+ London 101 (click to open)

• Places for Bikes City Rating: 48 out of 100. Comprehensive and holistic rating on ridership, safety, network, reach and acceleration. Compare this score to Amsterdam's rating of 82.
• Walk Score: 100. Walk Score measures the walkability of any address based on the distance to nearby places and pedestrian friendliness.

Maps

• London Bike Map
• Transit Map
• Santander Cycles - London's bike share

"Your legs look fantastic!" is what founder Megan’s mom said to her upon her return from a summer work abroad in London in 2000. A life of car commuting around Atlanta had apparently softened them up. Walking and taking the Tube was Megan’s way of getting to work and exploring the city of London, and coming home with toned legs cemented the allure of an active transportation lifestyle in her brain. It is notable, given how her life later turned out, that she never considered biking as an equally attractive option for city mobility. It was simply too daunting, with the huge buses and narrow winding roads that didn't obey the compass. Additionally, there was next-to-zero biking culture in London circa 2000. But according to Transport for London, daily biking trips doubled from 2000-2012, mostly due to the installation of their bike hire (share). So things began to improve.

The city's bike culture technically dates back to 1818 with dawn of the the Dandy Horse, which looks like an adult balance bike. Then in the 1860s, metal-wheeled bikes with pedals appeared, earning the nickname “boneshakers” from their unforgiving ride quality on London’s rough roads. The pennyfarthing, used by middle to upper class men, came along shortly after, its massive front wheel serving to smooth out those cobbles to an acceptably dull roar. Step-through frames came about in 1889, which made it easier for women to ride wearing the required long dresses and skirts of the time. Wardrobe difficulties aside, biking was still one of the few activities that didn't require a male chaperone, and as such it has been rightly attributed with advancing the emancipation of women.

Impressively, the first cycletrack appeared in the city back in 1934. But over the course of the next 5 decades, London fell victim to the global trend of automobile dominance in the streets, and the concept of daily biking in London all but died.

Fast forward to 2008 and Mayor Livingstone's vision to increase biking by 400% with a cyclehighway network, and London was finally back on track. Infrastructure gains led to increased cycling, and an alternative to the car is once again on the menu.

London is a lot like Boston with its "spaghetti thrown at a wall" street grid, and with its bike advocacy timeline. Boston was rated 5 worst in the world for biking in 2008, and has been working hard to reverse that trend. However, unlike Boston, as of 2023 there seems to be a growing bike backlash in London combining with weak political will to continue the good work, so their hard-fought liveability advancements could be at risk.

Nevertheless, London remains a dense city full of history, public spaces and architectural landmarks that is still best seen by bike. In only 4 hours, we managed to see most of Hyde Park and the Thames. Give us a week there, and we could have seen the whole city without renting a car.

+ Bike Safety, Etiquette and Laws (click to open)

Etiquette

First, if you are traveling from a country where you ride on the right side of the street, there is a big “driving on the left side” learning curve that you'll encounter mostly at intersections. Until you get used to it, look both ways twice, because those buses are not to be trifled with. Plus, you don't want to annoy a local person riding a bike.

Riding on the left also applies to the cycletracks: slower biking on the left side of the cycletrack, and faster / passing bikes on the right side.

London is a busy metropolitan center, so you may wish to avoid rush hour on the first day. With so many local folks now biking, it will take some time to learn to swim like a salmon with them.

Safety

London Police issue some steep fines (up to 2500 pounds!) so this is important! Don’t zone out on this section.

1. "Dangerous cycling" is a very subjective offense that carries a jaw-dropping fine, 2500 pounds. “What constitutes Dangerous Cycling?” you may ask... They don’t give definitions, and at 2,500 pounds a pop, you can’t afford to find out. So err on the cautious side.
2. "Careless cycling"... We are not precisely sure what differentiates this from the first, but you can be ticketed 1500 pounds for this vaguery as well. Salmoning (riding the wrong way) may fall into this category. Again, keep your eyes up and your head on task, and you’ll probably be fine.
3. Riding On Sidewalks (“pavement” as they call it) or in Pedestrian-Only zones is a 500 pound fine.
4. Running a Traffic Light is a 50 pound fine.

The United Kingdom has no helmet law, but lights are required from sunset to sunrise and bikes need a rear red reflector. Vague descriptions with massive fines are symptomatic of a city that gives its police force a very long leash. Proceed accordingly.

