The city of London is home to numerous tourist attractions that a one-day tour won’t be enough. Whether it’s the well-known spots or the less frequented ones you want to visit, there’s every opportunity to explore them at your own time and pace.
Various tour options are available to visitors in London. But if you want the more affordable ones, a bicycle tour is perfect.
Going around the city on two wheels with a tour guide provides a unique experience and many benefits (social, environmental, health, and financial). It lets you see the sights on a more personal level in a fun way and you help keep your body fit at the same time.
How to do a Bike Tour
A guided bike tour of London is one of the best options to take. By having a guide, you simply enjoy the ride and absorb the information about the history of the places and landmarks you visit provided to you.
The routes you take are normally away from the traffic and more often not accessible to cars. This means you can enjoy a relaxing ride, regardless of the bicycle you’re using, as explore the city. Just don’t forget to wear a helmet and other safety gear required.
Different types of bicycles are also available. Families with small kids can choose to use bikes with baby seats or those with a kid’s tag-along trailer.
If you’re still new to doing a bike tour in your chosen destination, you can research about it online. Check out guides and how-to’s such as what F3Y offers.
London’s Cycle Revolution
London is just one of the European cities that boast of a bicycle lifestyle. Since the year 2000, it’s the number of cyclists using major thoroughfares has more than doubled. Today, an estimated half a million trips are made on bicycles on a daily basis.
A London Cycle Hire scheme is now in place in central London and is being eyed to be duplicated in outer London as well. City Mayor Boris Johnson has, in fact, created a transport strategy called Cyclist Superhighway Plan that will develop biking superhighways, install cycle parking, and improving the behavior and security of cyclists.
The network for cyclists will be similar to that of the city’s transit system. An estimated $240 million will be spent for the construction of segregated bike lanes particularly focusing on two-cycle superhighways that will run throughout central London.
History has it that cycling in London dates back to the 19th century when machines (hobby-horses) pushed by the feet were noted to be outspeeding stagecoaches. There were also reports of teenagers cycling from London to Brighton in the 1820s similar to a bicycle tour.