Cycling London, 4th Edition E-Book

Tom Bogdanowicz

• Herausgeber: Inkspire
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 334

Beschreibung

London Cycling Guide, 4th Edition is your complete, newly updated guide to life in the bike lane! Written by the author of London's most popular cycling blog, and using years of experience and contributions from readers, it offers more than 40 leisurely bike routes covering both inner and outer London. Each itinerary is described in detail with a series of points of interest also pinpointed on an accompanying route map, including cafes, shops, and other must-stop spots. Boxed information with each route features the start point, likely duration, and some suggestions for where to eat and drink along the way. The book also covers important practical information on cycling, such as choosing the right bike for your style of cycling, tips on urban cycling, social cycling, and cycling with children, guidance on security and insurance, and information on accessories and clothing. This best-selling guide to cycling in London is completely updated with new routes, maps, and photographs. 

Leseprobe

Published 2022 by Inkspire

The previous three editions of this book have been published under the title of ‘London Cycling Guide’

Inkspire is an imprint of Fox Chapel Publishing,903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552 USAwww.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

Text © 2010, 2011, 2016, 2022 Tom Bogdanowicz

Artworks © 2010, 2011, 2016, 2022 Inkspire

All photographs © Tom Bogdanowicz except here © Alamy Picture library; pages 238–239 © Transport for London

All maps © 2010, 2011, 2016, 2022 Inkspire, using base maps by OpenStreetMap licensed under CC-BY-SA, except maps on here and here © Transport for London

Tom Bogdanowicz has asserted his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Print ISBN 978-1-9136-1823-0

eISBN 978-1-9136-1824-7

CONTENTS

GETTING STARTED

Choosing a Bike

Types of Bike

Accessories and Clothes

Urban Cycling Techniques

Transporting Your Bike

Storage, Security and Insurance

Social Cycling

Children and Cycling

Roadworthiness Check and Puncture Repair

Improving London’s Cycling Facilities

INTRODUCTION TO THE ROUTES

Barnet Parks and Brooks

Enfield Gentry

Epping Forest

Lee Valley

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Royal Docks and the Greenway

Thames Estuary

Greenwich Palaces

Waterlink Way

Thames Banks

Lambeth and Dulwich Parks

South London Commons

Wandle Mills

Sutton Villages and Parks

Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common

Hampton Court, Bushy Park and Ham House

Crane River

West London Palaces

Ealing Garden Suburbs

West London Waterways

Ham and High Hills

Camden and Soho

North London Heights

Markets and Squares in North and East London

Political Waters in Islington and Hackney

Limehouse Cut

London Landmarks I

London Landmarks II

Royal Palaces and Castles: Landmarks III

Fashionable Quarters: Notting Hill and Chelsea

Arts and Crafts and Palaces: Kensington and Chelsea

Victorian Gems and Modern Masterpieces

Cycling Parks for Children

SANTANDER CYCLES

RESOURCES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

GETTING STARTED

One of the many attractive aspects of cycling is that you can do as little or as much as you like. You can choose where and when to ride and you can pick and choose who you ride with. You don’t have to depend on gym opening times, bus timetables or petrol stations.

As a cyclist you can also take your pick from an enormous range of easy or challenging activities. Many people are unaware that there are active groups that play unicycle hockey, bicycle polo and off-road jumping. For the more relaxed, there are historical bike rides, architecture bike rides, visits to stately homes, repair workshops and night rides to watch the summer solstice. You’ll find that there are free guided rides organized regularly by the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) and Cycling UK.

To supplement the maps in this book you can use online mapping to which LCC members and others have contributed:

–london.cyclestreets.net

– TfL’s Journey planner – tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey (select cycling)

–@safecycleldn – mostly segregated routes

– Google maps – select cycling option

On-line mapping can show you streets recommended by cyclists as having useful cycle lanes, less traffic or which are more convenient. You’ll find that there are hundreds of little-known cycle cut-throughs that enable you to reach your destination more quickly and with less traffic.

If you already own a bike and it hasn’t been out of the shed in a while, it’s worth taking it in for a service to make sure it’s roadworthy – the £30 to £60 a service costs is money well spent. Remember that a poor quality bike can be hard work, so if you are planning to keep up your resolve to cycle more, consider buying the best you can afford. The alternative is to hire a bike. This is easier in central London than elsewhere, but many bike shops offer cycle rental so it’s worth asking (see pages 238–250).

