From Nairobi to New Orleans, the obstacles are different – but the competition with cars and sense of freedom are the same. Share your cycling story with us

'I do it for the triumph': can your bike commute compare to these five stories?

'I do it for the triumph': can your bike commute compare to these five stories?

Close to nature, freed of traffic jams, awake and flushed with endorphins by the time you arrive at work – perhaps some of the best aspects of commuting by bike?

Pedalling through the relentless rain, navigating HGV-clogged roads or being cut up by a thoughtless driver – perhaps the worst?

We asked five Guardian readers for their experiences of cycling to work: from Nairobi, where the whole thing is “a nightmare”, to Kolkata, where cycling on the city’s main roads is illegal.

And now we want to hear your stories – we’ll feature the best here at Guardian Cities at the end of our Cycle Week special. From the good to the bad to the ugly, share your experiences in the form below.

Nairobi, Kenya: ‘I saw a cyclist die because a motorist couldn’t spare two seconds’

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rush hour in Nairobi. Photograph: Tom Cockrem/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Cycling in Nairobi is a nightmare. There are very few cycling lanes and we have to hustle alongside cars, trucks and matatus (minibus taxis). But for those who persist it’s like our own secret world; we spot each other out and about and wave.

I share my cycling experiences on my Facebook page using the hashtag #chroniclesofafatcyclist. I’m a bit on the heavy side and get lots of comments and compliments from motorists and pedestrians.

On my bike I meet kind and encouraging people who can brighten my day, but also foul-mouthed, sexist and disrespectful people (mostly men) who feel the need to put me down. Sometimes I flip them off, but most of the time I smile and ask, “who raised you?”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘On my bike I meet kind and encouraging people who can brighten my day.’ Photograph: Sandra Adikinyi Bwire

People have cycled in Nairobi for as long as I can remember. It’s mostly the poorer residents who rely on bicycles – known as the black mamba – to work and get around. Now you see it also being adopted by the middle classes for sport and leisure.

Meeting new people is by far the best thing about cycling, as are blissfully quiet and traffic-free Sunday mornings. The worst thing I have witnessed is the death of a cyclist because a motorist couldn’t spare two seconds, it’s so senseless and painful. Sandra Adikinyi Bwire

Bonn, Germany: ‘My daughter sits in a seat on the back, on the front I carry wine’

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘The best of times is riding under the cherry blossoms.’ Photograph: Miguel Alva

I use my bike to get around Bonn because it’s quick and leaves no room to sulk. I cycle to work everyday, stopping off at kindergarten to drop my daughter off. She sits in a seat in the back, and on the front I have a box which can come in handy for carrying wine.



While Bonn is not quite Freiburg, one of the most cycle-friendly cities in Germany, things are slowly changing to give more space to cyclists and less space to cars.

It is normal to cycle here, but it’s not the rule that everyone commutes by bike. It’s the perfect size for cycling, but the culture is not yet as advanced as Freiburg.

The best of times are when you get to cycle along the Rhine, or under the cherry blossoms in the spring. The worst is when you compete with cars and trams. Miguel Alva

New Orleans, US: ‘Seeing the contrast between affluence and poverty is unavoidable on a bike’



Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘The city’s stark contrasts are harder to ignore on a bike’ Photograph: Bryan Washington

I use my bike to get around New Orleans because it gets me closer to the historic architecture and social fabric of the city; it is still one of the majority black population cities in the US, which is important to me. I also wanted to lose weight.

Bryan Wash and his bike

There a number of cycle tribes here: the drunken weekend tourists taking in the sights of the French Quarter; the biking-for-fitness crowd; the biking-for-fashion crowd and then there are those who bike because it’s what they can afford, arguably the largest group. The city’s economics are exacerbated in such a way that these groups seldom overlap.

The bike lanes are the best things about cycling in New Orleans, as are the signs encouraging motorists to give us space. Obviously it doesn’t always work out, but it’s nice to feel that some precautions are being promoted.

The worst is that the city’s ailments are exacerbated as you trek around on a bike. The homelessness problem is magnified; there’s trash everywhere and skipping from affluence to abject poverty is even more unavoidable. It’s probably good to find yourself face-to-face with that though, as it makes you want to do something about it. Bryan Washington

Kolkata, India: ‘I do it for the triumph of surviving a real life version of Temple Run’

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘Kolkata’s traffic is crazy.’ Photograph: Shrenik Avlani

I use my bike to get around Kolkata because it’s quick and one doesn’t really have to follow the traffic rules as it’s already illegal to cycle the city’s main roads.

Mamata Banerjee, the state’s chief minister, banned bikes in 2013. She wants to make Kolkata the “London of the East” (we already have a mini Big Ben and a giant Ferris wheel like the London Eye), but she is completely ignoring the efforts London has made to accommodate cyclists.



Cycling is the cheapest way to get from A to B for millions of poor Indians. Many can’t afford a fine for breaking the rules, but they risk it and most of the time they get away with it. I have only been threatened with a fine once.

The traffic is crazy with pedestrians jostling with vehicles for a piece of the crowded lane-less roads. Cyclists also navigate this melee trying not get run over or caught by the police.

The best thing about cycling in Kolokata is the chaos and the triumph of surviving a real life version of Temple Run. Honestly, I do it for the kicks. Shrenik Avlani

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cycling is banned on 174 of Kolkata’s main roads and streets. Photograph: Shrenik Avlani

Toronto, Canada: ‘In the winter temperatures can dip to -10C’



It’s a very exciting time to be a cyclist in Toronto. There are so many people looking to the bike as a viable, affordable and fun means of transport, and it has started to shape the city’s infrastructure, culture and community.

My commute is 30km each way from downtown Toronto to my office in Markham. I do this all year round, as long as the roads are safe – I have the clothing and equipment to handle the cold. In the winter both journeys are usually made in the dark and the temperatures can dip to -10C (-15C with windchill).

Cycling allows me to be part of the city. I often stumble upon alleyways, hidden gems and events that I would not have otherwise found. It’s quick, it’s flexible and I’m never stuck in traffic.

My favourite spot on the way home. It was so quiet that the leaves rustling and falling down the cliff behind me startled me. #outsideisfree ❄🌳🏔🍂🍃🍁 A post shared by ALLY (@_chenzhili) on Mar 16, 2017 at 4:10pm PDT

It’s still upsetting however, to see a lack of respect for life from some motorists just so they can save a few seconds. I’m not protected by a box of steel, I’m just trying to get to my destination alive. I’m someone’s daughter, sister and loved one – people seem to forget that.

The last time I was hit by a car (it’s happened twice) I felt really grateful for the camaraderie among my fellow cyclists. I was really emotional but people stopped to defend me. The driver was in the wrong and I came away mostly unscathed. Alison Chan

The good, the bad and the ugly of cycling in your city

Share your experiences using this form or in the comments below

The Guardian is dedicating a week to exploring the future of cycling in cities around the world. Explore our coverage here and follow us on on Twitter and Facebook. Will you be taking our challenge to have conversation with a fellow city cyclist? Tell us about it here or on Twitter or Instagram using #cycleconvo