LAST week Sevenoaks cyclists called for action to be taken to make the town more cycle-friendly, as the recession, congestion and environmental concerns force more Sennockians to think of turning to two wheels.

In the second installment of our three-part feature on cycling in Sevenoaks, Chronicle reporter James Daly got on his bike to see what sort of welcome awaits cyclists in the town.

IN THE end it was no more than a 45-minute journey, but it brought me within inches of a lorry, side-by-side with fast moving traffic and took me through one of Sevenoaks' busiest junctions.

These were things I worried about as I donned a lightweight helmet and zipped up my thin jacket at the top of the High Street.

Cycling along busy roads is a daunting thought when you have no crash bumpers, roll cages or ABS brakes.

But nevertheless, I clicked my helmet strap into place, administered a last-minute squeeze on the brakes for good luck and put my foot down.

I left the Chronicle office and headed through town, free-wheeling past the shoppers and parked cars towards Supreme Choice and head-on into my first busy junction with Pembroke Road.

It was a bit like the classic Atari computer game Paperboy – with people appearing on both sides and wandering into the road.

You really need your wits about you if you are to avoid them, but I did, and made it to the crossroads where a red light gave me a chance to catch my breath.

The traffic light must have seen me coming because no sooner had I come to a stop when it flashed amber, then green and we were off again.

Not having fuel injection was a real disadvantage at this point and it takes some serious leg pumping to get back up to speed.

I then had to negotiate a tricky right-hand turn across two lanes of traffic down Seal Hollow Road.

With no clear cycling route I had to edge my way to the front of the junction and, when I saw a gap, I went for it.

I somehow emerged the other side unscathed and sped off noticing the increasing narrowness of the route. Like a scene from Star Wars, the walls slowly closed in on me.

The slightest clip of the kerb and I would have lurched across the road and into on-coming traffic in a nanosecond.

A left turn onto the A25, near the Wildernesse School, provided my first real speed test as I tackled a well-known cycling black-spot and headed towards Bat and Ball.

It was a little bit like being a Salmon swimming downstream next to some sharks, but I held firm and made it to the Bat and Ball junction.

I waited for what seemed like an eternity for the lights to change and when they did I accelerated over the crossing and towards Riverhead where I first diced with death.

A lorry came racing past me, no more than three inches from my right ear, as it trundled along the Bradbourne Vale Road, leaving a shaken cyclist in its wake.

The two roundabouts at Riverhead proved my most daring task. Many drivers seemed oblivious to my presence and ignored my hand signals which became more animated as the seconds ticked by.

In the end I chanced it and raced into a gap. I pedalled furiously to keep up with the traffic and then made a quick left turn at the second roundabout and headed back towards the town.

Passing the train station I met the only, and possibly the most pointless, cycle path on route. It was no more than 100 yards and ended at the traffic lights by the Farmers site.

Whereas my average speed from the High Street on the way down to Riverhead must have been around 20mph, going back up London Road to the office it was probably nearer two.

The gradient made my pedal pushing feel like I was wading through caramel and by the time I reached the finish point my calves were burning as if someone had taken a blow torch to them.

I can see why, when tackling the hill, people would prefer to stay in their cars.

I finally pulled up outside the office, glad to be in one piece, and aware that cyclists have it tough in Sevenoaks,with little protection and few options other than the dangerous and choked roads.

There are next to no cycle lanes, terrible congestion in places and, despite the good nature of most of the drivers, moments where I was made to feel like a second-rate road user.

Some clear and roomy cycle paths would not go amiss and neither would some road signs reminding drivers that there are two-wheeled travellers about as well as those with four.

If it is to become a viable alternative for getting around the town, far more investment in cycle-friendly provisions is needed.