If you haven’t ridden a bike in a while, or even if you have, it’s worth investing in some cycle training – in some boroughs you may find that ‘Bikeability’ classes are subsidized. The section on cycling technique (see here) provides an introduction to confident riding in cities but there is no substitute for a one-on-one lesson. Even experienced riders can discover that instructors spot errors in their road riding.

This book will help you with buying decisions, but don’t forget that your local cycle group will be pleased to help, whether you are a novice looking for a bike, a triathlete looking for people to train with, or a mountain biker looking for good trails. And if they don’t know, they will know someone who does.

Why cycle?

The freedom of riding a bicycle is a unique experience. When small children learn to ride they feel a sense of independence, the pleasure of the wind on their faces, and that extraordinary sensation of moving the pedals, gathering speed and overtaking mere mortals on foot. It’s a pleasure that many adults rediscover when they take up cycling for health or for convenience. Some psychologists identify a sensation called ‘free motion play’ that can be used to explain both the child’s delight on a swing and an adult’s pleasure at riding a bike downhill or skiing.

Most cyclists ride bikes for the sheer enjoyment of it, but of course there are many more concrete benefits of getting on a cycle and pedalling for half an hour every day. For most of us it saves time and money as well as improves our fitness and contributes to our longevity. If someone were to invent a device that used no fuel, propelled you at 20 mph, improved your health, helped you lose weight, made you live longer, saved you money and got you to work faster they would surely be a celebrity, a Nobel Prize winner and a multi-millionaire. Such an invention would cost thousands of pounds and fly out of showrooms. Yet, extraordinarily, the humble bicycle is the cheapest form of transport you can buy and highly accessible to all. Indeed, the bicycle remains the world’s most popular form of transport. Unfortunately, in Britain it declined in popularity as the country was redesigned for the motor car.

One of cycling’s great assets, affordability, is also its weakness. Without the multi-million-pound advertising budgets from which car sales benefit, there is little to make people aware that the cheaper though less profitable bicycle is a realistic and convenient mode of transport. The fact that cycling has survived and, in London, grown sharply, is a tribute to a brilliant and highly efficient invention that is primarily promoted by word of mouth. If it wasn’t for the fact that urban design has been focused on motor vehicles for several decades, cycling, thanks to its obvious benefits, might well be the choice of many more people in Britain. Some experts say that as climate change becomes a more pressing problem and urban congestion increases, governments will have to consider not only road pricing but curbs on motor car promotion, as they did with the tobacco industry, in order to enable people to make transport choices based on convenience and common sense rather than the temptations of TV ads. Until then, many people will be missing out on cycling’s undoubted benefits.

Fast, enjoyable and healthy – cycling is good for you and good for London. It is also an inexpensive and reliable mode of transport.

Enjoyment

The wind, the speed and human propulsion involved in cycling make it a delight for most people who try it. Some may dislike busy traffic, others may dislike rough tracks, but almost anyone will agree that pedalling through Hyde Park as the sun is setting has to be one of London’s best attractions.

Convenience and flexibility

A bicycle gives you the freedom to choose when and where you want to travel. It’s simply a case of picking up the bike and riding. Your journey can be door to door and, in Britain, you can take your bike on most trains outside of peak hours.

Reliability

On a bicycle you can time your journey to the minute. Congestion makes little difference, and you can walk around road works if needs be. You can travel short or long distances without relying on petrol pumps, bus timetables or rail tickets.

Affordability

Running a car, according to the RAC, costs approximately £2,500 a year, or £6,000 if you include insurance, depreciation and the cost of a loan. Maintaining a bicycle costs around £50 a year if you do your own repairs or £200 a year if you include a service, insurance and depreciation. New cars cost upwards of £5,000 whereas new bikes cost from £150. So even if you allow an annual £1,000 for occasional car rental and rail travel you come out winning as a bike owner. And you don’t have to worry about finding a car parking space or leaving your car outside your home.

Sociability

On a bicycle you interact with the world and with people on the streets. You encounter friends and can stop and start at will. You can join cycling organizations and participate in hundreds of free guided bike rides. Many rides, like those in this book, will reveal places you didn’t know existed.

