Rush-hour cycling beats buses, trains and cars

Bikes won out over cars, buses and trains in reaching their destinations in the fastest time from a variety of places around the city - leading the event's organisers to declare that cycling into work is the fastest, cheapest and most efficient way to get around the city.

Participants left from Ingliston, Newcraighall, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Ocean Terminal in Leith at 8:15am to make their way to Castle Street in the city centre.

From Ingliston the car took 31 minutes, the bus took 22 and the bicycle took 19.

In the race from ERI, the bicycle came in first at 17 minutes, trailed by a car at 30 minutes and a bus at 43 minutes.

The longest commute was 50 minutes by rail from Newcraighall station, because the scheduled train was cancelled. The journey should have taken just 20 minutes.

The same trip by car took 35 minutes while the bus took 21.

In the trip from Ocean Terminal, a motorbike also took part in the race and made the journey in the fastest time of 15 minutes. However it was just two minutes ahead of the bicycle, while the car took 25 minutes and the bus 28 minutes.

Maggie Wynn, the co-ordinator of TryCycling, a bike-riding pressure group in Edinburgh that helped to organise the Commuter Challenge event, said: "I'm sure these results will come as a surprise to a lot of people.

"And I think it will encourage them to get on their bikes instead of automatically jumping into the car.

"Cycling is something which improves commuting, health and the environment, as well as being cheap and efficient."

Ricky Henderson, Edinburgh city council executive member for transport, said: "This is a really worthwhile event which illustrates that there are many transport options available for those coming to work in the city centre."

Participants in the challenge had to obey the Highway Code and other road regulations and had to park legally on arrival in the city centre.