CERTAIN journeys, or distances, simply don’t feel cycleable. Blackbird Leys to Botley (six miles) or Cowley to Summertown (five miles) are do-able trips for most cyclists, but as soon as you go over the ring road you also enter a different mindset: Eynsham to Oxford doesn’t feel that cycleable.

This year, Cyclox organised a Commuter Challenge from Eynsham to Radcliffe Square in Oxford, where all 17 participants were treated to complimentary cooked breakfasts at the bike-friendly Vaults Café.

The idea was to time different modes of commuting (not racing) into town using bicycles, a motorcycle, two cars, and two bus services. One person even ran. The city’s new Lord Mayor, Elise Benjamin, rode with the cyclists.

The seven mile trip from Eynsham represents a typical short commute from an outlying village into the city; a trip that may feel a bit far to cycle.

The Lord Mayor set the commuters off at 7.45 am outside the Queens’ Head pub in Eynsham. In Radcliffe Square, I started my stopwatch and, along, with an Oxford Mail photographer and BBC South Today cameraman, lay in wait for the motorcyclist.

Most of the commuters took the A40 route into town, with its dedicated cycle track. This is the route of choice for thousands of cyclists from Witney and Eynsham – there is even an A40 BUG (Bicycle Users’ Group – email On Yer Bike for details).

Two cyclists, a driver and a bus rider also took the more direct route along the B4044 via Swinford Toll Bridge, Farmoor Reservoir and Botley. The B4044 is a popular rat-run, and although it is shorter than the A40, few cyclists risk it because it has a poor surface, it is narrow and drivers speed.

It surprised everyone that the motorbike didn’t arrive before the bikes. In fact, the first 11 arrivals were all pedal-powered. The quickest cyclists, Kevin Moreland (Fellow On Yer Bike columnist Honour Tomkinson’s partner) and Paul Warren, came via Farmoor in an astonishing 21 minutes. A recumbent bike took just 22 minutes along the slightly longer A40 cycle track. The rider of an electric bicycle arrived sweat-free and wearing a business suit and tie via the A40 in just 24 minutes.

The Lord Mayor, Elise Benjamin, arrived wearing her mayoral chain in a sedate 34 minutes, proving that a slowish cyclist can do the journey in good time. They all adhered strictly to the Highway Code.

I don’t know what happened to the motorcyclist. He came via the A40 in a super-slow 38 minutes.

Honour Tomkinson took the A40 route and arrived in 44 minutes after parking in Broad Street. Next came Alun Ward – who ran the whole way in 47 minutes, just ahead of Graham Smith who had taken the bus via Farmoor and Botley. The last arrivals were Dr Simon Hunt, whose S1 bus came via the A40 in 48 minutes, and Lucy Tennyson, who drove via Farmoor and parked at the Westgate, in 51 minutes.

Although I’m sure a motorcycle could have beaten a bicycle, the bicycle was more than twice as quick as driving or getting the bus, which are the most common modes and the comparisons we really wanted to make.

Bikes are generally more than three times quicker than cars or buses at peak commuting times within Oxford, and on the Witney to Oxford route.

If the council wants to free up road space for cars and buses, it will find the cheapest and easiest way to beat congestion to tempt more out of queues of cars and onto bicycles.