On Yer Bike (first, get a bike)

[major_clanger]

Given that:

- Commuting costs me £4 per day
- The Central Line is utterly hellish at rush hour
- It's only 7 km from Westferry to High Holborn
- Any exercise is a good idea

I am seriously considering following purplecthulhu's example and Getting A Bike. Seeing as how I don't have a lot of storage space I'm looking at a compact folding model, and after a good look at various options in the Holborn branch of Cycle Surgery, I'm considering a Mezzo I4. It's slightly bigger than a Brompton, which given my size makes quite a difference, and has some nice features like a built-in bag rack; the shop also have some of last year's models at a substantial discount. I need to do a test ride first (it was raining today) but I am quite tempted, so any comments re compact folding bikes or London cycling in general?

Comments

[chilperic.livejournal.com]

London cycling = inefficient means of suicide

Did you see Will Self on the joys of a Brompton? It almost made me rush out to buy one...

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Actually the statistics suggest that cyclists live longer even when you take accidents into account...

My first serious Brompton ride was this last weekend in Cambridge, and I thought it went rather well.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Will Self:

"I dismounted and started talking to the man with the contraption, and, like a lot of Brompton riders, he turned out to be a little bit of a zealot,"


*grin*

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

No matter what bike you're interested in don't do *anything* until you've tried riding it.

Having seen your fl;at I think you have room to store a 'full size' folder like the one in the picture. They're rather less twitchy than small-wheel folders like a Brompton or the Mezzo which might be a benefit if you're out of practice cycling.

More generally, I'd recommend a look at The Folding Society:

http://www.foldsoc.co.uk/

They have reviews and places to get second hand folders as well.

Good luck!

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

I borrowed a Brompton from the_magician and I think I may have to buy it off him. It has been very useful, very easy to maintain, very compact, and a very nice to ride. Chatting on the train to Bracknell to other folder users they mostly seem to have good opinion of Brompton and Dahon folders, and we all look down on the guy who bought a Bike-In-A-Bag.

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

As a rule of thumb, the better a bike folds, the worse it is to ride. The problem with folders is that none of them have a partcularly long effective top-tube, which means that they can be pretty cramped for the tall.

The trick to storing bikes in flats is to hang them from walls/ceiling. Then they take up much less space.

If you're set on a folder, BikeFix are worth a visit. I hear that the Airnimals are brilliant.

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

We have a Brompton; it's handy for things we can't do with full-size bikes, but I think it's a lot less fun to ride compared to a real bike. (For comparison; we also have 20" wheels on the tandems, so it's not just the small wheel size). I'm sure that any quality folder would be adequate for a 7km commute (though probably 9km or so once you've optimised for cycling), but if you can manage to store a non-folder then they are much nicer to ride.

Main issue with riding to work in London (which I don't do -- it's over 10m! -- but S does from time to time) is showers at the work end.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, BPP Law School does have showers for bike-riding students and staff - it's one of the reasons I started thinking seriously about the idea.

The 7 km is plotted along what I hope will be a sensible journey, following designated cycle routes for the most part (e.g. Narrow St and Cable St rather than Commercial Rd to get from Westferry to Tower Bridge). I can see though that finding a good way through the City is going to be a matter of trial and error.

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

The TfL Journey Planner on their website will plot you a cycling route if you tick the right boxes which is normally better than you could plan from an A-Z.

Find a good friendly cycle shop. I would recommend Brixton Cycle Co-Op, but you'll want somewhere local.

[hatusu.livejournal.com]

I don't trust folding bikes, especially not commuting. I want my bike to be totally trustworthy and comfortable in traffic. I also prefer a taller bike. Of course, your distance is not far.

I have a Cannondale Adventure 600. I used to have a Trek 7500 until it was stolen. Both bikes are light, sturdy and can be rigged to carry panniers. I commute in Chicago and ride long distance. I've ridden them in far worse weather than you get in London.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I'll be honest; if the weather is really bad, I'll take public transport. If the weather is really bad when I come to the journey home, then a folding bike can be taken on the tube or bus whereas a conventional bike can't.

