I've just spent five days riding around London. 'Facilities' for cyclists are far from ideal, there's a good amount of bike parking - though not really enough for the clearly rising number of cyclists.
There are quite a lot of shops. Two fairly large chains with flash shops all over, doing pretty well out of the Government's Bike to Work scheme (in terms of new bike sales). A variety of smaller shops - one with a café, another with everything you could possibly imagine for an expensive, colourful, singlespeed/fixed habit.
But there have been two other 'impressions'. I've cycled in London (as a visitor) for years. My impression always used to be about speed and proximity. The roads were pretty much like race tracks and even with reasonably wide roads, so much traffic was packed in that vehicles often came unnervingly close.
Now there is a real feeling that cars are actually holding back when it would be a squeeze to pass. There are now so many bikes it's hard to not be aware of them - and the clear realisation that overtaking will only get the driver to the next car ahead fractionally sooner.
The other BIG realisation is that a lot of the main routes are relatively smooth (I'm comparing with Edinburgh of course). The reason is that whole roads are resurfaced in fairly long sections (one side at a time - with contraflow traffic lights), DURING THE NIGHT.
The photo above was taken at half past midnight this morning.
Imagine Morningside Road or Leith Walk having it's surface replaced over a number of nights.
OK this is Edinburgh.
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