Environmental benefits

Road transport in Britain accounts for 20 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Cycling does not consume fuel or emit noxious fumes. Most cycles can last a lifetime if cared for and their manufacture consumes little in terms of raw materials. Even motoring organizations advocate cycling for shorter journeys.

Congestion

Congestion costs London upwards of £1 billion a year, but increased cycling helps to reduce motor traffic volumes as urban populations continue to grow. Six cycles can move in the space of one car on the road and you can park ten bicycles in one car-parking space. In London, the growing number of traffic-management schemes in residential areas means that a large proportion of cyclists don’t use main roads at all but opt for cut-throughs and traffic-free routes. From the perspective of local and national government, cycling is a win-win option.

Health benefits

A study of 1,300 workers in Birmingham found that the one factor that made a difference to fitness levels was cycling to work. Men who rode bikes regularly had a fitness level of someone five to ten years younger. A study in Holland looked at longevity and found that cyclists over the age of 30 had a life expectancy two years greater than people who did not cycle. Regular cycling also appears to halve your chances of cancer and diabetes, and combined with a healthy diet it can help with weight loss. The British Medical Association concluded that the health benefits of regular cycling far outweigh any risks.

Parking

Many cycling households in London find that they do not need to own a car or they only need one car instead of two. That means lower costs and less trouble searching for parking spaces. Employers also gain if more of their staff cycle: one large London company estimates that it saves about £2,000 a year in parking space costs for every staff member who cycles to work.

Youthful appearance

This is not scientifically proven, but when guessing a cyclist’s age you’ll often find that you underestimate by five to ten years. Cyclists all know this and it encourages them to keep cycling. Madonna, Jeremy Paxman, Jon Snow and Eric Clapton are all cyclists.

Improved urban realm

A cycle-friendly city is a civilized city. There is little doubt that cycling cities such as Cambridge, Oxford and York all have a special attraction for tourists. Abroad, too, people feel particularly welcome in cycle-friendly Amsterdam and Copenhagen. By working to improve cycling conditions, cities can become better places to live and work.

Hackney has the highest cycling levels in London. The health benefits alone are reason enough to ride regularly

Cycling is good for you and good for London.

CHOOSING A BIKE

Bikes range from £25 second-hand roadsters to £5,000 road racing machines, but you need the right bike at the right price to suit your needs, otherwise you simply won’t use it. A cheap bike may be perfect for the local trip where theft could be a worry, while a good-quality racing bike or an e-bike may be ideal for a long commute. A good choice will bring decades of enjoyable cycling and all the benefits that come with a more active lifestyle. Before buying, it’s worth seeing if your employer offers loans for bikes or is signed up to the Cycle to Work scheme, which may get you a discount of up to 40% on the price of the bike. Whether you are buying new or second-hand, be sure to try before you buy.

What not to buy

It generally pays to avoid buying two kinds of bike: a new sub-£100, full-suspension imitation mountain bike (MTB) or a second-hand racing bike with steel wheel rims. Both types are slow, heavy and often unreliable. Such bikes, however, are less popular with thieves, so they can be useful for short trips during which you have to leave the bike outside, and if you have one in the shed, hang on to it – many are now being converted to trendy ‘single-speeds’.

The right bike for you

The chart (below) is an easy-to-use guide to choosing the right bike for your circumstances and riding requirements (more stars equals more suitable). It covers the typical uses of a bicycle with the most appropriate type of bicycle for that type of cycling. E-bikes are available in most categories at a higher cost. Remember that you can always hire or borrow bikes to find out what suits you best, and you can upgrade as your needs and ambitions change.

You may find that with some minor changes you’ll be able to own one bike that covers several needs. For example, you can fit a set of smooth tyres to a mountain bike to adapt it for city use, while a set of knobbly tyres will equip a touring bike for moderate off-road use.

Where to buy

A good local bike shop is the best place to buy your bike after trying out a selection. Your bike will be fully assembled and a shop can offer advice on models, correct sizes and accessories. Most shops include a 6- or 12-month service in the price. You’ll also establish a useful contact for information, reliable repairs and news about cycling activities.

When buying a new bike, good shops will change the saddle, pedals or tyres for a small extra charge. This can be important in getting the right fit and better comfort or performance.

Members of your local cycle group or club (see Social Cycling, here) may be willing to offer expert help with buying, if you need it, and will point you to their favourite bike shops.

