London calling

[BigdummySteve]

I’ve been parachuted into the annual ExCel London mega lifting gear inspection and hence will be in residence until Christmas.
If it was the summer I’d have no qualms about chucking the bike in the van and riding in the evening, I’m dosing in barking so could commute in perhaps quicker than driving, possibly a few rides around the Olympic Park?

But not being a London type am I asking to be bike jacked or run over The normal alternative is getting bored in the hotel then going to the bar, I’ve three weeks to kill so suggestions welcome

[Oli.vert]

Barking to Excel's like a 5 mile ride, it'd be daft not to ride it. I just had a look at likely routes and though not pretty, there's good cycle ways nearly all the way.
The three rules of safe London cycling are 1. Assume none has seen you. 2. Ride predictably. 3. Don't ride on Canal tow-paths in the dark.
There are now so many cyclists in London that all drivers have learnt to deal with us, which is great. I think it's safer now than it ever has been and I've been riding here for over 30 years. The wort places are large roundabouts - ride in the middle of any lane and never hug the left kerb. And cement trucks. If you can hear a big chuntery noise, check where it is and do not be anywhere near it's left side. Better, don't be anywhere near.

You'll find there's a good few cyclists using the routes you'd be on, there's a great route up to the Olympic Park along the top of Bazalgette's drain, and if you're free next weekend self and a mate are planning an offroad-ish ride to Brighton along the way south path, anything from 50 miles or over 80 depending on start location.

Oh, and some good rides out along the riverside going eastwards from Barking, on either side of the river.

[RIP]

"three rules" - as a bowler-hatted pin-striped carnation-buttonholed bicycle-clipped city gent many (*) years ago, I rode my Brompton in rush-hour, at a time when there might only have been one or two of them on the train unlike the "a couple stashed at every door" nowadays, from Euston to various parts of that curious city. I distilled the experience into "all the different transport types (bike, taxi, lorry etc) hate each other but at least they understand each other". In over ten years of biking the only 'serious' problems I had were pedestrians stepping off the pavement into my path. I actually FAR prefer riding in London than my own town, where "all the different transport types don't hate each other but neither do they understand each other". I'd much rather be hated and understood than the other way round.............

"ride in the middle of any lane and never hug the left kerb" - TBH, I'd plonk that in as Rule #1...

Ride idea? Bike up the river embankment to, er, well, Embankment; then back on the Thames Clipper. Did that a while ago, in reverse. The boat trip was better than any fairground ride.... pootled along like a super-annuated barge until Tower Bridge, then the cap'n pressed the big RED button and opened her up and it was unbelievable, insane even - the machine must have been rocket-propelled, the banks were a blur all the way to Greenwich. Amazing value for the price of a Travelcard or whatever it is. Apparently there's talk of extending the route to Barking but it might not be ready in time for your jaunt . (edit: Wotsits posted as I was adding this - 2 recommendations then )

Reg (Seat 23, rear coach, Mon-Fri 08.05 Leighton Buzzard - Euston)

(*) many

[Wotsits]

One evening after work, get your oyster out & head west on the TFL River Bus (not the tourist ones). It's cheap and an ace way to see London, you can even get a beer onboard (& they take bikes) ..

https://londonmap360.com/carte/image/en ... us-map.jpg

Get off somewhere on the South Bank & jump on a Boris bike for the return journey. It's a really good walk/ride from the Ldn Eye to Tower Bridge.

The cycle super highways are a quick way to get about, if you go north over Tower Bridge then this one will take you all the way back to Barking-
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/cycle-superhi ... ateway.pdf

Plenty of places to grab something to eat or a beer, but if you get on CS3 at Cable Street try to call in here for a beer.
https://www.wiltons.org.uk/
Just make sure you get a peek at the theatre inside, it was put together inside a group of terraced houses

Loads of 'bike-stuff' to do in London, i go down fairly regular & have taken to bringing my own bike with me recently..

[BigdummySteve]

Cheers, although I’m wary of cycling around London in the dark. It seems like an opportunity too good to miss. A few years ago I put my hands up for night skydiving, it was good but called on things I didn’t even know existed before.

[RIP]

"bike London.. in the dark" - it's one of the most full-on experiences you can have.... festoon yourself in lighting mate (you should know all about that in your trade, mebbe you could borrow a few TF-20's for the bars ), pedal/wheel reflectors and hivis, and let the other road users know what you'd like to do next - look behind, eye contact, signal, SMILE, thank 'em..... that'll be more than 98% of London bikers do and all the drivers'll love you to bits (not to say be stunned too)....

But you knew all that .

[benp1]

Steve, cycling in London is great

There are thousands of folks cycling around, it's massively popular.

Make sure you have lights on, plenty of numpties without. I cycle in and out of central London (21 mile round trip) most days and love it, it's much better than other forms of transport!

Also, have good locks for the bike, and lock it properly

[ianfitz]

I worked an on site install job many years ago in a job where lots of tools meant car/landy/van was needed. Several jobs were in London and having experienced driving and parking in various locations I would do anything to avoid regular driving there! I can't offer any specific advise, looks like some good stuff above though.

