Cycling to St,James Park
Discussion
I'm going to be stopping in the big scary city at the end of the month for a week, and would like to commute to work, which is just by St.James Park tube station. I'm thinking that I might like to use a Boris bike, so I'm after suggestions of where might be a good area to stay in so I dont have to face hellish traffic, and ideally have access to a Boris bike pickup point. I'm thinking a couple of miles would be good as i could be leaving work late, and might not have space to bring my own bike lights down with me.
I was thinking regents park, sloan square, or similar.
any suggestions please?
I was thinking regents park, sloan square, or similar.
any suggestions please?
A fair thought, I don't think restaurants are likely to be of too much interest as my public servant type expenses budget just about stretches to McDonalds. I'm more interested in the traffic levels given that I don't often ride at rush hour, that makes hyde park sound very interesting to me. Is the area around Sloan Square reasonable? I'm worried about getting too far into Chelsea incase I get stuck behind tractors.
If you are in Sloane Sq you might as well walk to St James's Park.
Lovely walk it is too: Eaton Square and Buckingham Palace.
Plus it's two stops on the tube for when you are feeling inevitably lazy.
Alternatively hole up in Queensway and you can Boris Bike through Hyde Park-Green Park-St James's.
(Uphill on the way home though.)
Lovely walk it is too: Eaton Square and Buckingham Palace.
Plus it's two stops on the tube for when you are feeling inevitably lazy.
Alternatively hole up in Queensway and you can Boris Bike through Hyde Park-Green Park-St James's.
(Uphill on the way home though.)
walm said:
If you are in Sloane Sq you might as well walk to St James's Park.
Lovely walk it is too: Eaton Square and Buckingham Palace.
Plus it's two stops on the tube for when you are feeling inevitably lazy.
Alternatively hole up in Queensway and you can Boris Bike through Hyde Park-Green Park-St James's.
(Uphill on the way home though.)
Boris Bikes are so low geared that won't be an issue. Lovely walk it is too: Eaton Square and Buckingham Palace.
Plus it's two stops on the tube for when you are feeling inevitably lazy.
Alternatively hole up in Queensway and you can Boris Bike through Hyde Park-Green Park-St James's.
(Uphill on the way home though.)
There is a slightly suspect 'Danubius' hotel or somethinglike that right beside Lords. Massive BB station right beside it (2 in fact) and a very pleasant cycle on BB down to work.
Very central for everything although Camden will be livelier.
You need to consider something though - try not to be at the outer exptremity of the BB zone. It is very very rare that I can manage to park up my Boris in my home station after work as that is the last one of the zone. Pain in the 4rse it is...
BUdget for Hotel will probably dictate your location I imagine?
Agree about the hills and ignore any hills in London - if you cant get up a London hill on a Boris Bike; you should be in hospital already! The 1st gear is geared so that at around 90 rpm, you are doing 3-4 mph
Whatever you do - sign up for BB and they are the best thing in London for travellers and tourists by MILES
(not as in our tarmac laying friends)
Very central for everything although Camden will be livelier.
You need to consider something though - try not to be at the outer exptremity of the BB zone. It is very very rare that I can manage to park up my Boris in my home station after work as that is the last one of the zone. Pain in the 4rse it is...
BUdget for Hotel will probably dictate your location I imagine?
Agree about the hills and ignore any hills in London - if you cant get up a London hill on a Boris Bike; you should be in hospital already! The 1st gear is geared so that at around 90 rpm, you are doing 3-4 mph
Whatever you do - sign up for BB and they are the best thing in London for travellers and tourists by MILES
(not as in our tarmac laying friends)
coxyuk said:
Just for info, cycling is not allowed through St James park (or much of the Royal Parks as I recall)
I think there are now cycle paths through many of the Royal Parks. I have certainly cycled through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens on cycle paths. Richmond we all know about...Cannot swear about St James's Park but even circling around the outside is quite pleasant!
Slaav said:
I think there are now cycle paths through many of the Royal Parks. I have certainly cycled through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens on cycle paths. Richmond we all know about...
Cannot swear about St James's Park but even circling around the outside is quite pleasant!
I got told off by a random pedestrian when I tried to cycle through St James park despite the fact that there were no signs where I entered the park, only at the exit Cannot swear about St James's Park but even circling around the outside is quite pleasant!
. Seems odd for a northerner used to cycling anywhere in local public parkscoxyuk said:
I got told off by a random pedestrian when I tried to cycle through St James park despite the fact that there were no signs where I entered the park, only at the exit . Seems odd for a northerner used to cycling anywhere in local public parks
Surely any Londoner would have told the random pedestrian to Foxtrot Oscar?. Seems odd for a northerner used to cycling anywhere in local public parkswell, first commute completed, 12 minutes, with plenty of faffing, and turning the gear shifter the wrong way. One honk from a Prius that thought I should have cycled through the dirty great pothole infront of me instead of around it, and I have to agree the gearing could use some work, or a couple more cogs. faster than walking and getting the tube though, so overall rather happy.
robpearson said:
well, first commute completed, 12 minutes, with plenty of faffing, and turning the gear shifter the wrong way. One honk from a Prius that thought I should have cycled through the dirty great pothole infront of me instead of around it, and I have to agree the gearing could use some work, or a couple more cogs. faster than walking and getting the tube though, so overall rather happy.
just watch out for buses, taxis, Addison Lee, lorries turning left, people running amber and red lights, tourists and pedestrians crossing roads.
robpearson said:
indeed, great day for it. infact, so good i'm going to Boris my way up to Condor cycles after work for a nose at all the goodies they sell.
SO on the whole you would say you enjoyed it then? And where did you end up staying in the end?
Overall, what do you think of the BB system then as an 'outsider'?
i love the theory, yesterday evening i was let down by the fact that there were no bikes left at the three docking points i walked past on my way back to chelsea, and when i did find two up by victoria park, they both had red lights on, so couldnt be prized out of the stands. the Iphone app is quite good, but clearly not updated very frequently, as it insisted there were bikes available where there weren't.
This mornings commute was lovely, sat on the rear wheel of a roadie, he wasnt impressed - perhaps he should have gone a bit faster ;-)
still havent made it up to condor cycles though...
This mornings commute was lovely, sat on the rear wheel of a roadie, he wasnt impressed - perhaps he should have gone a bit faster ;-)
still havent made it up to condor cycles though...
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