The next time you jump in the car for a quick trip down to the baby group/shop/park, please just pause for thought. Most car journeys in Britain are for distances of under two miles. That could be a short journey of great joy for you and your child if you swap four wheels for two.

A lot of grandmas get all misty eyed when they see Albie and I on our bikes (first he was in bike seat, then a trailer and now he leads the way on his own bike and has been able to negotiate roundabouts since the age of 5) and always say how everyone cycled everywhere with their children in the Old Days.

I know there are photos of me perched on the back of my Mum’s bike in the ‘70s, yet nowadays, if we see another parent and child cycling combo it’s a cause for much waving and exchanges of smug smiles. We are a rarity and a talking point. Now Albie zooms away under his own speed and I can barely catch him up, we are still oddities but get nowhere near as much attention as we got when he was tiny. Almost every time we went to a baby group or mums’ meet-up, people would see us and feel obliged to say one or all of these things:

1: I would love to cycle with my baby but it’s too dangerous.

2: I would love to cycle with my baby but my bike is rubbish/ I haven’t cycled for years.

3: I would love to cycle with my baby but I wouldn’t be able to carry everything.

(Number one is the most common one)

For many years I worked with children, parents, teachers, councils and MPs to prove that children cycling to school was not only possible, but a brilliant idea. (Something we didn’t have to tell previous generations, who all did it). I have never owned a car and am used to a life that must revolve around cyclable destinations and small amounts of shopping gathered regularly from nearby places. I knew that I would be putting my baby on my bike just as soon as he could fit in the smallest seat under the tiniest helmet I could find.

So far, so smug. But when it came to it, even I was nervous. Could I really take this vulnerable little bundle and expose him to the roads? I knew from all those years working with kids and bikes that most of our fears of the road are perceptions not reality. Studies show that even seeing a child walking along the pavement is enough to make drivers slow right down and take extra care. So how much more attention would they pay to a large bike with a cute baby perched on the back (with a dayglo pink tabard wrapped round the seat and an orange plastic lollipop sign that sticks out of the side of the bike frame.)

I also knew it was the only option if we were ever to leave the house.

Our first journey was when Albie was 9 months old. That first cycle back from Cycle Heaven (unapologetic plug, I love them) where we had the bike seat professionally fitted, took a very long time. I crawled along, jumping at every car that passed. Within a week I could just chuck him in the seat, tug his straps once, give him a kiss and set off on another adventure.

We absolutely love our bike rides. If we see an interesting dog/bus/flower/mushroom we can stop and have a really good look. We can have an impromptu picnic whenever we want. We never have to worry about, or pay for, a parking space and we can get wherever we want to, door to door, usually more quickly than a car.

Not for me the hours of waiting in traffic with a demented bored baby screaming in the back. Just a happy baby and fabulous thighs.

So here are my thoughts on those top three reasons stopping mums from cycling:

1: Safety. Far more children are injured in car accidents than on bikes. You are travelling slowly, usually out of the main traffic stream (on bike lanes or off-road routes) and you have complete control. If something looks worrying you just pull into the side and stop. If you are in a car you are at the mercy of all the other drivers around you, travelling at great speed. No one can see you have a child with you and I am not sure they care.

2: Rubbish bike: My bike is more than 30 years old and basic. You need to wipe them occasionally and pump up the tyres but getting it serviced is much cheaper than you think and it will build your confidence to know it’s in good order. Even a top of the range bike (completely unecessary) will probably cost less than your annual M O T.

3: Carrying stuff: Unless you are an experienced cyclist used to shoving your shopping in baskets/strapping things on with bits of rope this does take some adjusting to. The best thing is a front and back basket and if you’ve filled them up with stuff already, a small backpack for your personal bits – making sure you aren’t bashing baby’s nose if you are still at baby bike seat stage. Once you can do all this like a pro, please turn your attention to the glittering array of fantastic bike trailers out there. When you move onto this level (they can take more than one child by the way with space left to spare for shopping) there is very little left that you can justify needing a car for any more. Especially once you take into account the wonderful world of trains – more on that later.

Some other things to think about:

Pollution. Leaving aside the impact on the planet from all those journeys of under two miles, being inside a car which is running (when it stops at lights for example) exposes your child to much greater levels of fumes than the cyclist sitting outside.

Age of child. Cautious manufacturers of the many bike seats and accessories available kind of hover round the one year mark….when baby can sit up well you are ready to go in my opinion.

Parents who cycle have children who cycle. Cyclists live longer and you do not often see obese kids on bikes.

Give it a go. I PROMISE you it will change your life!