London Cycling Diary

'The Man Who Cycled the World'

If you live in the UK be sure to watch BBC1 tonight to catch the third episode of The Man Who Cycled the World.

This is a four-part documentary series about Mark Beaumont's attempt to cycle around the world in 200 days.

Unfortunately, I only caught the tail end of the first episode on Monday night, but I watched all of the second episode last night and am looking forward to the next installment this evening.

I was a huge fan of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's Long Way Round and Long Way Down adventures (as my book blog will attest), but they had it easy with god knows how many people in their support crew. Poor Mark, a 25-year-old Scot, is doing the whole journey solo, using a handheld camera to record his trip. There's no back-up crew or local 'fixers' to help him on his way.

And unlike Ewan and Charley he doesn't seem to moan every three minutes saying 'I miss my wife' or 'I'm not enjoying this' or 'I wish our timetable wasn't so rushed'.

Plus, he grows a much better beard than either of those two could muster!

Links:

Mark's official website.

BBC news story about Mark breaking the world record.

Story in the Mirror about the TV program.

Where has everybody gone?

Whenever I cycle to work I try to leave before 8am, when the traffic of both the two-wheeled and motorised kind starts to get heavy.

This morning, energised and ready to go after yet another self-imposed cycling break, I wasn't really keeping my eye on the clock, and when I jumped in the saddle it was 7.59am. Talk about cutting it fine.

I needn't have worried though. The roads were so quiet. Very few cyclists around and not many cars either.

I guess everyone is still on summer holidays. I wish they'd stay there!

Total distance: 12.42 miles | Ride time: 1hr, 16min and 38sec | Average speed: 10.27mph | Top speed: 18.3mph

The first few minutes in the saddle

Oh my god, it's August already! Summer's on the wane and I've barely cycled through any of it. I decided to rectify that situation this morning and dug my bike out of storage -- covered in builder's dust it was -- and hit the road early.

I love that first few minutes in the saddle after you haven't cycled for a long time, because you suddenly remember why you love commuting by bike so much. There's no hanging around train platforms waiting for trains that don't turn up. There's no pushing and shoving to get onboard over-crowded carriages. There's no delays. No annoying passengers pressed up closer than what would be socially -- and legally -- acceptable in any other situation.

Oh. And there's the fresh morning air (or as fresh as it can be in London) and the quiet stillness before the city truly comes alive. You see people walking to work, or the tube, or heading off to school. And there are delivery vans dropping off produce and supplies at local shops, and there's the promise of a whole new day in front of you. That's why I like commuting by bicycle -- aside from the health (mental and physical), financial and environmental benefits.

Total distance: 12.16 miles | Ride time: 1hr, 11min and 38sec | Average speed: 10.73mph | Top speed: 18.1mph

How dangerous is cycling?

The number of people visiting this blog seems to be on the increase, despite the fact I haven't updated it for quite some time and I haven't cycled to work for more than a month (owing to a chest infection and then a temporary move out of home while half my flat is refurbished). I'm hoping to be back on the bike in a week's time when I finally get to move back home and take my bike out of storage.

In the meantime, if you're a new visitor -- and there seems to be plenty of you judging by my site stats these past few weeks -- do feel free to introduce yourself in the comments. I'm always happy to hear from new readers, especially if you're a newbie cyclist or considering taking it up.

Finally, there was a great article in the June 27 edition of The Independent about the state of cycling in the UK. This bit piqued by interest:

So how dangerous is cycling?

Statistically becoming much less so as more people take to two wheels. Strength in numbers is a principal that cycling enshrines. In 2007 the number of cyclists killed or injured on London's roads was 19 per cent down on 1994 – when the number of journeys by bike was half what it is today. The signs are that motorists are adjusting their behaviour in response to the increase in cycling activity around them, and cyclists are learning the art of survival.

Deaths while cycling always attract publicity, but remain extremely rare when put in the context of the millions of cycle journeys made each year. There were 19 cyclists killed on London's roads in 2006, 15 last year. Most cyclist deaths occur when vehicles – particularly lorries – turn left without the driver realising that there is a cyclist on their inside, with a disproportionate number of women cyclists falling victim. Publicity campaigns have targeted the danger and the fact that the London fatality figure is dropping suggests that the message is getting through.