A custom-made fixed-wheel bike with colourful matching components.

Size

With bicycles, size matters, and most bicycle models come in several sizes. For example, mountain bikes and hybrids are usually sized in inches from 15 in to 21 1/2 in, or simply XS, S, M and L, but road bikes are sized in metric centimetres, from 48 cm to 62 cm in 2-cm increments. Many models now come in versions for men and women. Women’s bikes can have either a step-through frame for easier dismounting, or can be like the equivalent men’s models but with altered geometry to allow for relatively shorter torsos and longer legs. There are no hard-and-fast rules on what an individual should ride, so it’s useful to try a variety of models including those designed for the opposite sex.

Usually, the correct frame size will be about 26 cm (10 in) less than your inside leg measurement for on-road use and 30 cm (12 in) less for off-road. You should be able to stand across the bike without your crotch touching the top tube, otherwise stopping at the lights could be painful. Allow at least 2.5 cm (1 in) clearance for bikes for on-road use, and 5–7.5 cm (2–3 in) for mountain bikes.

With the saddle height set correctly – your leg should be almost straight with the heel at the bottom of the pedal stroke (see Correct Set-up, here) – make sure you are not stretched too far forward or too low down on the handlebars. Handlebar stems on some bikes can be adjusted up or down, and most competition bikes (on-road or off-road) tend to have more stretched-out positions. If the bike is too small, you will feel cramped and the saddle height may not go up far enough (there is a limit marked on most saddle seat pins). If you can’t get into a position you like, consider another size, model or brand, because bike geometry varies between models and between brands.

Frame materials

Most modern bikes are made of aluminium. It’s light and doesn’t rust, but the bikes can be less comfortable than steel ones because the frames feel stiffer. Quality steels such as cro-moly or manganese molybdenum build into comfortable frames, and Columbus, Tange and Reynolds are popular tube brands. Lower grade hi-tensile steels are used on cheaper bikes. Most steel frames will rust if not cared for, unlike stainless steel and titanium frames, which are non-rusting, lightweight and durable but expensive. Carbon fibre offers the ultimate in low weight and high performance, but it’s expensive and relatively fragile in a crash.

Key components

Modern components have made cycling much easier – gears shift with a click and brakes are more efficient. Shimano dominates the parts market but it has rivals in SRAM and Campagnolo. If you can afford it, aim for a bike with aluminium alloy components throughout, especially the wheel rims, to reduce weight and avoid rust. However, be aware that black components can be deceptive. At the top end of the market they are made of aluminium and anodized black for style; but at the bottom end the components can be made of cheap steel and coated with plastic or painted black to make them look expensive.

Handlebars and stems

Flat or slightly raised bars offer more convenient braking and a better view of the road ahead. Dropped bars, on the other hand, offer three riding positions (top of bars, on the brake hoods and on the drops) and better stream-lining for racing or touring. Many urban riders modify dropped bars by turning them upside down and cutting the tops off for a cow-horn effect. It helps with braking. There are other modifications you can make. For instance, adding forward extensions to flat bars will give you an additional position, and fitting auxiliary levers to the bar tops of dropped handlebars will give more convenient braking in town.

Gears

The two distinct types of gears are hub gears and derailleur gears. Gears that are enclosed in the hub of the rear wheel usually offer two to eight speeds and are common on city bikes. They are less exposed to external damage and require little maintenance, but usually have to be serviced in a shop if something does go wrong. You can change hub gears while at a standstill, which is convenient when you are stopped at the lights.

Virtually all racing and mountain bikes have derailleur gears. These are lighter than hub mechanisms, shift with a click and offer a range of up to 33 gears. They need fairly regular cleaning but this is an easy process and repairs are fairly simple. You have to shift derailleur gears while pedalling so it’s important to shift down before stopping.

On straight handlebars you have a choice of twist grips or push-button shifters depending on the brand. It’s a personal choice.

Brakes

The modern calliper brakes used on racing bikes offer sensitive finger-tip control. V-brakes are used on hybrids and mountain bikes for their greater power, and disc brakes are used increasingly on higher priced bikes to provide strong braking in muddy or wet conditions. All brakes and brakepads need regular adjustment to maintain optimum performance, but brakes on cheap bikes are often of poor quality and require additional attention.

