One of the iconic images of last summer was a self-styled mod, dressed in lycra, sideburns in full glory, sat on a purple throne, giving the 'V' sign to photographers, in front Hampton Court Palace - once home to another famous redhead who liked to speak his mind.

Thousands lined the streets of London and Surrey during that infectious month of the Olympics to see Bradley 'Wiggo' Wiggins - now Sir Bradley - power home to gold medal victory - a feat also achieved by another cycling 'Sir', Chris Hoy, in the velodrome, where he took his cycling gold medal tally up to six, making him our most successful Olympic cyclist of all time. 

With a rising number of people not only wanting to cheer from the sidelines, but get on the saddle themselves, why has cycling taken off in recent years?

Jamie Chisholm, owner of the Bike Beans Cycle Cafe, in Ashtead, says high profile wins at a national level have certainly helped give the sport a prestige in the nation's psyche that has not really existed before.

He says: "At the elite level we have got some of the best cyclists in the world. 

"Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France last year - the first time it’s ever been done by a British rider. 

"We had the Olympics here last year too when the cycle races came more-or-less past our doorsteps.

"It’s got a hugely high profile and is fast becoming on of our national sports that we are really successful at."

But it's not just as a recreational activity that cycling's ticking the boxes. 

Jamie says there has been a rise in "the concept of the bike as a more functional, practical mode of transport" - a sign of the times.

He says: "Economically, environmentally, for health and wellbeing, a lot of people are cycling because it’s the complete all-rounder.

"The recession has had an impact - men going through a mid-life crisis who used to go out and buy a sports car are now buying a bike because it’s cheaper. 

"Fuel is expensive, there’s nowhere to park, there’s so much traffic on the roads. 

"If you ride to work you start the day feeling invigorated."

Jamie says the mental benefits of cycling are not to be under-estimated either, as well as it being a great way to get fit quick.

"Just getting out into the fresh air with friends and doing something active, it makes you feel really good and is one of those sports you can progress very quickly with," he says.  

"It’s amazing how quickly the body gains fitness and that happens even more quickly on a bike."

From commuters to trials riders, serious recreational enthusiasts to tour fanatics, it's a sport which has something for everyone.

Jamie says: "You've got your enthusiasts training for events or who are attached to a cycling club, cyclists who tour and like visiting different places.

"Returning cyclists - people who cycled in their childhood and teens and then got into work and the busyness of life. They are now coming out the other end and have much more time to get fit.

"There's a very active youth scene - teenagers with BMXs who hang out at the local skate park, and then you get trials riding with huge jumps and without saddles."

One of the most exciting areas of growth is women's cycling which, he says, has always lagged behind men's professionally.

"Team GB’s women won Olympic medals for cycling and the UK’s now got its own women’s cycling team.

"The sport is traditionally seen as being dominated by MAMILs - middle-aged men in lycra.  But that’s changing," he says.

"Next year there will be a women’s Tour of Britain for the first time.

"I’m seeing more and more women on bikes coming into the cafe, and the social side of the sport is even more important for them."

A "middle-aged man who has never grown out of bikes", Jamie says the socially cohesive element of the cycling of yesteryear - not everyone could afford a car but they could afford a cycle - is returning and the bike is once more becoming a symbol for bringing different people together.

A group from Bike Beans recently completed a 'Fish 'n' Chips' ride from Ashtead to Brighton - an example of Jamie's aim of bringing cyclists together in setting up the cafe last year.

"It’s a very social sport.  My aim was to deliver a cycling hub which could support existing cyclists, but also encourage those who really want to do it.

"One of the issues with going to a club is they can be quite daunting places. 

"I wanted to create something which wasn’t elitist and was very inclusive, something for everyone," Jamie says.

"Lots of people cycle on their own and they come into the cafe and within half an hour they are sitting at the same table deep in conversation over a cup of tea.  It provides an environment they feel comfortable in." 

So, if you've never ridden without stabilisers or haven't picked up a cycle since you taught the kids, why should you get on your bike?

"The beauty of cycling is that it cuts across all age groups.  You can keep cycling. 

"It’s not like running where it’s hard on your joints.  It’s a great thing you can enjoy right through your life and there are not that many active sports you can say that about," Jamie says.

"I’ve met some of my best friends through cycling.  You meet amazing people, see amazing places and keep fit physically and mentally.

"It’s great for clearing the head and putting things into perspective and just seeing your local area.

"I had no idea that the Surrey Hills existed when I first moved to Ashtead. 

"Cycling gets you out there and discovering the hidden gems.

"You see so much more and experience so much more."

While this summer's sport might not be able to quite compete with last year's Olympics, the Tour of Britain will be back in September and celebrating its 10th anniversary. 

Stage 7 of the tour will be starting in Epsom, so Wiggo will be guaranteed to bring a bit of mod rock to the historic market town.  Action starts with Stage 1 on September 15 in Peebles, with London due to host the home straight on September 22.

And if that wasn't enough there're also the Prudential Ride London-Surrey race to look forward to on August 4, which will start in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London and follow a 100-mile route on closed roads through the capital and into Surrey's wondrous countryside.

Grab a bike and make sure you're down at the sidelines to watch!

If you’re a serious enthusiast looking to push yourself and track your progress, there are a whole range of products on the market for you to snap up.

Strava, a free app for iPhones and Android phones, dubbed the Facebook of cycling, allows you to compete with others riding the same routes as you. 

Simply log in at the start of a route and, by the end of it, the app will have ranked you against other cyclists who have completed the same section, giving you a handy summary of your performance too.

The Garmin Edge 800 might also be a good investment if you want to track how you’re doing on any given ride.

The handheld device, a GPS cycle computer, offers road mapping and lots of statistics about your performance. 

And if you’re training up, then you may want to consider the Wattbike, "a very sophisticated exercise bike", used by a number of different sportsman and athletes.

It monitors everything you need to know about your cycling and will help you track progress as your training develops.