y o u b i k e l o n d o n; Charlotte from London Bridge

Name and age?
Charlotte, I'm 20.
Where do you live / ride to?
I live in London Bridge, and I cycle to Uni at King's.
What do you ride?
It's a purple Universal.
How often do you ride?
Everyday.
Helmet or no helmet?
Yes, helmet.
What's your primary reason for cycling?
It's cheaper, easier, more fun... there are so many reasons.  It's a lot quicker and you save money too.
Least favourite aspect of cycling?
Rush hour traffic.
Most favourite aspect of cycling?
Getting there really quickly, and exercise.
What do you never leave the house without when riding?
My helmet, definitely, my house keys and my Oyster Card just in case I have some sort of accident and need to get home, and my phone.
How many locks do you carry and have you ever had a bicycle stolen?
Yeah, this is my second bike.  My first bike got stolen within 24 hours of my leaving it outside my flat - London Bridge is a terrible place for bike theft, it was very frustrating.  Now I lock it up in a different place with a big chain lock.
What advice would you give to an aspiring cyclist thinking of riding in London for the first time?
Definitely go for it!  Everyone is a bit scared at first, but it's not that scary really.  Try and go the first couple of times outside of rush hour and make sure you know your route so you don't have to think about it whilst you are trying to cycle in traffic.  And when you get to your destination make sure you leave your bike in a safe place and indoors if you can. Not outside your flat in London Bridge!
What could be done to improve the lot of the London cyclist?
More cycle lanes everywhere, definitely.

** ibikelondon is taking the long Bank Holiday weekend off, but we'll be back on Tuesday 1st June with more views and news on cycling in London **

1 comment:

Biggyzee said...

Looks like you have highlighted and hit a sore nerve with the new train station, shows that no real thought has gone into helping cyclists and there needs.