Saddle

Bike saddles are a personal choice and you should try several before buying. Some people swear by traditional leather saddles but others prefer gel. Grooves or holes in saddles can help avoid pressure on your sensitive bits, and most experienced cyclists use relatively firm, narrow saddles because they don’t rub on your thighs on long rides. Some companies now offer saddles in different sizes and shapes to suit those with narrower or wider sit bones.

You will find that the cheaper plastic saddles, which come with some bikes, are only comfortable on shorter rides. Saddles designed for women are usually wider and shorter than those designed for men.

Wheels and tyres

Light wheels and tyres can make the biggest difference to your speed and acceleration. Changing the tyres of a bike is relatively easy and inexpensive and can be done when you are buying your new bike. Unless you plan to ride off-road frequently, aim for mixed-tread tyres rather than fat, knobbly MTB ones. If you want to cut down your commuting times, pick smooth or semi-smooth tyres and light, narrow rims. Although serious off-road use demands wide knobbly tyres, most park and canal paths can be ridden on mixed-tread tyres.

A basic mountain bike with parts labelled. They are applicable to most bikes.

On full-size bikes there are several common, though incompatible, wheel sizes in use:

• 700 C (aka 28" (road bikes) or 29er (mountain bikes)) wheel size used on road-racing bikes, touring bikes and most hybrids and city bikes as well as many newer (29er) mountain bikes. ISO rim size 622mm (Note: the ISO designation is the actual diameter of the rim rather than the 700C/28/29/650B/26 descriptions which relate to the estimated outer tyre diameter. The ISO number is more consistent but rarely used in bike shops).

• 650B (aka 27.5") on mountain bikes and small size road racing bikes. ISO rim size 584mm.

• 26 inch wheel size used on mountain bikes and some hybrids and city bikes. ISO rim size 559mm.

If your household already has bikes with one wheel size, it may be worth sticking to bikes with the same-sized wheels so that parts like inner tubes and tyres are compatible.

Pedals

Metal pedals are more durable than plastic ones. Experienced riders prefer clip-in pedals which make riding more efficient and release with a flick of the foot. For clip-ins you need special shoes, but many are designed for walking use as well as for riding.

Suspension

Suspension is useful off-road but on-road it carries a weight penalty and, unless it’s of low quality, a higher cost. You can have suspension on the front forks or both front and rear. Some urban bikes have suspension front forks and a suspension seat post, offering a compromise between weight and cost.

Accessories

When pricing bikes and making comparisons, be sure to consider the cost of any accessories that are or are not included. Ask the shop to price up your preferred models with a full complement of accessories before you make your decision.

Bike brands

Most bikes, aside from custom-built jobs and some folders, are built in the Far East. Many of the popular brands sold in the UK, however, are either US- or UK-owned. Specialized, Marin, Trek, Ridgeback, Genesis and Giant are all well established, and London brands include the folding Brompton, Condor, Pinnacle and custom builders like Saffron, Varonha, Hartley and Six Four.

TYPES OF BIKE

Pure pedal power or electric assist? The wide range of cycle types available has effectively been doubled by electric-assist versions now released in all higher price categories. Your buying decision will depend on how much of a work out you want from cycling and whether you want to spend the extra £500–2000 extra that so called e-bikes cost.

E-bikes have progressed rapidly in terms of their range thanks to more long-lasting and lighter batteries. They are a growing part of the cycle market and road-racing, gravel and off-road versions are now available alongside the more typical electric city bikes. The distance range of ‘ebikes’ can reach 150 km (90 miles) on one charge and some weigh less than 13kg (30 lb), but a 40 km (25 mile) range and a 20 kg (45 lb) weight is more typical. Their electric assist is limited, by legislation, to 15.5 mph on roads, beyond which the motor cuts out (e.g. on downhills).

They offer an option for longer journeys, notably commutes, without great exertion. Be aware that their extra weight makes them a challenge if you have to store them up a staircase. Prices start at around £800 and rise to several thousand for better models.

Hybrid bikes are a mix of road bike and mountain bike, offering a comfortable upright position with flat handlebars, and are suitable for leisure riding as well as commuting. They generally have wheels in the 700 C size (larger than the typical 26 inch mountain bike wheel). They are not usually fitted with mudguards or a carrier but typically have attachment points for them. These are easy and relatively inexpensive upgrades.

