Cycling in London - Leisure and/or commuting

[TheFungle]

Through work I've an amazing opportunity to spend a lot of time in London over the next 12 weeks.

Will be working in EC1V and accommodated either nearby or in Woolwich (don't ask!).

I'll be in London from Mon PM - Thurs AM and would love the chance to explore by bike.

I'm not sure it's worth taking my gravel bike so what alternatives do I have?

[Matt London]

How much time will you have? Facility to rinse your Gravel Bike off?

You could cycle to Stratford along the Grand Union Canal towpath and then head North along the River Lea towpath all the way to to Hertford.

If you go that way, my choice would be to go on the road and join the River Lea at Clapton before heading North towards Hertford way.

It is very wet and muddy though!

[BlackTails]

If you want to explore central London on a bike, Boris bikes are absolutely ideal. Slow, upright, and pick up/drop off pretty much close to everything.

For commenting from Woolwich, don’t use a bike.

[TheFungle]

BlackTails said:

If you want to explore central London on a bike, Boris bikes are absolutely ideal. Slow, upright, and pick up/drop off pretty much close to everything.

For commenting from Woolwich, don’t use a bike.

Any particular reason you say that?

Have use of bike storage and showers at work which will make life easier.

I' concerned about losing my fitness over the 12 wks so whilst Boris Bikes are perfect for exploring, they wont give me the fitness riding Im after.

[BlackTails]

TheFungle said:

Any particular reason you say that?

Have use of bike storage and showers at work which will make life easier.

I' concerned about losing my fitness over the 12 wks so whilst Boris Bikes are perfect for exploring, they wont give me the fitness riding Im after.

The roads into the City either north or south of the river are pretty horrific if you’re on a bike. Even you’ve got a lot of experience of riding in heavy traffic with a lot of two wheelers around you, the main roads, especially north of the river from Tower Bridge out past Canary Wharf are not cycle friendly.

ETA; I took the liberty of having a look at some of your previous posts. I’ve done some riding in Yorkshire - Harrogate to Scarborough with a mate, a sportive run out of Otley, and a few social rides. And I’ve ridden to/from work in London for years. All on a road bike.

Honestly, riding in rush hour London traffic on the major roads, especially when the clocks are back an hour, is mentally exhausting. Spider-sense dialled to 16, anticipate what everyone around you is going to do (or try to do at your expense) use your ears and memory to track what’s behind you, watch the road surface - it’s properly demanding (I suppose it’s possible to think “Ah, fk it, let them look out for me”, but I don’t think those riders have long spells between offs).

So I appreciate you’ve got good road bike experience, and that’s good because knowing how to handle a road bike means one fewer thing to have to think about, but don’t underestimate how different it will be from Yorkshire, including Leeds!

If you still want to give it a go, go for it, but plan your route over a weekend (try a few), skip the first few rainy days you encounter, and stay alert.

Edited by BlackTails on Saturday 18th January 14:25

[TheFungle]

BlackTails said:

TheFungle said:

Any particular reason you say that?

Have use of bike storage and showers at work which will make life easier.

I' concerned about losing my fitness over the 12 wks so whilst Boris Bikes are perfect for exploring, they wont give me the fitness riding Im after.

The roads into the City either north or south of the river are pretty horrific if you’re on a bike. Even you’ve got a lot of experience of riding in heavy traffic with a lot of two wheelers around you, the main roads, especially north of the river from Tower Bridge out past Canary Wharf are not cycle friendly.

ETA; I took the liberty of having a look at some of your previous posts. I’ve done some riding in Yorkshire - Harrogate to Scarborough with a mate, a sportive run out of Otley, and a few social rides. And I’ve ridden to/from work in London for years. All on a road bike.

Honestly, riding in rush hour London traffic on the major roads, especially when the clocks are back an hour, is mentally exhausting. Spider-sense dialled to 16, anticipate what everyone around you is going to do (or try to do at your expense) use your ears and memory to track what’s behind you, watch the road surface - it’s properly demanding (I suppose it’s possible to think “Ah, fk it, let them look out for me”, but I don’t think those riders have long spells between offs).

So I appreciate you’ve got good road bike experience, and that’s good because knowing how to handle a road bike means one fewer thing to have to think about, but don’t underestimate how different it will be from Yorkshire, including Leeds!

If you still want to give it a go, go for it, but plan your route over a weekend (try a few), skip the first few rainy days you encounter, and stay alert.

Edited by BlackTails on Saturday 18th January 14:25

That sounds great fun

Much like driving in the middle east, IMO it's easier to 'join them' rather than driving like some shrinking violet who has been told to 'drive defensively'.

