Well-designed cycling infrastructure is the single most important step to get more people cycling in our towns and cities. Design and build it well and people will ride it! Positively, the quality of cycle lanes in the UK is improving and this is empowering more and more people to ride. In this film, I bike a short journey from Trafalgar Square to Waterloo Bridge, using the amazing cycle lane along the Embankment. Might this be London’s best cycle lane? If you live in London, or are visiting as a tourist and want to take in Big Ben, The London Eye and iconic views along the Thames, be sure to give this one a try!
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE to the channel to help our community grow and share the films as widely as you can. Thank you!
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Intro
0:45 – Trafalgar Square roundabout
1:43 – Shall I filter?
2:18 – Anticipating hazards in the cycle lane
3:14 – Positive interactions to build confidence
3:54 – Amazing Embankment cycle lane
5:20 – Contraflow up Savoy Street
6:30 – Turning right onto the Strand
7:42 – Fantastic views over Waterloo Bridge!
8:28 – The importance of route planning
9:18 – Please subscribe!
9:35 – Thank you page
9:47 – Watch these films
IMPORTANT NOTE ON HOW YOU RIDE:
The channel will show videos of me cycling that intend to stimulate reflection and discussion on how we ride so we can all develop as riders.
I cannot take responsibility for how you ride after you watch the videos. The cycling shown may not be suitable for all situations. Remember that you may need to be flexible when you ride and you should always adhere to the rules for cycling in your area. Cycle training with a qualified instructor can be invaluable, whatever your level of experience, so check out options in your area. If you or your workplace would like me to deliver training for you, then please get in touch via email.
HELPFUL LINKS:
The following links are available in the channel bio:
– Riding Competencies Mind Map (Eager Cycle Coaching)
– The Highway Code (England, Scotland and Wales)
– The National Standard for Cycle Training (Department for Transport)
– The Bikeability Trust website
MUSIC:
Special thanks to the very talented Pim Jones for supplying music for the channel. Check out Pim’s music here:
https://on.soundcloud.com/QuHz2PPpZLnd8KHeGH
RIDE SMART | SHARE THE JOURNEY | BUILD A COMMUNITY
14 Comments
What time and day of the week was the ride, it looked reasonably quiet for London.
@TheEagerCyclist I will share the channel with my club. We're based in Guildford but many of us commute to London, either by bike or train/Brompton. And I always smile and wave if I'm ever honked at by a car 😁
At 5:38 it would be a good idea for cyclists not to assume that because they have priority their lane will be free. Anticipating that drivers oncoming from the opposite direction will sidle over into the cyclist's lane when theirs is fully or partly obstructed lane is something cyclists should keep very much in mind. Drivers feel they have priority for the opposite lane when it is just a cyclist they see in it.
At 9:20 A cyclist unsure about scary intersections and roundabouts can just dismount, become a pedestrian and use the pedestrian crossings and subways. It is totally legal.🙂🙂 The latter should be okay if they have ramps or the bike is light enough to haul up and down the steps.
1:50 Good shout. Filtering is sometimes not an option.
2:45 Most cycle lanes have lorries parked in them. It makes you wonder what is the point of obeying highway laws: they don't seem to apply to motorists.
Possible nitpick? After looking at your videos there's something that caught my attention and I have not been able to figure it out until today. You are riding quite narrow flatbars in a fairly upright position (the sign of an experienced relaxed rider), meaning that your biomechanics are different from that of most new cyclists. It could simply be the camera position though. New cyclists likely start of with hybrid/mountain bikes or the commuter bikes recommended by Halfords salesmen which have wider handlebars (insanely so for MTBs) meaning they start of with completely different riding postures, with attendant bike steering and shifting movements. Movements like twisting the shifters and applying the brakes don't show in your riding because your hands are not in the camera view.
May I suggest that if possible in future videos you use a wider range of bikes, including some dockless hire bikes to give a more balanced view on the riding positions and styles. Of course you may have done the whole series earlier and are now uploading them, but I think it is something to consider for a new series.
Another thing about narrow handlebars is that they may make it easier for you fit into gaps, as well as have motor vehicles close pass you in a way that wouldn't be possible with wider handlebars. Learners can unconsciously emulate such situations without realizing that their own bikes may not be suited to such manoeuvres.
Love the positive road culture, I ride and drive so am not in a battle with other road users. If we build anger on the roads, then no one is safer or happier.
Love this making views and safety advice 😊
I was a London bike messenger about 20 years ago and learned from (sometimes bitter) experience how to find the best routes and stay out of trouble. These videos should be required watching for anyone intending to jump on a bike and ride around the city, especially with the explosion (not literally, although sometimes!) of rental bikes in recent years.
Cycling is just one huge pain in the arse in more ways than one.
This content is so helpful. Please keep uploading 🙏
Thanks for this, reminds me of my cycling proficiency way back when and just as useful!
Subbed!
🤙🏽⚡️🤟🏽⚡️👌🏽
London content 👌🏽👌🏽
I’m actually from the West Midlands. I actually find cycling in London safer than my area. Every so often a few of us come up on the train and hire Santander Bikes and do a themed tour. I actually think seeing London by bike is a great experience.
Really enjoyed this video. I will subscribe to your channel and hopefully get some ideas for our next trip!
another great video, so helpful to many cyclists and other road users to understand the best strategies to use. Promoting a positive road culture is what we should all be doing, to move away from the competitive environment that seems to pervade all to often