[middleagedmadness]

Steve if you put all that reflective on I sent you you'd be seen from out of space buddy

[BigdummySteve]

I’ve put a fair amount on, frame, fork legs, inside of crank arms, helmet also I have bar end lights which really help to give a bit more width. I’ll also take my reflective jacket which glows when hit by headlights, don’t think they will miss me ...... assuming they are actually looking

[BigdummySteve]

As an added bonus I’ve used this as a top excuse and ordered an exposure Diablo and traceR rear light, three weeks of London commuting here I come!

[benp1]

I nearly had someone take me out last night, turned into me from a minor road into the major road that I was on. Reflectives are no use in that situation as there is no light coming from the vehicle towards me so nothing reflects back

That said I was running two exposure lights, strada on solid and a diablo on pulse. He just want looking properly.

Unfortunately I usually have at least one near incident every week or two, and I try not to ride like a twit and take back roads as a preference

That said it's still good!

[gairym]

I lived and rode in London village for years and I'll echo everyone's advice re: lights and visibility etc...

In my experience attitude is also a factor. I treated riding in London like a computer game. A very real and potentially deadly computer game where everyone and everything is trying to kill you.

Assume that nobody is even trying to see you and even if they do they're likely to pretend they didn't and squeeze through that gap anyway.

The drivers hate you, the pedestrians hate you more and the bus/taxi drivers hate you most of all!

And don't underestimate the danger of the many, many other cyclists on the road as a large proportion are also trying to kill you.

This all makes it sound very negative but with the right attitude it can be a brilliant experience.

I genuinely miss my commute and relish the challenge of staying alive everytime we go back and visit and I insist on riding everywhere I can.

Fun stuff!!!

[BigdummySteve]

King of hi-vis

https://open.spotify.com/track/28uFnR70 ... EIPkAnGr8g

[BigdummySteve]

Well the drive to the hotel on the first night took 1 1/2 hours....for under four miles people shouldn’t have to live like this

The next morning I had no fear of taking the bike, I nice easy ride with very little traffic. This evening after I finished onsite,I went for the full on London cycling experience, weapons included a sinewave beacon, cateye volt on pulse and an exposure Diablo (set to stun when the battle got frisky), out back a son dynamo light was joined by an exposure traceR in pluse mode.
At one point I thought I’d strayed into Chinatown until I twigged that the closed fist wave Was because I’d left my Diablo on full blast

I took this route....
https://www.strava.com/activities/20004 ... 1543957691

It really was great fun, cycling around St Kathrine,s dock made me feel poor but in no way jealous, the obscene displays of wealth really just make me feel a little sad for the world we live in. Following the suggestion here I jumped on a Thames clipper and enjoyed a beer while we blasted up the river at a fair old clip, rode under the Thames through the woolwich foot tunnel (never knew it existed) and back the the hotel, fantastic fun but I don’t think I’d like to do it every day.

[RIP]

[Rumps]

hi
Try riding down to the Thames Barrier after work, following the paths and roads as close to the river as possible. The barrier is really cool especially in the dark .A year last september, two mates, both BB riders, and I met at the Cutty Sark for a beer and supper and we then rode to the Thames Barrier and then set off to ride to the source of the Thames by the river-about 220kms. We left the barrier at 9pm and took us about 2 hours to get to Vauxhall as there were so many people, not all of them inebriated, by the river , but it was a great atmosphere. You get to see the really old pubs east of Tower Bridge. One amusing moment was needing to carry our bikes through the reception and bar of a pretty posh hotel to stick to the river path in SE London. It being London no-one really batted an eyelid. We then rode through the night to Reading where we had bfast. We continued to and through Oxford but in the Upper Thames area -which is beautiful and very quiet - there are countless styles which required constant lifting of the bike over the head. This was tiring , time consuming and boring. We then eventually worked out that it could in part have been to dissaude cyclists.....The path also ended up being BB like . ie invisible as it went through thick meadows of very wet and muddy grass.
Finally we worked out we would have arrived at about 10pm in the middle of nowhere , needing to get home to fulfil domestic duties, and having to ride 25 or more miles to Swindon for a very late train.
Result -into a rather good pub for beers and food and a mate picked us up on his way home from the bike show. A nice little adventure tho. I have the gpx route if anyone is interested.

[RIP]

"ride to the source of the Thames" - nice idea that Rumps, something for the bucket list. I'm OT now, but sod it it's Friday, so I'll say it reminds of when I punted to Cricklade with a mate and a tin of pineapple back in 1979. Took a meandering 2 weeks. ' “How many swans did you say there were?” asked George. “Thirty-two,” replied Harris, sleepily. “You said eighteen just now,” said George. “No, I didn’t,” grunted Harris; “I said twelve. Think I can’t count?” '.

1979_thames_swans_14 by Reg, on Flickr

[BigdummySteve]

Having known you for a while that doesn’t surprise me, the tin of pineapple I mean.

[BigdummySteve]

Back on topic, I need a folder. Not the sort of train thing but more of a sniper rifle. Compact but quickly assembled into a deadly weapon. Need not fit in a violin case, any suggestions?

[fatbikephil]

It can't be that bad surely??