[TheInternet]

Unless you're particularly worried about theft I'd just take your hybrid with the knowledge you can ride it anywhere. Can't think of a reason why you'd do anything else beyond the crime thing.

[lickatysplit]

I used to commute through Woolwich all the time. keep to the lower road through Woolwich Dockyard then onto Charlton, Greenwich etc. the road there is plenty wide enough for 2 lanes and a bike lane

[TallTom]

Riding in London is an interesting experience, best advice I got from my dad is "Not worth getting flattened if you are in the right and someone is wrong!"

Ride fairly defensively but with balanced amount of aggression and will be fine, just expect everything to try to kill you at some point!

Ride from Stratford out down the River Lea is a good ride, although very flat. It can be congested with tourists/other river path users (till about tottenham hale roughly) total distance about 30 miles or so to Hertford from Stratford

[Solocle]

TallTom said:

Riding in London is an interesting experience, best advice I got from my dad is "Not worth getting flattened if you are in the right and someone is wrong!"

Ride fairly defensively but with balanced amount of aggression and will be fine, just expect everything to try to kill you at some point!

Ride from Stratford out down the River Lea is a good ride, although very flat. It can be congested with tourists/other river path users (till about tottenham hale roughly) total distance about 30 miles or so to Hertford from Stratford

Sounds right, last time I was in London I had an encounter on Lower Thames St. Vehicle emerged from a slip road into my path... my answer was to shift into L2 and overtake!

[okgo]

Worth trying to have a look at the parks, Regents/Richmond are a nice thing to do. The latter is obviously far bigger and better to cycle.

Regards exploring central London, I'd say that a Lime, or Uber bike (both electric) are the way to do it, they nip about quickly, and are cheap, but your bike will also be fine. Depending on where you end up staying, there's some good hills about which can provide a great view of London.

[stongle]

Woolwich into EC1 is a piece of piss commute. Once you hit Greenwich, which is only a couple of Miles there are plenty of bikes travelling in.

Yes you have to be wary at all times, especially if the other cyclists but it's an easy commute and actually avoids black spots like Elephant and Castle. Plenty of strava segments along that route

But if you are sightseeing, Lime bikes is the way to go. I wouldn't leave anything even part valuable chained up in town.

[untakenname]

Make sure you record your ride, when I was commuting into London I had contact/crashes on a monthly basis, sadly in London right of way means nothing when you're on a bike.

[TheInternet]

untakenname said:

, when I was commuting into London I had contact/crashes on a monthly basis,

You're doing something wrong if this is true.

[okgo]

TheInternet said:

You're doing something wrong if this is true.

Quite.

Re electric bikes - the uber ones are BY FAR the best of all the ones you can hire. Lime generally fked and st and far slower and less sturdy than the uber ones.

[williaa68]

Agree but the uber ones are pricey and the usage area is very restricted - you need to look at the app carefully to make sure you don't get clobbered with a big fine

[okgo]

williaa68 said:

Agree but the uber ones are pricey and the usage area is very restricted - you need to look at the app carefully to make sure you don't get clobbered with a big fine

That is true. Lime a bit more flexible, though they have blackmarked most of south London, which is annoying.

[untakenname]

Hire bikes aren't that great when you have a timeframe to be at work, used a Barclays bike once and never again as had to go to three different racks before I found one with a free slot to park it back.

Those unlock with an app bikes have alleviated having to find a spare rack to return it but they don't look that sturdy or quick to get around on compared to a normal road bike or even a hybrid.

TheInternet said:

untakenname said:

, when I was commuting into London I had contact/crashes on a monthly basis,

You're doing something wrong if this is true.

I simply asserted my right of way, monthly I'd have a minor coming together with a car, I found driving standards in central London to be better simply due to the volume of cyclists, all my major accidents happened in zone 4 or 5, I think as drivers don't expect cyclists.

Had a nasty crash where I wrote a car off with my face and after that I slowed down a bit, luckily I had an action cam (nearly a decade ago!) and so the CPS took it all the way to crown court whereas if it had just been my word vs the minicab driver they would have probably on balance of probability believed him as his maneuver was so retarded it beggared belief.

[anonymous-user]

Or you can hire Brompton , great for getting about. Also an extra workout effect, due to the weight etc!

[Scabutz]

I've recently started commuting Euston to Cannon Street. There are cycle superhighways the whole way. They are good. Most are physically separated with a kerb. Junctions have separate bike traffic lights which turn green before the cars they dont turn left into you.

You do need a bit of awareness though and a bell. Pedestrians are a menace. Everyone jumps red lights , especially cyclists I'm sorry to say.

I was really worried about cycling in london, but on the cycle paths its great