How do I lease a motorcycle in London as a customer?

Among the finest methods to get across the metropolis is by foot – but if you wish to go additional and see extra, you actually ought to think about renting a motorcycle.

On this collection, Lonely Planet’s crew of writers and editors solutions your journey issues and gives ideas and hacks that will help you plan a hassle-free journey. We handed a reader’s question about biking in London to Tasmin Waby, who has ditched the Tube in favor of getting across the metropolis on a rental bike.

Query: I really like getting on a bicycle however have heard blended issues concerning the biking tradition in London. Will I be protected?

Tasmin Waby: In the event you’re in London for a short while, we don’t suggest spending all of your time getting from place to put underground on the Tube. Among the finest methods to get across the metropolis is by foot – but if you wish to go additional and see extra, you actually ought to think about renting a motorcycle. London has quite a few cycle-hire schemes to select from, together with TIER and Dott; learn on for extra on the three mostly used ones: Santander, Lime and Human Forest). 

How do I lease a motorcycle to experience round London?

You have got a number of choices in interior London if you wish to hop on a motorcycle. 

Santander Cycles are the most affordable choice

At £1.65 ($2) for every 30-minute experience, Santander Cycles are the most affordable choice. In the event you’re staying for some time it is likely to be price downloading the app and paying £20 for a month of limitless rides (every as much as 60 minutes). Santander additionally rents e-bikes, the fleet of which is rising. 

A motorbike-share program of the kind now present in cities all around the world, Santander bikes are employed and returned to docking stations dotted across the metropolis. You possibly can lease a cycle for a single experience by following a (considerably laborious) check-out course of on the kiosk on the entrance of every dock. 

Planning tip: With greater than 12,000 bikes at round 800 docking stations throughout London, you possible gained’t have an excessive amount of bother discovering one. That stated, throughout peak instances (in the midst of a sunny weekend or round 5pm to 7pm on a weekday) you might must stroll additional to search out an obtainable bike and cycle round to discover a area to return one. Verify docking-station availability on the app or Google Maps.

Lime e-bikes are ubiquitous in London

US-based Lime’s e-bikes actually took off in London in 2022. The app (for iOS and Android) is easy to make use of, and these pedal-assisted, dockless e-bikes will be parked nearly wherever. 

To finish the experience you simply take a photograph to indicate you’ve parked your e-bike someplace protected and thoughtful of pedestrians. In some London boroughs, you have to park inside designated locations (that is famous within the app). The fee does add up over longer journeys, although: after an preliminary £1 unlocking payment, it’s £0.23 per minute, making a 30-minute experience round £8.

The primary time you experience an e-bike, the preliminary kick if you first achieve velocity can come as a shock: ensure the brakes are functioning correctly, and be ready to make use of them nearly immediately. Lime bikes are speed-limited to 14.8 miles per hour (that’s fast in a busy metropolis like London), a price (electronically) restricted in quieter zones like parks.

Planning tip: In contrast to Santander Cycles, the hampers on the entrance of a Lime bike don’t have a strap to carry coats and luggage in. So don’t go away something in there that may fly away as you velocity up.

Human Forest is the moral e-bike different

London-based firm Human Forest makes certain each certainly one of its e-bike’s batteries is charged by renewable power. What’s extra, the rental charges are low: the primary 10 minutes per day are free, then it’s £0.19 per minute plus a £0.50 parking cost on the finish. One other bonus for Human Forest e-bikes is the “minute bundles” obtainable. The £10 Bundle provides you three hours complete of using in a day. The Day by day Explorer Bundle (£15) permits for eight hours inside 24 hours – simply concerning the excellent provide for seeing an enormous chunk of London on two wheels.

Planning tip: Human Forest doesn’t have very broad London protection as but. In the event you park “outdoors the forest” you’ll should pay an additional parking cost (£2).

Is it protected to cycle in London?

London is comparatively flat, particularly within the central areas close to the Thames, making biking accessible for riders of all health and expertise ranges. What’s extra, during the last decade there’s been a concerted effort to make London friendlier for cyclists. Devoted bike lanes known as “cycle superhighways” are sometimes separated from site visitors, with cycleways nicely demarcated alongside highway markings. Backstreets safer and quieter for biking are mapped and normally signposted, as are “quietways.” I like to recommend downloading Citymapper, which presents 3 ways to kind cycle routes: quiet, common or quick. 

As with driving and strolling, it’s unattainable to eradicate all dangers with biking. But biking is getting safer with each passing yr, and most journeys round London by bike are pure pleasure. You’ll really feel the breeze in your face as you pedal by London’s different structure, historic cobbled lanes and superb inexperienced areas.

Suggestions for protected biking in London

Transport for London (TfL) publishes ideas for protected biking in London. Some are pretty customary (all the time listen, put on a helmet, and many others) however others are helpful for non-European cyclists in London.

First, by no means cycle on the sidewalk. Not solely are you not allowed to, you’ll most likely get abuse (or worse) hurled at you by irate Londoners should you hop the curb (do not forget that accidents typically happen when a bike owner transitions from pavement to highway). Dismount and stroll alongside a footpath if there’s no different choice.  

Second, keep central on slender roads. You can assume you’re doing the precise factor by retaining to the facet to permit vehicles to go you, however this will the truth is be extra harmful – particularly if you have to swerve to keep away from a pothole or a pedestrian entering into your pathway.

Whereas pedaling in the midst of slender streets, ignore any vehicles behind you: since most facet streets in London are brief in addition to slender, so that you’re not going to carry up an impatient driver for lengthy. The driving velocity restrict is simply 20 miles per hour, but if somebody is absolutely tailgating you, pull over and allow them to go as quickly as there may be room. 

Issues to look out for when biking in London

You’d assume these double-decker crimson buses can be the largest hazard for London cyclists – however in my expertise, bus drivers are typically all the time conscious and normally go with loads of area. Biking in bus lanes is predicted; nonetheless, if a bus indicators that it’s pulling away from a cease, maintain again. They’re operating on a good timetable and gained’t wait so that you can go. 

Preserve your eyes peeled for potential collisions always. Specifically, give vans – with their extensive flip radiuses and enormous blind spots – loads of berth. Harmful intersections are additionally a serious concern for biking campaigners. Holborn is one it is best to keep away from should you can, in addition to the main roads round Kings Cross and Euston.

In high-traffic areas, bike lanes will be very busy throughout peak hour – and a few commuters appear to assume they’re coaching for the Tour de France. Persist with a gradual and regular tempo, and make eye contact with different cyclists (plus walkers and drivers) to ensure you’ve been seen. 

Paths alongside Regent’s Canal and different waterways might seem to be place to experience away from automotive site visitors, however in actuality a mixture of oncoming cyclists, canine walkers and teams of pedestrians could make it slower and extra annoying than merely using on the highway.