HELLO.

I'm Stephen Bailey, I'm 27-years-old, I work for the Warrington Guardian and I have the fitness level of Albert Steptoe. And the physique.

Well, that was until about six weeks ago.

The traffic wardens started ticketing where I parked (near the Mersey alongside Riverside retail park in the town centre).

It was the final thing to push me into riding to work.

I'd wanted to do it for ages - to break the guilt of sitting in traffic sending out fumes, to ease the frustration of red light after red light.

But frankly, until the threat of £60 tickets, I was too worried about safety and if I could manage the seven or eight mile journey from Widnes.

Rod King from Warrington Cycle Campaign recommended I look round Ron Spencer Cycles in Orford.

The choice was a bit baffling. I knew nothing about bikes.

I didn't want a big heavy mountain bike to slog away for seven miles, and I had no intention of going off-roading.

And despite my brother urging me to get a racing bike (he has a Felt 80 that "goes like a missile" and rides from Brixton to central London each day), they were a bit too much - and a bit too pricey at £500 plus.

But the guy in the shop - whoever he was - listened to my carefully and had a eureka moment.

He went into another room and hauled down from the window a Giant FCR3 (giant-bicycles.com).

It was billed as a Fitness Bike but I've seen similar bikes elsewhere called Street Bikes - they have a racing style frame and tyres but flat handles and a more upright seating position.

I liked the look straight away and two days later drove back to buy it for £350 - it fits in the back of my Fiat Punto as long you push the back seats down.

And soon I was ready for my first ride