City bikes are designed for pure urban use with an upright riding position, hub gears (3–11 speed) so you can change down once you’ve stopped rather than trying to time downshifts as you approach junctions. They usually include the key city essentials of mudguards, rack and lights. Roadsters are basically traditional city bikes with swept-bar handlebars and often a basket. They have retro styling but can be heavier than city bikes. Cruiser-style bikes are fun to ride, but their extra-wide handlebars make them awkward in traffic.

Mountain bikes with full-suspension can’t be beaten for off-road exhilaration. In town, however, their extra weight and the drag of knobbly tyres can slow you down. You can improve the on-road performance significantly by fitting smooth or semi-smooth tyres. Expect to pay more than £500 for a new mountain bike with front suspension, and upwards of £600 for front and rear suspension. There are many sub-categories of mountain bike ranging from jump bikes to cross-country bikes. Most mid-priced bikes have disc brakes and several inches of suspension ‘travel’ in the front forks. Full-suspension bikes (even the cheap ones) aren’t good all-rounders because of the difficulty of attaching fittings such as racks, mudguards and child seats.

Touring bikes’ versatility and durability are their greatest attributes. They usually have dropped handlebars and are often made of high-quality steel for comfort and easier repair on tour. Comfort is critical on a touring bike, so make sure the saddle contact points are to your liking. Long-distance riders usually like a firm, fairly narrow saddle. To reduce the risk of discomfort, it’s a good idea to try your saddle over at least 80 km (50 miles) before using it on a bike tour, and the same for your handlebars and pedals. Touring bikes usually come with a full range of accessories and can be adapted easily for child- or load-carrying. In stripped down form, touring bikes can also be used for club racing or for fast commuting.

Gravel bikes: for off-road touring or tow-path riding gravel bikes are a new cross between mountain bikes and road racers. They have no suspension but fattish tyres and powerful disc brakes. Combined with plentiful strap-on luggage (see accessories) they are a popular choice for ‘bikepacking.’

Cycles are available in a wide range of designs to suit all abilities.

Racing or road bikes are worth considering if you have a long commute and you have a shower at work – you can turn your journey into a work-out. Super-light machines are addictive and are more affordable since the advent of aluminium frames, but the lower you go in weight, the higher the incremental cost. Titanium and carbon fibre can take a bike’s weight below 8 kg (18 lb) but the price can top £3,000 – you can buy a fine aluminium-framed bike that weighs 10 kg (23 lb) for around £500. For fast commuting you may need to fit tyres that are more durable than the usual race wear.

Folding bikes: one reason behind the boom in folders is that they can usually be taken indoors, making theft less likely. The others are that they can be taken on trains at peak times, packed into car boots and left in cupboards, either at home or at work. London’s Brompton leads the pack in terms of foldability, but other folder specialists such as Dahon, Birdy and Airnimal offer both lightweight and sporty models. Most of the major brands now offer their own folders.

Single-speeds and fixed-wheel bikes are a recent fashion. They offer single-gear simplicity, low maintenance and a sporty look but lack the multiple gears you need for hills and faster starts at the lights. Single-speeds allow you to freewheel but on fixed-wheel bikes, or fixies, the pedals always rotate. You must have at least one independent brake on a fixed-wheel bike for safe on-road use.

BMX bikes are small-wheeled, single-geared bikes aimed at kids and for recreational use. They are usually lighter, faster and more durable than the equivalent kid’s mountain bike so are a good choice as a first bike. However, prowess in BMX tricks does not mean your child has good road cycling skills. Ensure they attend cycle training (Bikeability) classes at school before cycling on the road.

Recumbents, tandems and all-ability cycles: many people are unaware of the range of cycles you can buy or hire. At one end of the scale are the human-powered vehicles (HPVs) that break speed records and even fly. At the other end are tricycles that can have two people pedalling side by side and cycles that have one person pedalling while the other simply sits. There are bikes suitable for people who can’t balance, can’t see, can’t pedal with their feet (hand-cranked bikes), or are unable to use an ordinary bike for any other reason. Unusual cycles are a treat to ride, especially for children, and can be tried out at several London parks including Battersea and Dulwich as well as at cycle events and bike shows. London Recumbents in Dulwich specialize in recumbents and other unusual cycles. Wheels for Wellbeing (see Resources here) are a useful source of information.

