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not resolvedI'm considering (with some trepidation) taking the tandem down to the Smoke next month, so that my son and I can be mobile idependent of bus, underground, etc.
I'm kind of assuming it's probably not a good idea, at least outside the congestion charge zone. I'd love to be proved wrong though. Anyone tried cycling in (central) London? How about with a kid on the back?
The biggest problem I've found the few times I've ridden in London is not knowing the roads. This basically means having to stop every now and then to check my route (minor inconvenience); but mainly that I don't know where it's safe to filter or take different lines and so on. Which might not seem that big a deal, but city centre is soooooo busy that it can get frustrating.
That said, I actually think with your wits about you it's not that bad a place to cycle - though that is from a solo perspective - you'll know best how your lad is on the tandem and how the pair of your ride together.
Personally I'd say go with it, but that's mainly because I really hate public transport in general, and the Underground, while reasonably convenient and a doddle to use (never understood people getting lost on it...) is just a horrible, airless, sweaty, dry, germ-laden, horrible way to shuttle people about.
I know London reasonably well, but as a pedestrian/public transport user - I lived there a long time ago, and of course have visited since. The worry I would have is exactly what you describe: not knowing the roads, having to check routes/getting lost, being caught up in one way system hell, etc. My son is pretty confident on the tandem but that's in Edinburgh and surrounds...
I prefer cycling in London to Edinburgh a lot of the time.
I know the bits I visit well enough to have no problem with the idea of cycling with a child - done it with a kid's seat in the past.
As WC says, it's more of a problem if you don't know where you are/going.
Live there for three years, cycled almost every day. I was back down there in September and it's still fine. I find it's by far the best way to get around London.
Busses are ok if you know where to get off but they get stuck in traffic. Subway is ok outwith busy times, during busy times it's one of Dante's less pleasant circles.
Cycling is pleasant and cheap. You see more stuff than you would on other modes. London is littered with unusual and intesting architecture.
You will get a much better idea of the geography. I don't always bother working out a detailed route. For example, in September I wanted to visit the War Museum. I knew it was beside Lambeth palace so any road signs for Vauxhall, Lambeth or Westminster would get me close enough. Even just heading for the river and then working out which way to go would have been fine.
I haven't checked the numbers but I suspect the congestion zone might have made the centre less busy so the traffic which is there might move faster then when I lived there.
Will the trains let you take a tandem down there?
Radio 4 had a wee half hour documentary about the sleeper train yesterday about 1530 hrs. There are rumours about £20 fares for the sleeper but I've never found the magic times.
Each borough in London does it's own thing. Some are good, some are not so good, others are somewhere in between. It seems London puts a lot of its routes down backstreets, and is pretty good at doing salmon-run lanes and not having ridiculous right-angles and gates everywhere like Edinburgh loves. It's a real mix though.
I've cycle a lot in Central and North London, but generally had a guide. It's worth planning where you're going with some care to avoid bad and big roads. It's generally quite easy to avoid the worst places, although some junctions (Kings Cross, Bow etc.) it's very difficult to get around without a big detour.
London a bit odd as drivers do seem more aware of cyclists (probably due to the sheer volume) however levels of aggression are higher, and London buses are best steered clear of entirely on the roads. There's a lot more HGVs in London, generally rigid-framed tippers, I assume from the sheer amount of building work always going on.
I prefer the bike to the underground. It's definitely good if you want to get out of the centre a bit. There are some nice routes along the Thames up river a bit that will take you to Richmond. Bike will take you interesting places that public transport wont. The tube is terrible for spotting cafés from, and the view from the carriage is rubbish!
Congestion zone quite good for cycling. Thames southbank nice. I think from others the regents canal is a good route. The overland trains (I catch it from Kings Cross by walking up to Camden Station) are lovely outwith rush hour and take bikes, not sure of tandems. The blue cycle highway was very ropey the day I used it but that was not a typical sunday as approx 1000 cyclists all heading to docklands.
I had a poor time once cycling to Brighton from Richmond via Wandsworth and Croydon [gunshots in the street no less], as we were trying to use roads and a route called The Wandle Way. I think you have to know where you are going if you need to get somewhere on time. If pootling, then should be plenty of places for pootling. Richmond down to Hampton Court or Teddington Lock are both nice - the Hampton Court route through the park does have some on road but with cycle lane. Also told the Lea Valley in the north is good cycling.
