Cycle commute london

amigafan2003 said:
Get a cheap electrically assisted cycle - I use mine 5 days a week -- that's 100 miles a week.

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Tell me more about this bike. I've not seen this before.
How easy is it to use?
How does the recharging work?
What costs are involved?
This seems like a good alternative to a motorcycle (which is obviously a lot faster, but carries costs which relate to MOT, insurance etc and as a result a lot of laws.

What I like about cycling is that you can park anywhere you want and there is not MOT or insurance involved. And in heavy London traffic, cycles can beat or go as fast as cars.
 
thewanted said:
Did you go through Hammersmith? I want to cycle from Hampton to my friend's place in St. John's Wood but Hammersmith scares the living **** out of me, even in a car. Couldn't imagine cycling through there.
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Nah, I'd go along the river and embankment. Bit further (straighter if you cut the bridges) but it was a far nicer ride.

There's cycle paths thru Hammersmith now, but even so I think you're taking your life in your hands to try go round it on a bike.
 
fendi said:
Even cycling 14mph. 10 miles = around 40 mins. Not many are up for doing that.
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When I used to commute (cycle), from south London, into Central London, I found that my journey times were considerably faster compared with public transport (tube).
 
I have a folding bike, they are slower than most but when the **** hits the fan, they are the only bikes allowed on underground/bus.

you should be able to afford vauxhall/elephant and castle for that much.
 
Rich_L said:
Flatshare in Limehouse or Docklands there's a cycle path along the river all the way to Tower Hill
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Exactly what I was going to say. If you go just my distance you could live pretty much anywhere upto zone4 ish probably but what you should really be looking at is how cycle friendly the route is. Cycling on some of the busier roads in London is not fun.
 
There's a non chain cycle shop on Clapham high street that do new specialized commuting bikes for £250, I made a mistake of buying a cheap eBay bike that needed two new tyres and tubes one wheel one mech and the crank was loose should have just bought a new one
 
i do commute 9 miles a day avg on a bmx.. and tbh it isn't that bad :) depends on the weather ofc if its rainy its annoying and i will be needing an extra pair of jeans in my backpack.. if it isn't its all good except some drivers that just can't wait to over take you and put you in dangerous situacions.. tbh at first it will be hard/tiring for the first week or two depends how often you ride but keep at it and you won't notice how quick it will be just another ride.. :] you can take it easy you can push it w/e you want tbh

but keep your eyes OPEN stuff happens so quick on the road that you need to pay attention to everything and plan ahead tbh.. dont put your self in danger by going close to the pathway, get YOUR space on the road and keep it and don't get scared of cars

when getting a bike also get a set of lights for front/back some mudguards(i dont have them thats why i need a pair of jeans all the time) and a good U lock i would recommend locking in a busy/open area and not washing your bike a lot ;) so it attracts less attention

now don't go for argos/halfords etc bikes as those will break quick and cost double the price of a proper bike in the first place, so head to sports forum and give your budget(you will need at least 250 for an OK bike) and another 50 for lock/lights + w/e else you need

but in the end the 10-15 miles a day will be nothing + you will save + you will burn some fat and get a bit fitter over all :) + summer is coming so a better weather too.
 
sunama said:
Tell me more about this bike. I've not seen this before.
How easy is it to use?
How does the recharging work?
What costs are involved?
This seems like a good alternative to a motorcycle (which is obviously a lot faster, but carries costs which relate to MOT, insurance etc and as a result a lot of laws.

What I like about cycling is that you can park anywhere you want and there is not MOT or insurance involved. And in heavy London traffic, cycles can beat or go as fast as cars.
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knock yourself out:-

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/9442-new-build.html

all the build info in there :-)
 
You don't need an expensive bike to commute on. Only one of mine cost over £100 and that is probably the least suitable to commute on. Old steel frames is where it's at in London, fixed gear if you want to go fast ;)
 
The cycle schemes knock 30 - 40% off the rrp of a bike (dependent on your tax bracket, with rrp value up to a grand), with you paying your company back monthly (sort of renting off your company). At the end of the term you can then pay a nominal amount to keep forever.

Do get lights, locks, lid and reflective visable clothing too. Anything to make yourself visable to cars, lorries and pedestrians (95% never look crossing roads!). Wet weather gear if all weather cycling. Many new bikes come with rubbish tyres - either carry a spare tube, pump and tyre levers, or change to a decent set of tyres (Armadillo's/Gatorskins etc)

IMO those 'electric' bikes are a gimmick as restricted to 12mph by law (possible 15, can't remember), make the bike heavier and are quite expensive for what they are.
 
weeble said:
IMO those 'electric' bikes are a gimmick as restricted to 12mph by law (possible 15, can't remember), make the bike heavier and are quite expensive for what they are.
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It's 15, which is plenty fast for inner city commuting (and probably unenforcable? as you could just say you were cycling with the motor off).
They are expensive when compared to bicycles, but not compared to motorbikes.
 
Yeah, I wouldn't worry so much on distance in mileage, but more time in the saddle. There's a huge difference between cycling into the City of London from south of the river than if you come down Bishopsgate (as I used to do everyday). Traffic lights every 30 seconds and nodding pedestrians slow you way down. My ride was only ~3 miles from Hackney to Westminster, but would take 30 minutes due to the amount of stopping and starting. And emergency breaking due to iphone listening dense pedestrians throwing themselves in front of you.

Get a good lock. A REALLY good lock - especially if you spend a packet on a decent bike. Bike theft is big business - the only safe lock I'd recommend personally is the Kryptonite Fahgeddaboutit, which is a serious bit of kit. Don't do something stupid like go for a bike with quick release wheels or saddle either - best commuter/beater bike is something nice and simple - steel frame, good tyres, comfortable, relaxed ride.
 
Jonny69 said:
You don't need an expensive bike to commute on. Only one of mine cost over £100 and that is probably the least suitable to commute on. Old steel frames is where it's at in London, fixed gear if you want to go fast ;)
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i so want an old fixed gear bike.. where do you recommend me to look at? gumtree i guess?
 
grudas said:
i so want an old fixed gear bike.. where do you recommend me to look at? gumtree i guess?
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Yep, probably your best bet. Prices on eBay are overinflated to say the least.

The easiest way to do it is find an old 70's or 80's 5- or 10-speed racer. On these the gear cassette unscrews and is the same thread as a fixed-gear cog or a single-speed freewheel. Simply get your local bike shop to swap it over and re-space the wheel if you can't do it yourself :)

That age bike is most suitable because the rear drop-outs are usually long so you can set the chain tension. 6- and 12-speed bikes can be used but don't always have a screw-on cassette because some of them are splined.
 
Jonny69 said:
the gear cassette unscrews and is the same thread as a fixed-gear cog or a single-speed freewheel.
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Screw-on freewheels dont have the same thread that you need for a fixed gear. It will work with a singlespeed freewheel, but you need a different thread for a fixed gear + lockring.
 
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