Tandems are the secret of enjoyable family cycling. You can mix adult and child or two adults of differing strengths on a tandem trip and still make good time. Crank shorteners and kiddy-cranks make them suitable even for five-year-olds.

Cargo bikes: electric assistance has led to a boom in cargo bikes for carrying children and goods. Two-wheeled and three-wheeled versions are available and some hybrids, like the Tern GSD, take an adult passenger but are the same length as a regular bike. They can weigh upwards of 30kg so steps are a challenge.

Second-hand bikes

Second-hand bikes can be great bargains but it’s best to buy them from an established bike shop or from an individual who can show you proof of ownership and a photo ID. Bike magazines often advertise cycle jumbles where you can find good-value bikes, and there are several recycling projects in London offering reconditioned bikes. Steer clear of bikes without frame numbers or those that have recently been repainted. It is always best go with a bike expert to help you, and members of local cycle groups or clubs may be able to help. Beware of buying second-hand bikes at street markets and on the Internet – you may get sold a lemon or a stolen bike. You can check if a bike has been registered as stolen at www.checkmend.com or bikeregister.com though these sites only list officially registered bikes (only a small proportion of all bikes in the UK). You can also ask the seller if he or she has registered the bike at www.bikeregister.com or another registration scheme. They will need to transfer the registration to you.

Assess the cost of any repairs before buying. New tyres or wheels, for example, can double the cost of a £50 bargain. Don’t buy a bike that’s been crashed – cracked paint, wobbly wheels or bent forks are a giveaway, and mountain bikes in particular can receive some pretty harsh treatment. If you do buy a second-hand bike, check it thoroughly.

Correct set-up

Riding a well-set-up bike is a joy, while riding one that’s badly set up can be agony. Your position on a bike can be adjusted in several ways – varying the saddle and the position of the handlebars and stem. Setting up is usually a case of personal preference but it’s useful to start from the established rules of thumb and adjust from there. On a racing bike you will be bent over with your elbows slightly bent when holding the handlebars; on a bike with straight handlebars you should be a little more upright but with your arms still slightly flexed at the elbow (see illustration on opposite page). Owning a bike that is the correct size is also important (see Size here).

Saddle height: Your leg should be almost, but not quite, straight when your foot reaches the bottom of the pedal stroke (you should always pedal with the ball of your foot). You can calculate the advised setting for high efficiency by measuring from your crotch to the floor in socks and then multiplying by 1.09 – this gives the distance from the high point of the saddle measured in a straight line to the centre of the pedal spindle at its furthest point from the saddle. This assumes shoes with relatively thin soles, so if you wear thicker soles adjust accordingly. New riders may feel more comfortable at a lower saddle height initially because it is easier to put a foot down on the ground. You adjust the seat pin height by loosening the Allen key bolt or quick-release lever on the frame.

Saddle fore-and-aft: In theory, the point just behind your kneecap should be vertically above the pedal spindle at its forward-most point, but many people prefer to be a little further back. You may need assistance to set this position, and a plumb line held next to your kneecap can help.

Saddle level and tilt: Saddles are usually designed to be horizontal but some people prefer the nose a little lower. If you are still uncomfortable with more than a slight adjustment from level, consider changing saddles. Both the fore-and-aft position and the level are awkward to adjust on many saddles and may need to be changed simultaneously. Loosen the two nuts or Allen key bolts at the top of the seat pin, adjust and tighten.

Handlebars and stem: Some bikes have fully adjustable handlebars and stem, but on others, to make changes you have to replace the stem for one that rises either more or less steeply, or is longer or shorter (an easy switch on bikes with modern stems). If a new stem does not give you enough height you can buy an extender. On older bikes you can adjust the stem up or down by about 5 cm (2 in) by easing off the Allen key bolt at the top (not too far), rapping it with a rubber mallet to release the wedge inside the frame, and pulling the stem up or down. Do not exceed the marked ‘up’ limit (for safety reasons) and don’t forget to re-tighten the stem with the Allen key.

A rough guide for saddle nose to handlebar distance (nearest point on the handlebars) is elbow to fingertips. Handlebar height is typically level with the saddle for touring and city riding, and below saddle height for road racing and fast commuting. With mountain bikes it depends on the type of riding, and some riders use dropped handlebars upside down with the tops cut off for city riding (for example, see here).

