endoman
Senior Member
- Location
- Chesterfield
went down on train to that there London today, to take daughter to Zoo and do some mooching around. I work there a few days a year so know the general layout.
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Arrived St Pancras and first 2 docking stations had no bikes, so off down Greys Inn Road and we found a couple. Process with card for casual user was easy enough and we soon had 2 bikes for our trip to Regents Park. Bloody heavy things but they worked. FOund a green cycle lane and followed that to t court road, the around g portland tube and around the park, plonked the bikes in parking and all well and good. No dramas, traffic not a problem, daughter (14) quite happy.
Did Zoo, it's smaller than the ones up North! Picnic at top of Primrose Hill, then off to get bike to go into town. First docking station, no paper in printer, so no release code printed. Second one, kepyad broken on last bike so no release. Ended up walking to MOrning ton Crescent and finding bikes there. Into West End via Portland PLace, Oxford Circus snarled up so I did a detour round some back streets and got us into Mayfair, found a docking station and off for ice cream.
Journey back a doddle, station had bikes, released fine, and 10 minutes later back at St Pancras where loads of bays available as bikes being loaded into van to make space.
All in all a very good experience, shame about the two bust docking stations. I would use them instead of the tube in the future, much more pleasurable and faster.
London commuters are different to those up North. They go through red lights all the time, onto pavement, wear ridiculous strange masks, and have to stop every 100 yards. I couldn't last a day in central London. Thank goodness my commute can take me into the Peak District or rural S Yorks. Not a single wave etc today, but then I was on a Boris bike in jeans etc.
Back to riding around Stately Homes tomorrow :-)
,
Arrived St Pancras and first 2 docking stations had no bikes, so off down Greys Inn Road and we found a couple. Process with card for casual user was easy enough and we soon had 2 bikes for our trip to Regents Park. Bloody heavy things but they worked. FOund a green cycle lane and followed that to t court road, the around g portland tube and around the park, plonked the bikes in parking and all well and good. No dramas, traffic not a problem, daughter (14) quite happy.
Did Zoo, it's smaller than the ones up North! Picnic at top of Primrose Hill, then off to get bike to go into town. First docking station, no paper in printer, so no release code printed. Second one, kepyad broken on last bike so no release. Ended up walking to MOrning ton Crescent and finding bikes there. Into West End via Portland PLace, Oxford Circus snarled up so I did a detour round some back streets and got us into Mayfair, found a docking station and off for ice cream.
Journey back a doddle, station had bikes, released fine, and 10 minutes later back at St Pancras where loads of bays available as bikes being loaded into van to make space.
All in all a very good experience, shame about the two bust docking stations. I would use them instead of the tube in the future, much more pleasurable and faster.
London commuters are different to those up North. They go through red lights all the time, onto pavement, wear ridiculous strange masks, and have to stop every 100 yards. I couldn't last a day in central London. Thank goodness my commute can take me into the Peak District or rural S Yorks. Not a single wave etc today, but then I was on a Boris bike in jeans etc.
Back to riding around Stately Homes tomorrow :-)
