Jim makes landmark cycle ride to work
But Jim Coll routinely pedals a 38-mile round trip to get from his home at Dunnet to his desk at the Highland Council offices in Wick.
This week marked a special milestone for the area personnel adviser, who clocked up his 1000th journey since he started using his bike 17 years ago. It is estimated that over this time he has covered over 38,000 miles.
After arriving at the temporary offices in Girnigoe Street after completing the milestone, he was congratulated by Landward Caithness councillor Willie Mackay.
Dependent on weather conditions and work commitments, Mr Coll (60) leaves the car at home, which as a result saves him money on fuel and keeps him fit.
Mr Coll said on average he makes the 75-minute cycle to work to Wick 12 weeks a year, but as his job involves travelling across Caithness and Sutherland, he is forced to take his car for the majority of the year.
“It’s just over 19 miles each way, so that’s 38,000 miles of diesel saved. It’s my wee contribution to the save the planet and to keep the legs and lungs going,” he said.
“I cycle all year and as long as you dress for the weather and have good lights and reflective clothing, there’s no problem.
“But a strong wind or a risk of ice stops me – there’s no sense in posing a danger to other road users or myself.”
Mr Coll first started cycling to work when he was a young apprentice as an asphalt spreader in the building trade, when he would cycle from his home in Clydebank to Motherwell. He was inspired to take up his cycling by colleague Jim Mitchell.
“As an apprentice, I carried my work boots and clothes in the saddle bag and sometimes I had to strap my tool bag to the handlebars if we were changing to another site,” he said. “I noticed that if I took the bus from Clydebank to Motherwell that it took the same time as taking the bike.
“My colleague used to race too and go off hostelling at weekends and he had been with his club on trips to Norway, Italy and France.
“He seemed to get more out of life by bringing his bike to work instead of just a hangover.
“He put me right for my first bike and took me on my first hostelling weekend.”
He has been on several cycling holidays on his own and with friends, as well as with his sons Andrew and Alasdair, when they cycled from Clydebank to Skye before pedalling home to Dunnet.
He said on the majority of the trips, he experiences very few problems with traffic although said there are motorists who should show more consideration for cyclists.
“As the nights draw in, some drivers forget to dip their lights until they are quite close,” he said.
“Some don’t realise how powerful light beams are nowadays, but there are few problems with drivers and of course I’m one myself when I’m not on the bike.
“Occasionally there is a driver on the mobile phone while driving. They must imagine themselves very important that their call can’t wait until they are at work.”
