Sometimes I love London

[srw]

Yesterday morning - a sunny, crisp morning. Out of Marylebone station, trickle down to Marble Arch, along the edge of Hyde Park, through Admirality Arch and down towards Buckingham Palace. Then Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge and Waterloo. The Houses of Parliament peeking above the trees of Green Park like a fairytale chateau. The big views either way along the Thames. The fake rural feeling of the Hyde Park cycle lane.

Only two things could have improved it. I could do with a different traffic light pattern around the Hyde Park Corner roundabout. It's carefully timed so that you cross at the edge of Hyde Park, ride through the Arch and arrive at the top of Constitution Hill just as the lights are changing.

And I could do with a cheerier set of ride companions. I looked around me - everyone in fluorescent lycra, heads down on the drops, with a grim look of determination on their faces and various levels of blindingly flashing lights on their bikes. This cycling in London lark is obviously a very serious cycling expedition. So I (suit, overcoat, sit-up-and-beg Brompton, lights off because it's a fine day) must be doing something wrong. Enjoying myself perhaps?

I got to Waterloo station in oodles of time for my train, incidentally - about 20 minutes from station to station.

 

[Mikjsmith]

Its a nice ride and what more can you ask I do St Pancras to Waterloo and there is just something wonderful as you cross Waterloo Bridge on a day like that

 

[doug]

It has been a few years since I regularly rode Hyde Park Corner so the sequence may have changed, but I switched to riding round on the road rather than go through the arch as the it meant I got caught by the lights less often.

 

[ianrauk]

If the Police had their way, we would be all dressed up Hi-Viz, Helmet, Lights a-blazing style.

 

[Frood42]

I looked around me - everyone in fluorescent lycra, heads down on the drops, with a grim look of determination on their faces and various levels of blindingly flashing lights on their bikes. This cycling in London lark is obviously a very serious cycling expedition. So I (suit, overcoat, sit-up-and-beg Brompton, lights off because it's a fine day) must be doing something wrong. Enjoying myself perhaps?

Glad to hear you enjoyed your ride!


Not seen the latest thread about the Police presence in London?
They love the whole bright lights and Hi Viz stuff.

Warning, there are 15 pages, so you might want to get a hot drink before you start reading
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/increased-police-presence.143976/

One cyclist, Harriet Lamb, told us in an email of her experience of being stopped by police as she rode across Vauxhall Bridge, with an officer telling her: “Hi, we’re stopping all cyclists in light of the recent cyclist fatalities, to make sure that you’re making yourselves as safe as possible. Obviously it’s great that you have lights on and are wearing a helmet, but have you considered wearing a hi-viz jacket?”

She replied: “No, I’ve got really bright lights, reflective material on my coat and my bike, and I position myself in the road so that I can be seen.”

The officer then said: “I just think that if a driver wasn’t wearing their glasses then they might not be able to see you.”

Harriett asked him: “Do you not think that a driver driving around half-blind is more the problem?”

“Well, we’re just here to talk to cyclists,” continued the officer.

http://road.cc/content/news/99261-p...-targets-dozens-london-cyclists-lorry-drivers
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices...e-actually-doing-something-wrong-8964135.html
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/19/boris-johnson-london-cyclists-headphones
.

 

[Linford]

London...certainly wouldn't be high on the list of must do cycling destinations.

The whole place is just a scrum

 

[jonny jeez]

Yesterday morning - a sunny, crisp morning. Out of Marylebone station, trickle down to Marble Arch, along the edge of Hyde Park, through Admirality Arch and down towards Buckingham Palace. Then Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge and Waterloo. The Houses of Parliament peeking above the trees of Green Park like a fairytale chateau. The big views either way along the Thames. The fake rural feeling of the Hyde Park cycle lane.

Only two things could have improved it. I could do with a different traffic light pattern around the Hyde Park Corner roundabout. It's carefully timed so that you cross at the edge of Hyde Park, ride through the Arch and arrive at the top of Constitution Hill just as the lights are changing.