Security

In 2022, 90% of the 16,000 bike thefts were not recovered. This statistic should be a powerful motivator to bring your bike in at night, to carry a good lock with you during the day, and to use that good lock to secure your bike to an actual bike rack instead of thin metal or wood. Remember, you don't have to outswim the sharks, just your friends… so lock your bike better than your neighbors did.

According to The Standard, the worst neighborhoods for bike theft are 1) Hackney, 2) Tower Hamlets, 3) Westminster and 4) Camden.

Luckily, using the Santander Bikes avoids the anxiety of a stolen bike.

London Culture

The first thing we noticed with London bike culture was how many people were armored up with hi-vis apparel and helmets. This is an indication of a city that was formerly unsafe for biking and is now in transition. There is safety in numbers, but the culture still feels intense, as opposed to more evolved European biking cities. The culture reminded us a lot of Boston with its curvy, nonsensical street grid… it’s a terrible place to drive, so cars tend to be angry, and cyclists brave enough to commute in it are not seen as normal humans, but something “other.” Thus, many of those cyclists understandably feel most comfortable being visible from orbit, and ready for a fall. Children on bikes or parents carrying their kids were not prevalent, but we fortunately caught a few joyous sightings.

London has come a LONG way since Megan lived there in the summer of 2000, and we're sure it will keep on progressing. Right now it’s a dense, historical tangle of wonder that is best explored by bike, albeit in a somewhat cautious manner.

Best Bike Rides in London

+ Bike Rentals & Tours (click to open)

Rentals

BIKE SHARE

• Our Bike - 3 pounds per hour for a E-cargo trike with rain cover. Fits 2 kiddos!
• Santander Cycles - 1.65 pounds per trip for upright city bike with basket and lights

CARGO BIKE RENTAL SHOP

• London Green Cycles - 40 pounds/day or 130 pounds/week for a 2 or 3-wheeled box bikes like Bullitt, Bakfiets, Christiana, Nihola. Bikes can also be delivered straight to your door. Insurance, helmets, lights, baby seats and locks are included in the price.

Tours

• Tally Ho! Bicycle Experiences - 55+ pounds per person (includes bike) "Saddle up for an adventure with a fun, hipster historian guide and discover the best of London on a vintage-style bike." If you always wanted to go on a Tweed ride, this is the one!

+ Eats, Drinks and Sights (click to open)

Where we ate and wandered...

• EAT - Lobby at One Aldwych Hotel, Sam's Cafe on Primrose

• WANDER - Hyde Park, River Thames

+ Hotels (click to open)

Hotel

• Selina Camden | 89 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London, NW1 8AR | +44 7376 809248
  Amenities: onsite restaurant and coffee bar, 10 minute walk to bike share station, across the street from Chalk Farm Tube station

+ Transportation (click to open)

London Tube (Normal Map / Bikes on Tube Map

Airport to Downtown

Take the Heathrow Express for 16.50-25 pounds one-way based on how early you buy tickets; kids 15 and under are free.

Bikes on the Tube Policy

"You can take folded cycles anywhere, at any time on all our transport services. However, on buses the driver can decide not to let you travel if it's too busy...electric scooters folded or not - are not allowed...You can take non-folded cycles on some services at specific times."

EUROSTAR VIA SNCF - London to Paris

Bikes on Eurostar Policy

"You can book a space for your bike by emailing travelservices@eurostar.com. This service is currently limited to selected trains between London, Paris, and Brussels, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

We can only transport fully assembled bikes on trains travelling between London and Brussels. If you’re travelling between London and Paris, your bike must be disassembled and in a box or bag when you drop it off."

NATIONAL RAIL via INTERRAIL - travel within the United Kingdom

Bikes on National Rail Policy

"Many train operators allow bikes onboard. On some trains, you need to reserve a space for your bike before you travel. Make sure you check the specific cycle policies for each train company you travel with."

AIRLINES

These airlines fly to London Heathrow.

• British Airways- FREE for bikes under 23kg or 50lbs in a protective box or bag 190X75X65cm; must call 72 hours in advance to confirm bike reservation.
• Delta- FREE for bikes under 23kg or 50lbs in a protective box or bag under 62 linear inches or 158 centimeters.
• JetBlue - FREE for bikes under 23kg or 50lbs in a protective box or bag under 62 linear inches or 292 centimeters.
• Quantas - FREE for bikes under 32kg or 70lbs in a protective box or bag.
• Virgin Atlantic - FREE for bikes under 23kg or 50lbs in a protective box or bag.