And while I understand why mum freaked out (she spent a long time trying to teach me to ride as a kid and knows coordination is not one of my strong points) the decision to start riding my commute was pretty easy.

After a decade of living within walking distance of work in Wollongong's CBD, I've made the move to the inner suburbs - and I'm now about five kilometres from the office, which would mean getting up far too early if I wanted to walk every day.

Driving to work would have mean buying a second car (my partner uses ours to commute to Sydney) and as a new homeowner, I'm keen to scrimp where I can. At $800, buying a decent bike was preferable to forking out cash for a car, and having to pay for another set of petrol, rego and upkeep costs.

And, for years I've watched my colleagues try to outsmart parking rangers by constantly moving their car every two hours and have no desire to partake in that silly game.

After a bit of research, I also found that my new house was serviced by excellent bike paths that run alongside the M1, railway track and straight into the CBD. And, I've moved away from my gym, so riding for 20 minutes to and from work is a good way to get some incidental exercise.

I'm now about two months in to my new commute, and love the freedom of my ride to work and can see why there have been studies finding that cyclists are twice as happy as other commuters. (I don't quite love the ride home as much, because the last kilometre is all uphill and I still occasionally have to get off and push at the steepest parts).

But, keen to make sure I can keep riding to work (and put my mum's mind at ease) I recently took part in a Wollongong City Council bike workshop.

In 2014, the council adopted a bike plan with the aim of making the city centre more accessible for cyclists, and doubling the number of cycling commuters by 2018.

In 2011, only 0.8 per cent of the Wollongong population (642 people) was recorded as cycling to work on Census day, compared to about 58,000 people who used a car and 5,500 who took public transport. 

A council survey found the main barriers to more people using a bike were lack of off-road paths and bike lanes, safety concerns and concerns about the attitude of motorists.

Lucky for me, I was able to overcome the first two concerns with a bit of research on the council’s bike maps, and obviously not everyone will be lucky enough to live close to dedicated bike paths and on-road lanes.

I understand the concern about motorists’ attitudes, and have encountered my fair share of people who have pulled out in front of me, parked in the middle of a bike path and then opened their car door, or whizzed past my bike on the road with far less than a metre between.

But a lot of my other safety concerns related to my own ability on the bike, and have improved since educating myself on the best way to ride. 

Just like drivers learning to drive, people using the roads as cyclists have a responsibility to know the rules, and practice to build up confidence and ability.

The council’s road safety officer Naomi Reid says this will increase people’s safety, enjoyment and therefore, likelihood of actually getting on a bike on a regular basis.

“We obviously want to reduce crashes that occur, but also there’s huge positive flow-on effects for the community so we want to give more people the confidence to be able to ride,” she said.

“There’s rules, laws and regulations for everyone that uses the road, and it’s also important to learn about the correct manner of using shared paths so that everyone can enjoy themselves.”

“It’s not just about jumping on a bike – there’s a lot of different components and we want people to consider those so they can be safe, and happy.“

So, with that in mind, here’s a few of the things I learnt.

Use dedicated cycle routes where possible, or quieter streets if you can. Once you’ve got an idea where you are headed do a test ride when time isn’t a factor. Use online searches, bike user groups or council maps to see where paths or marked roads are – it might be better to take a slightly longer route with better facilities.

Rising a bike is a relatively safe activity but when mixing with other vehclies and pedestrians, collisions can be nasty. Use your ears, not just your eyes. Don’t wear headphones and pay attention to what is happening to the flow of traffic.

A few weeks in to riding regularly, I’m getting used to the feeling of being on the road. It can be scary at times, and as a beginner, I’ve learnt there’s no shame in taking a cautious approach, and if I feel unsafe at all, I simply hop off my bike in a safe spot and become a (bike pushing) pedestrian.

The bike workshop included information about basic hand signals, where on the road your should ride, braking techniques and even the best ways to sit or stand when going up and down hills or around corners – so if you’re unsure, I’d recommend seeking out something similar.

Take the time to learn how to pump your tyres, check your brakes, seat, handlebars and gears are in order. At the Rideability workshop, I learnt about the importance of carrying a puncture kit, oiling your chain and wiping the dust from your bike to keep things running smoothly.

I’m lucky that my commute to work is all down hill and flat, so I’ve found I can ride in my regular work clothes, with comfortable shoes.

I bought myself a good backpack, so I can stash a change of shirt and shoes. Rideability recommends wearing bright clothes, especially if you’re riding around dusk, but this can easily be solved with a super bright helmet (yes, you must have a helmet – otherwise you’ll be up for a $319 fine) or a fluoro backpack cover. If you’re riding at night, you must have lights, and a light waterproof jacket will come in handy in the rain.

With a nice easy ride to work, I find a quick freshen up in the bathroom (deodorant, wet wipes if it’s hot, change of shoes, some hair product and a makeup compact) does the trick. But I know other cyclists who save their morning shower for the bathrooms at work (workplaces are increasingly being encouraged to provide these facilities under planing rules designed to make cities more sustainable). 

For the uphill ride home, I change into my gym clothes and turn it into my daily workout by pushing myself a bit harder. That way I don’t have to find extra time to exercise as it’s already done by the time I’m home.

Based on information from Rebecca Randazzo, from Rideability.