26 AUGUST 1995, Page 22

Sir: I could not be more thrilled by the appearance

of a 'Not motoring' column in your Arts pages. When the 'Motoring' col- umn appeared a few weeks ago, only lazi- ness prevented me from cancelling my sub- scription immediately.

I was also thrilled by your Leader (5 August), though I do wish to take issue with your comments about cycling, all of which are quite simply wrong. That 'bicycles demand a measure of fitness beyond most self-respecting people', I would have thought is self-evidently wrong. I remember my grandmother taking up cycling in her early eighties, on the suggestion of her doc- tor, because she was too lame to walk to the shops.

Bill Bankes -Jones

7 Richmond Avenue, London Ni