City Cycling

Over the last 2 weekends I’ve cycled over 60 miles through the streets of London.

It’s dangerously exhilarating to pit your wits against the traffic and put your life in your hands as you race through the streets of one of the greatest cities on earth.

A week ago I headed into town, cycling down the King’s Road to Buckingham Palace before circling through Westminster to Trafalgar Square and along the Strand and Fleet Street to the City.

After pausing at the Gherkin, I pointed the bike east to Stepney, Bow and the new Olympic Park. Exhausted, I pulled into a Mcdonalds to fuel up on a greasy cheeseburger, orange juice and a doughnut before a long ride home following the river into a slow autumn sunset.

Today I headed north to break new ground. A part of London I’ve never seen before.  Swiss Cottage, Hampstead, Golders Green and a long ride through Camden and Euston to High Holborn and old haunts.  Then back through the city, over Tower Bridge to Elephant and Castle, Brixton and home.

City cycling requires concentration. Hazards abound and you’ve gotta be sharp to stay alive.

The traffic is relentless with buses, taxis, cars and coaches jostling for roadspace as cyclists, couriers and motorbikes twist through the melee.

I pulled up behind a long bendy bus with a sign on the back proclaiming:  ‘This vehicle is 18 metres long’.  You gotta be sure before taking a beast that size.

The fumes are fierce. I’ve seen cyclists with gas masks and always thought them overly dramatic. But, stuck behind a belching bus you soon see the need. The smell of gasoline and hot, carbon rich, exhaust soon gets under your skin.

Pedestrians are surprisingly hazardous too.  The swarms of Japanese tourists  outside Buckingham Palace instinctively look the wrong way when crossing the road causing a sharp brake as they step into your path.

The other thing is the poor condition of London’s roads. Pot holes, cracks, furrows in the tarmac and slippery manholes are everywhere. Add broken glass,  street rubbish, huge piles of horseshit round Buckingham Palace and general urban detritus and you’ve got a real riding challenge on your hands.

But, it all adds to the enjoyment. We need some excitement in our safe urban lives. Some risk.  Danger. A bit of jeopardy is always good.

A new bike

Ordered a new bike through the cycle to work scheme. Fantastic !

Just discovered the cycle to work scheme is now closed until July. Humpf…!!

pedal power…

I bought a bike last weekend. Trotted into Halfords on Saturday and picked up a shiny new Raleigh Glide. It’s a fantastic mountain bike with 21 gears and an on board computer ! I even bought a natty cycling helmet to go with it.

So, I’ve been cycling everywhere. Went over Wimbledon Common to Kingston and cycled all the way up Tooting Bec to Balham and around the back of Wandsworth.

It’s great to hit the road on a bike and power your way through town. Busses are scary and other cyclists surprisingly hazardous. But it’s fantastic fun.

I was massively impressed by all the cycleways, bike lanes, signposts and recessed curbs all laid on to aid this hapless cyclist and prevent him from getting hopelessly lost or hit by a truck.

Bought a neat little iPod Shuffle yesterday to keep me entertained on the bike. So, off on an epic ride over to Richmond Park this afternoon, if it ever stops raining.