I'm back! I did say I was going to take a week off, but I was having such a nice time on my holidays that I took two instead!

I'm glad of the break, it's not easy writing about the same basic subject every week, but I do try hard to vary things as much as I can. Over the last two weeks I have ridden exactly zero miles on a bike and it's been a good break.

One thing that I have done is thought about how bicycle usage has changed over the years. When I was growing up throughout the 1970's and 1980's if I wanted to go somewhere I had a few choices - walk, catch the bus, get a lift from Mum or Dad if the journey was long enough or cycle.

It seems to me that for the most part my BMX was my main form of transport and it used to take me all over the place as a pre teen. Once I got a little older the BMX was replaced by a 12 speed road bike and then in the early 1990's this was replaced by one of the first breed of Mountain Bikes.

I did have a car once I passed my driving test at 17, but I always had a bike and always used it as transport as well as for fun.

When I was at university I cycled back and forth to lectures - well the ones I went to - as it was a lot cheaper than putting petrol in the car and there were never any issues about having a sneaky pint at lunchtime in the student bar!

Looking at bicycle usage nowadays, it seems that there are children out there still using them as a form of transport, but they are starting later.

I remember cycling to my friends’ houses or to the shops on my own before I was ten, but this doesn't seem as common now. There was always a pile of bikes outside the local newsagent and sweet shop, but these days the bikes need to be locked!

I also think that with the increase in traffic and the worsening standard or driving that parents are more reluctant to allow children to cycle on the roads.

I used to ride my BMX from my parents in Merley to Slades Farm to ride the skate park all day and then ride home, all without wearing a helmet of course and this was on the road. I can't ever recall having any issues with cars, but nowadays they happen on a daily basis.

It does make me sad to see children unable to cycle proficiently, despite the free Bikeability courses being available at most schools.

Considering the rise in childhood obesity anything we can do to prise children away from the television, computer or games console has to be a good thing!

I certainly don't know what the answers are to how we get back to children using bikes for transport, but I'd like to see it happen.

There were a couple of quite exciting cycling related things that happened whilst I was soaking up the Sun.

We had our first local Skyride. I am unable to comment on whether or not it was a good event, but I do plan to take part in some of the upcoming rides, information can be found at goskyride.com

Also, and possibly more importantly, Mark Cavendish won the points competition in this year's Tour de France!!

This is a fantastic achievement and was the highlight of a gripping and excellent race this year. I am slightly disappointed that Cadel Evans won as he's not one of my favourite riders, I would have preferred to see someone else in Yellow on the podium in Paris, but he did ride an excellent race and is a deserving winner.

I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike and, as I type, my commuter is clean and sat in the kitchen waiting to take me to work in the morning.

Based on information supplied by David Brown.