Brakes: Set the brake levers so that you can reach the levers comfortably while riding. On straight flat bars you can adjust the levers inwards by means of a small screw/Allen key bolt set near the pivoting end of the lever.

Pedals: Instead of ordinary pedals you can fit pedals with toe-clips and straps which make pedalling more efficient but make taking your feet off the pedals slower. Clips should fit your shoe size and you should keep straps loose in urban traffic. Clip-in pedals, such as Shimano SPD or Look, are a further improvement in efficiency but remember to set them to a loose setting for urban riding. Adjust them by means of the small Allen key screw at the back of the pedal.

Gears: Most hybrid, racing and mountain bikes have a wide selection of gears, but you can change the gear range at relatively low cost (a different gear cassette costs about £25). If you find that your gear range is too high or too low, consider changing it.

ACCESSORIES AND CLOTHES

Some bikes, often Dutch or German models, come with a full set of accessories but most don’t. If you’re buying a bike without the accessories you want, you may get a better deal on them if you buy them with it, rather than buying them later or from a different store. Here’s what you will need.

Pump and puncture kit

Correctly inflated tyres improve speed and deter punctures. Ideally, you should have two pumps: a track or foot pump with a pressure gauge to use at home and which can inflate tyres to 120 psi (8 bar) or more, as well as a small portable pump. You should inflate tyres to the pressure recommended on the tyre sidewall – generally expressed as a maximum and minimum range. Good pumps (track and portable) have a lever that tightens the pump head around the valve. Most modern pumps can be used with the two popular valve types – Presta (long and thin) and Schrader (car type) – by flipping a lever or by using a choice of two connectors. There is a third type of valve, the Woods, which has a collar nut and was used on older roadsters.

A spare inner tube of the right size for your tyres, a puncture kit, tyre levers and a 15 cm (6 in) adjustable spanner are what you’ll need to fix a puncture.

Mudguards

These are useful in bad weather. The best are made of unbreakable plastic and come in sizes to fit 26 inch mountain bike wheels or the 700 C (sometimes called 28 inch) wheels fitted to hybrids and road bikes. Mudguards come in types to fit bosses (small holes near the wheel hubs) and those to fit bikes without bosses, such as racers or MTBs (mountain bikes).

Lock

A good lock is essential in London. Count on spending 10 to 20 percent of the value of your bike on a lock (see Storage, Security and Insurance, here).

Lights

In the UK, you must have reflectors and front and rear lights, plus reflectors on your pedals. Flashing LED lights are permitted. Cheaper lights (£5–£20), with replaceable batteries, are designed to make you visible, not to light the road. Rechargeable LED or halogen front lights can be as powerful as car headlamps, but they cost more (take care in urban areas not to blind other cyclists or drivers by adjusting the intensity setting). Choose lights that are visible from the sides as well as head-on. Remember to remove your lights when leaving your bike. Dynamos (£30–£60) need no batteries and are fixed permanently to the bike so they are less easy to steal. Modern dynamos have a rear ‘standlight’ that switches on when you stop pedalling.

Panniers, saddlebags, racks and trailers

The most comfortable way of carrying loads on a bike is in panniers attached to a rack. Panniers come in sets of two and the better ones, such as Ortlieb or Carradice, are water-proof (£60 upwards). You can buy them for front and rear racks. Rack-top bags are for smaller loads and sit on top of a rack. The racks themselves are made of aluminium or tubular steel and the better models, such as Tubus or Blackburn, take heavier loads for a given weight of rack.

Traditionalists favour saddlebags, and retro fashion dictates that you have one made out of durable cotton-duck. Modern saddlebags have their own attachment devices and are usually secured to the seat pin. A modern option for ‘bikepacking’ is a (matching) set of waterproof strap-on bags including a frame, seat, handlebar and ‘peripheral’ packs. Alternatively, for smaller loads, you can use a courier bag. These keep all your kit in one place for quick stops, and the better ones have straps to secure them around your waist. For greater loads the best solution is a trailer that you drag behind your bike. One-wheeler trailers offer good balance but are relatively small; two-wheelers are bigger but can tip over if you ride too fast around corners. Larger shops offer a good selection, as do specialists such as Bikefix (see Major London Cycling Shops, here).

Well-equipped cyclists on a leisure ride with water bottles, saddlebags, cycling clothing and safety gear.