(Transport for London / DLR policy is that normal or unfolded bikes can be taken on some underground lines at off-peak hours but that in general only folding bikes are allowed. Buses are folding bikes only, and for some reason the DLR insists on bagged folding bikes.)

[hatusu.livejournal.com]

That makes them more appealing. In Chicago bikes are only allowed on the El (your Tube) at off peak and only buses with carriers can take bikes.

[coth.livejournal.com]

Between Westferry and High Holborn what on earth are you doing on the Central Line in the first place?

Bike is a compromise - you get off the tubes but have to manage the machine, which has some of the same restrictions and irritations as cars. And a weekly travelcard is a joyous thing to have about you in London. www.tfl.gov.uk (well worth checking out their route options) reckons 28 minutes to cycle - but you can probably beat that on a good day with an efficient combination journey of DLR and/or bus with walking? What's wrong with the DLR to Bank (8 minutes) and then walk the last mile (that is not a route to take the bus along by the way, much slower than walking)?

Or just walk/jog - you should be able to cover 7km (a shade over 4 miles) in under an hour.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

My normal route is Westferry DLR - Bank - Chancery Lane. TFL are fibbing when they say that there is no interchange at Bank; it's just slightly more awkward than usual right now.

The simple answer to 'why not walk or jog' is that I usually have to haul considerable quantities of books and folders in with me, often including this monstrosity.

The bus would be an option for the journey home, where punctuality is less of an issue, but the current version of the Aldgate roadworks is causing enormous delays - it took me nearly 90 minutes on the No 15 the other day.

[coth.livejournal.com]

The load is a good excuse in general. But for the distance we're talking about I'm still at a loss to see why a bicycle improves matters overall. It adds to the load on the stages when you can't/won't ride it without (imho) providing a significantly improved experience over walking for the short walk from Bank to Holborn.

And btw by the time you've interchanged from DLR to tube at Bank you've walked for long enough underground to get you most of the way to Holborn above ground.

Have you got a good backpack?

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I'm a little confused by your comment re interchanging; it is quicker to get from the DLR to the Central Line at Bank than it is to get to street level. Changing the other way is a bit more involved, until you realise that in the middle of the Central Line platform there is a poorly-signposted spiral staircase down to the Northern Line platforms and thence the DLR.

As for distance, Red Lion St is slightly more than half-way from Chancery Lane to Holborn. I get out at CL because it is less crowded than Holborn, the exit is on the right side of the road, and it is one less stop on the Central Line sardine-can. But this does mean that it is over 2km from Bank to Red Lion St, which is realistically a 20-minute walk. Yes, I could do a 20-minute walk, but surely a 5-minute bike ride with my load on the bike rather than my back is a valid alternative?

[coth.livejournal.com]

Sorry - you're right about the interchange to the Central being the easiest from the DLR.

And yes, 5 minutes bike is an entirely valid alternative to 20 minutes walk and may well be your overall preference. But for me it would be a sufficiently close decision that I might actually prefer the walk with other travel less-hampered.

[cuddles-batcave.livejournal.com]

You could always go for Alien Bikes Lynx model nifty folding electric model ("The bike has an excellent specification including Front and Rear Suspension, Front and Rear Lights, F&R Mudguards, 6 Speed Shimano Gears and...it's even got a bell. Of course, more importantly, it folds so it's ideal for the putting in the boot of the car, caravan or motorhome."): website is www.alienbikes.co.uk

Granted it's a bit heavy due to the motor (and it seems to only come in banana yellow) but having that extra oomph is highly recommended by Ralph.

He ended up buying his own electric motor, fitting it to the bike he now uses to commute to work (since he's been banned from driving for a year) and finds it makes a big difference to his journey, especially home when it's pissing down with reain!