As cycle campaigners regularly point out, the benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks, and now, it seems, the Government is joining the chorus.

You can read the full article here. [Thanks to Tlatet for the heads up.]

Rant of the century

One particular Bristol resident doesn't think much of cyclists. In a letter to the Bristol Evening Post, he writes:

And make no mistake, cyclists are criminals.

Let me remind you, it's still illegal to cycle on pavements, run red lights, ride the wrong way down a one way street, whizz through pedestrian crossings (when pedestrians are actually crossing them) and hop from road to pavement with reckless abandon and the attention span of an amoeba.

And yet they're not treated as criminals - rather, they're elevated as warriors fighting against an irresponsible and polluted world, two-wheeled titans of a healthy and eco-conscious crusade and martyrs of an ethical and planet- saving battle that will one day have us all reading The Guardian and recycling our potato peelings.

Rubbish. They're law-breaking lunatics masking their own inconsiderate egos under the pretence of doing something right-on and commendable.

You can read the full rant letter here. The comments (164 when I visited the site) are definitely worth a look.

[Via the CTC newsletter]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

I started off this week with a new goal in mind: to cycle at least four times a week for the rest of the year. I was also going to try my hardest to cycle every single week day in June.

Alas, these plans have already fallen by the wayside. Didn't take long, did it?

Turns out I have another chest infection -- and there's also the possibility that I have asthma. My doctor has prescribed some antibiotics and an inhaler. I'm to go back in 8 weeks for a proper asthma test, as he's not sure whether it's simply linked to the infection or whether it's a separate, ongoing problem I need to deal with.

Whatever the case, I'm feeling bummed by it all. But I'm determined to get back on the bike early next week. I must, however, invest in a face mask. Anyone got any tips for the best brand to try?

Drenched -- and lost!

What other city in the world would close its main thoroughfares at peak hour so that military marching bands could put in a bit of practice on the streets?

I couldn't understand why tonight's traffic was at a standstill until I went to take my exit off Parliament Square and found the whole street cordoned off. Don't tell anyone, but I ignored the NO ENTRY sign and cycled up the street until I came to a policeman blocking the rest of the route down Bird Cage Walk.

"Can I  go down there?" I asked him.

"Sorry, no."

"What about Horse Guards Parade?"

"No, that's out of bounds too. But you can take your bike and walk through St James' Park."

"Great," I replied. (I might point out it was pissing down with rain at the time and I didn't much like the idea of taking a stroll through the park as if I had all the time in the world.)

"But if you get back on the bike," he said, "I'll pretend I didn't see you."

Nice idea, although I'm not sure his hundreds of colleagues swarming through the park would be prepared to turn a blind eye. So I walked. Slowly. Through the park. And admired the pelicans on the pond, the lupines in bloom in the flower beds and the beefy-looking soldiers marching by me all immaculate in green wool capes, berets and shiny black boots.

Some handy tips for newbie cyclists

In the words of British band the Kaiser Chiefs, "oh my god, I can't believe it!"

Yes, after yet another extended hiatus (almost 6 weeks -- a combination of annual leave, yet another upper respiratory tract infection, back pain and sheer bloody laziness) I finally took my poor trusted treadly out of storage and trundled into work this morning. I'd forgotten how exciting it is to battle with London traffic, but by goodness where did all you cyclists come from? Honestly, I've never seen so many two-wheels out and about at 7.45am -- normally the influx doesn't hit the roads until after 8am.

I have such mixed feelings about seeing more cyclists on the road. Yes, it's wonderful that so many are ditching motorised vehicles (or the tube), but I can't stand all the idiots who ride their bikes as if the entire world revolves around them.

Here's some handy tips you newbie cyclists might like to take note of:

WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING!! OR, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WATCH WHERE OTHER CYCLISTS ARE GOING -- DON'T EXPECT THEM TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T SEE THEM!!