And I could do with a cheerier set of ride companions. I looked around me - everyone in fluorescent lycra, heads down on the drops, with a grim look of determination on their faces and various levels of blindingly flashing lights on their bikes. This cycling in London lark is obviously a very serious cycling expedition. So I (suit, overcoat, sit-up-and-beg Brompton, lights off because it's a fine day) must be doing something wrong. Enjoying myself perhaps?

I got to Waterloo station in oodles of time for my train, incidentally - about 20 minutes from station to station.

Yup..i know how you feel. Thats my daily route...reverse for the way in clearly, I love crossing Westminster bridge (especially on mornings like today) and feeling that the "good stuff" is about to start.

London is the best city in the world, we often forget this in our apathy to get about the place, no other city comes close in my opinion, not even Manhattan or Barcelona....(my second and third fav cities)...very lucky to ride here each day

 

[jonny jeez]

London...certainly wouldn't be high on the list of must do cycling destinations.

The whole place is just a scrum

You need to visit more often, its glorious

 

[Linford]

You need to visit more often, its glorious

I was there researching my geneology in the British Library in St Pancras on my Motorbike a few months ago. the whole road network is so overcrowded....however, I do like to visit when I use the Trains/tube/Buses as the stresss is off. As a destination it is just great...just not as somewhere to want to go cycling in...Give me Mallorca for that any time...I did that last weekend, and it was just glorious

 

[Linford]

Yup..i know how you feel. Thats my daily route...reverse for the way in clearly, I love crossing Westminster bridge (especially on mornings like today) and feeling that the "good stuff" is about to start.

London is the best city in the world, we often forget this in our apathy to get about the place, no other city comes close in my opinion, not even Manhattan or Barcelona....(my second and third fav cities)...very lucky to ride here each day

I spent a week in Barcelona in July...I do feel it is over rated as a destination, and very much so as a vehicle user(public transport is very good though)...good if you want to go hill climbingh though

 

[Beebo]

And I could do with a cheerier set of ride companions. .

We are all guilty of being a bit grumpy some times, and the battle to get to work can make it turn into a series of sprints between the lights. I do try to slow down and enjoy the nicer sections of my ride.
But then again, how many cheery companions did you have on the train?

 

[Pale Rider]

...Marylebone station to Waterloo...could do with a different traffic light pattern around the Hyde Park Corner roundabout. .

Easy enough to avoid Hyde Park Corner by hacking through Mayfair, a bit of St James's and over Waterloo Bridge.

Or you could track east earlier and drop down through Marylebone 'village' into Soho and then Covent Garden and Waterloo Bridge.

Google Maps for bicycles sends you even further east before turning south through Bloomsbury to reach Waterloo Bridge.

 

[Frood42]

We are all guilty of being a bit grumpy some times, and the battle to get to work can make it turn into a series of sprints between the lights. I do try to slow down and enjoy the nicer sections of my ride.
But then again, how many cheery campanions did you have on the train?

I remember the Central Line at peak hours, complete misery...
.

 

[Frood42]

London...certainly wouldn't be high on the list of must do cycling destinations.

The whole place is just a scrum

Come give it a go, well worth it, there are some nice places to cycle, I quite like Lee Valley Way going from Stratford to Ware, and then taking an NCN across to Welwyn Garden City.

There are some pubs to stop at as well.
.

 

[RedRider]

[QUOTE 2789719, member: 1314"]My commute in pics...love it.
This year from Sept 15th until this morning. All in rush hour.
[/quote]
Lovely. You must work not far from my home. Ever go in the Brown Derby?

It's not on my commute (which is one loveably grim place to another in inner SE London) but one of my favourite river crossings is Lambeth Bridge.

Checking the time from Big Ben then the back streets of Westminster, the Potter-esque Wipple's clerical outfitters, juddering the cobbles past the QE2 and then Horseguards, The Mall and up the steps to Regent St.

I've been here 15 years but that route still stirs.