It's a jungle out there - be strong!

Wow - darkness has fallen swiftly it seems as the year rolls on towards the equinox, and the summer warmth (which admittedly seemed to have been with us for quite some time this year) has at last given way to the short days and long dark nights.

Commuting - and indeed any riding - takes on a new and serious flavour at this time, and as I now find myself driving around as more of a desk jocky than a courrier type, I'm really struck by both the frenetic pace of life and the invisibility of cyclists.

Let's put it another way: everyone's in a BIG road-rage rush; there are far too many cars out there and we as bike riders are the prey amongst two ton armour clad predators.

TAKE CARE out there guys n gals - get yourself a plethora of lights, reflective bands and day glo clothes. Dark cycling gear with reflective strips just don't cut it in bad weather.

My only rushhour commute of late started off well, blasting past stationary vehicles and manualing the disused loading ramps outside the old bus station site, but as I drew nearer the urban heart of darkness, all hell broke loose, and even on the cycle paths there seemed a kind of madness amongst riders and pedestrians alike.

So TAKE IT EASY out there! Life is prescious...keep fit n ride fast, but take care. And above all...BE SAFE BE SEEN: give us riders a good name and ride in a way which shames the idiocy of motorists!

Happy riding.