London routes

[Starfishmomma]

Are there any online maps showing suitable routes around the sights and places of interest in central London?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Forget Maps. I would advise joining the CC weekend ride. It's a great day out on the bike and you get to experience London in a really unique way with great company.

 

[robgul]

TFL has a comprehensive set of free cycling maps

Rob

 

[suffolkcindy]

Are there any online maps showing suitable routes around the sights and places of interest in central London?

Yes online cycling london page on the site www.tfl.gov.uk shows you some cycle routes and sights but you can only see part of london at a time but you can order detailed maps.
Personally i use cyclestreets

 

[snorri]

Strikes me a bike is just too fast for sightseeing in London.
I have considered using a Boris bike there, but feel it is likely my attention could wander dangerously from what is in front of me as I look at what I'm passing on either side.

 

[Starfishmomma]

I've sent off for the route maps and I was thinking of using the bike from place to place in stead of making detours to find the tube stations, not to sightsee whilst cycling

 

[Brains]

Every bike shop in London will have a (free) set of the TFL cycle maps of London.
The maps a quite good, however to ride and read a map in a built area whilst dealing with traffic in unfamiliar territory is a skill that takes time to excel at.
The routes also wiggle all over the place, and a missed alleyway can lead you onto a motorway slip road.

Having said that, get on a Boris Bike and follow other cyclists in the general direction of things, dump the bike in the Boris Rack, look at the sight, take the photo and then get another bike and go to the next one.

There are apps you can download that will give you rack loading and routes and nearest rack with spaces or bikes

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Forget Maps. I would advise joining the CC weekend ride. It's a great day out on the bike and you get to experience London in a really unique way with great company.

If you can get down to London on a Sunday morning and are simply wanting a quick look-see, you could post up your wishlist of places on the Sunday London Ride thread, and I'm sure there'll be volunteer guides to show you the way. Probably not suitable if you want to 'do' the museums and have a look at the crown jewels, simply because of the time it would take.

Otherwise, that's what the Boris bikes and TfL maps are there for. In case not all the maps are available at bike shops you can order the maps free from here. There's also a handful of pre-planned leisure routes on the TfL site here. If you get the map, mark the places you want to visit, you could use cyclestreets.net to suggest routes from destination to destination.

 

[ufkacbln]

Slightly OT, but if you can get hold of Christopher WInn's I Never Knew That About London

Lots of hidden secrets, obscure and eclectic places... really enriches a trip to London away from the more obvious places.