The sleeper programme on R4 seemed to involve a lot of whisky drinking
I'd second ChDot and others here. I find cycling in London really liberating and fun.
You just have to be in strong positions, have some "flex" with the number of rules you might be willing to break (IE at trafalger square and other busy junctions sans ASZ advancing beyond the ASL so you are obvious and clear to drivers is recommended), and sometimes not mind being buzzed by scooters.
For navigation if you're fairly well aware of the general layout just pick big roads to aim at. For example If I'm riding across town I'll look at the biggest longest road lying perpendicular to my route and use that as a way point. Then as long as you head in that general direction you're sure to hit that road and you can then find the next way point. Plus sometimes just using well known visible landmarks is enough.
My 2c anyway.
"as long as you head in that general direction you're sure to hit that road and you can then find the next way point"
That can work well except when you find 'target' road and don't realise how far down it you are (compared with intended crossing point).
regents canal
AVOID on the weekend at all costs. Seriously! Particularly anywhere remotely near Camden.
It's not like the Union Canal when it gets a bit busy, it's seriously heaving with people and foolhardy cyclists, and there are no grass verges on either side, it's just brick wall, narrow concrete path then straight into the canal.
Whereabouts in London? As others have said, it's generally fine as long as you know where you're going - and what to avoid. Central London is a bit of a tangle of streets and is a bit slow, unless you know the routes, so if you're just looking to explore zone 1 I'd probably recommend going on foot, as you'll end up seeing more and there's always the option of a bus if your feet get tired. Places like the South Bank are nice to cycle around but massively crowded with pedestrians. Outer London really varies. If you're around Richmond there's some lovely cycling with all the parks, you'd really be kicking yourself if you didn't bring a bike. Brent, not so much.
How old is your son? Boris bikes might be preferable than trying to transport a tandem down - but I think you have to be over 12 to use them
Regent's Canal worth it if you're not in a hurry -
Also explore new (north of) King's Cross -
Maybe visit -
+1 for what WC says. I'm down today, travelling by bike.
Last night, journey to Waverley station: 3 miles. 22 minutes.
This morning, journey from Euston: 3 miles, 48 minutes. The extra 26 minutes was spent squinting at the map and generally wasting time because I was in the wrong lane, wrong place or whatever.
I've survived so far today being deliberately (but slowly) driven over by a van because he wanted me out of the way and having a tipper truck coming this close as he passed me in the tunnel outside the Barbican.
I've survived so far today being deliberately (but slowly) driven over by a van because he wanted me out of the way and having a tipper truck coming this close as he passed me in the tunnel outside the Barbican.
Yeah, this is exactly the kind of thing I am concerned about. I know, it can happen in Edinburgh too but I know which roads to avoid.
@sallyhinch, if it happens we'll probably be based in Brixton (with friends) but not that near the tube/rail. Want to do a mix of pootling around, plus transport to key attractions. My son is 7 (soon to be 8) so Boris bikes not an option. I've walked the centre before (nice and quiet on Sundays) but his legs will tire easily.
Still humming and hawing over this. If it was just me going, fine no problem take a folder. With him, it gets tricky. If all else fails I suppose I could take his scooter for zipping along on the pavements...
Hmm, don't knwo Brixton that well but you might be able to get up to the South Bank and environs quite easily and use that to get east-west; you'd have to think quite carefully about what bridge to cross (I tended to stick to Lambeth bridge when I lived there as it's not too daunting but even then a bus nearly wiped me out on my last visit to London). The danger with a tandem is that a bus overtakes you and then forgets you're a bit longer than normal and pulls back in too quickly. On the plus side, drivers might go 'blimey a tandem' and actually see you especially with a kid on the back. It can be quite stressful, just the level of alertness you have to maintain (though maybe not so different from Edinburgh - my tolerance for mixing with scary traffic may have dropped from living in the sticks for too long)
What is fun is cycling up the Mall and Constitution hill on a Sunday when it's closed to traffic - you can do a nice little circuit of that and Hyde Park and not have to deal with the cars at all and on a nice day nothing could be finer
Slightly OT.. There are some guided London cycling tours that are great for kids.. We took our 8 and then 9 year old on a Fat Tire Bike tour. They are cleverly designed to be largely traffic free, but cover most of the main tourist spots, and the guides have been loved by the son..I'm sure they'd let you take your own bike on the tour if you wanted to.
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