I am a fair weather cyclist. I don't like wind and I don't like rain. This, as you can no doubt imagine, makes cycling in Manchester a little bit hit and miss.

I have the intention of cycling every day during the summer, subject to the weather being good and me not oversleeping. Although, thinking about it, when I do oversleep, I'd probably get to work far quicker on my bike than I do in the car. So subject to the weather being good, then.

I should cycle to work more, because it's only 3 miles there, and it only takes 15-20 minutes (I never said I was a fast cyclist, did I?). I should cycle to work more, but I don't, because of the weather thing, but also because it becomes a hassle. I can't cycle in my work clothes, so I have to take a change of clothes, which means carrying more stuff. There aren't showers at work, either, so I have to spend the day feeling a little too sweaty for comfort. Bicycle security isn't the best, either.

So it's my employers' fault that I don't cycle more often to work.

I don't think I can blame them for not cycling more often in my spare time, though. Unless I go for the argument that they work me so hard that all I want to do in the evening and at the weekend is sleep and chill out. But that would be a lie. I don't cycle more in my spare time because I'm inherently lazy.

I have good intentions, though. And we all know that they pave many miles of the road to hell.

When I do get round to it, I really like cycling. I like the sense of freedom, and I like the buzz I get from the exercise. I'm not such a fan of the red face and dry mouth at the end of a cycle ride, but maybe those things would grow less if I did the cycling thing more. I feel as though I've done something GOOD when I've ridden my bike.

It's a shame that the weather, my employers and my inherent laziness get in the way.