The Big Bike Challenge on Jack FM

All this week local radio station 106 JACK fm are running a Bristol transport challenge during morning breakfast show That Morning Thing.

The station are pitting cars against bicycles to see which is the most efficient at tackling some of Bristol's busiest routes, right in the middle of the morning rush hour.

The key question is: will the cyclist have a quicker and more enjoyable journey into work than the motorist?

The challenge itself runs from Monday 20th to Friday 24th September, taking in the following routes:

Monday:

Ashton Court to Queen Square, along the Cumberland Basin and Cumberland Road.

• Getting Team Bike off to a flying start, Mike Taylor took eight minutes, beating Jack fm driver Martin Hiscox by five minutes.

Tuesday:

Bradley Stoke to Aztec West, starting out at The Giant Store in Bradley Stoke, and finishing in the middle of Aztec West.

• Cyclist Craig Denning completed the route in three minutes 48 seconds, whilst Martin got caught up in rush hour traffic, taking 15 minutes 11 seconds.

Wednesday:

Bristol Bus Station to Queen Square, from St James Barton Roundabout along the city centre.

• Lizzie Evered scored a very close win for the bike, but by less than 60 seconds this time.

Thursday:

Staple Hill to the Bristol Evening Post building. The cyclist can make use of Bristol-Bath Railway Path, which leads straight to the centre of town, whilst the driver uses Fishponds Road and the M32.

• Cyclist Claire Dinsdale arrived promptly after 22 minutes on the downhill route through Fishponds. A huge traffic jam on the M32 meant the car arrived a whopping 1 hour 18 minutes later.

Friday:

UWE Frenchay Campus to Eastville Park. Here the cyclist can make use of the Frome Greenway, while the driver has to endure the Eastville junction of the M32.

• On an unfamiliar route rider Ben Hillsdon got lost. Three times. He arrived at the  meeting point two minutes 40 seconds after Jack fm driver Martin. Ben should have used Better By Bike's trip planner or printed out of the Bristol cycle maps.

Download a PDF of the routes below.

With four wins out of five it's clear that bikes are quicker at navigating the rush hour traffic than cars.

This event has been designed to promote responsible cycling and responsible driving, mirroring the regular commutes of cyclists and vehicle drivers.

Cyclists taking part in the challenge must stop at all red lights and avoid cycling on pavements that are not designed for shared use (as must the motorist). However, the use of traffic-free cycle paths is actively encouraged!

Listeners can tune in to The Big Bike Challenge on 106.5 JACK fm.

Downloads: 

106 Jack fm bike challenge routes (526kb)