DON'T WEAVE ALL OVER THE ROAD -- TRY TO KEEP A STRAIGHT LINE

DON'T CUT OTHER CYCLISTS UP (SEE ABOVE)

USE HAND SIGNALS -- WE'RE NOT ALL MIND READERS, YOU KNOW

DON'T OVERTAKE BUSES WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR INDICATORS ON (UNLESS YOU FANCY  BECOMING SOMEONE'S DINNER)

TRY TO TAKE OFF FROM THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT A FAST PACE; WHEN YOU PUTTER ALONG IT CAN PUT OTHER CYCLISTS BEHIND YOU IN A DANGEROUS POSITION.

DON'T WEAR YOUR FRIGGIN' iPOD -- HOW CAN YOU HEAR WHAT'S APPROACHING IF YOU'VE GOT AMY WINEHOUSE PUMPING INTO YOUR EARS AT 20 DECIBELS?

There. Glad I've got that off my chest.

See you all tomorrow for more tales of commuting across the capital!

Total distance: 12.28 miles | Ride time: 1hr, 13min and 31sec | Average speed: 10.64mph | Top speed: 18.5mph

Wet morning, sunny evening -- but roadworks all the way!

Two contrasting rides today.

This morning was slow going, with a seemingly endless queue of red buses snaking up Kensington High Street making it impossible to get very far very quickly. It didn't help that I caught EVERY red light along a one-mile stretch, so it was pretty much stop, start, stop, start all the way.

And then, once I'd safely entered the parks (Kensington, Hyde and Green) and exited out the other side, it was roadworks hell. Practically the whole two-mile stretch I traverse along the south side of the river is undergoing some kind of work right now, whether it be new water pipes being laid or new road surfaces been put down. This means there are temporary traffic lights everywhere and dangerous situations in which motorised traffic is forced to drive through cycle lanes, leaving bikes to fight it out for road space.

To make matters worse, it rained. The whole way. That kind of misty, get-into-everything type rain. By the time I'd arrived at the office I'd felt like I'd already done a full days' work and was ready for a bit of a lie down and a wee rest!

The commute home was exactly the opposite weather-wise: beautiful and sunny! How lovely it was riding down Birdcage Walk and seeing all the plane trees coming into bud. It won't be long before I am cycling down a green, leafy corridor again and musing about the beauty of London in the summertime!

Unfortunately,  I was still plagued by roadworks and had to change some of my route to avoid the worst of it. This meant cycling around a rather hairy roundabout I'd never cycled through before and getting a little bit lost in the process, but eventually I got back onto my normal route without adding too much time to my journey.

The rest of the ride home was fairly uneventful, although I did survive an almost-crash with a fellow cyclist who thought he could cut me up while I was just setting off from a temporary traffic light on the South Carriage. He came within an inch or two of knocking me off my treadly and gave me such a fright -- I had not heard him approach at all -- that I'm afraid I yelled a rather shocked "For f**k's sake!!" at him while he disappeared into the distance. Typically, it's not the motorised traffic you have to be wary of in London, but the other cyclists who lack manners and knowledge of the road rules. I've got a funny feeling my whole summer is going to be filled with them.

Total distance: 12.37 miles | Ride time: 1hr, 14min and 19sec | Average speed: 10.85mph | Top speed: 19.0mph

A problem with my back

After eight months or more of intermittent flank pain, I went to the doctor who advised me to stop riding the bike for a month to see if that might alleviate it, because he suspects it might be muscular. Alas, I stop riding and the pain gets worse. After almost a week of constant niggling pain, I decided to ride the bike this morning because maybe the exercise would help. And you know what? It did. There was no pain while riding and, furthermore, I sat comfortably in my office chair all day and did not feel the usual discomfort. I've arrived home and can only just feel a dull ache, but nowhere near as bad as it has been over the past 10 or so days. I will see how I feel tomorrow and make my own judgement call as to whether riding the bike is the cause of my backache or my salvation.

Total distance: 12.16 miles | Ride time: 1hr, 11min and 46sec | Average speed: 10.79mph | Top speed: 19.8mph