round it. Real excitement.

It's good to do the cycling consistently, though. I've noticed a real improvement in fitness and stamina: I cycled into Manchester today in about 23 minutes at an average of almost 15mph (bear in mind, cycling nerds, that this is on a heavy, cheap mountain bike) and I was neither out of breath nor otherwise exhausted. General exercise seems to encourage the bulking up of unrelated muscles, and I'm convinced that, in spite of pollution, my asthma has got better: the aerobic exercise probably strengthens my lungs.

So cycle, one and all. Apart from anything else, it's the quickest way to get into town.