Boris Bikes...will Kelly bike?

There's a bit of a cult following in London at the moment.


They're called Boris's bikes, named after London's mayor, whose full name I really cannot recall right now. (I think it might be Johnson. I really should have just said Boris Johnson in the first place, none of you would know the difference.) Anyway. He's a cycling fanatic, so in an effort to cut down on congestion and be more environmentally friendly, Boris concocted a "crazy" scheme for London's would-be bikers. (Actually it's all very ironic as I have it on good authority that Boris nearly caused a bus accident once on his bike.)


So. There are 'biking docks' stationed all over the city. They hold about twenty bikes per station. You pay as you go (40 pounds for a year's membership), and if your journey is under 30 minutes it's free. The scheme has had some teething problems, but they're becoming rather popular. Aside from the fact that the bikes are embarassingly new (squeaky clean and shiny, much like new white shoes) they really do seem rather convienent. They're cheap, or free, depending on your journey. They're faster than the bus, tube or taxi, plus you get some exercise and a good strong dose of fresh air.





Actually, cycling the city streets in London is already Big. Cyclists are as prevalant on the roads as buses and taxis. I've really come to admire those that don't mind flipping death in the face, and riding out where the double-deckers are. I particularly enjoy watching the businessmen with their briefcases and suits, or the women in their sweet pencil skirts and trainers.


I'd dismissed the idea of cycling to work as soon as I'd considered it. Too dangerous, I figured. But then my new flatmate kindly pointed out to me that Camden Council do cycling lessons for those wanting to brave the streets.


Well, I wouldn't be able to afford lessons, even if I wanted to, I flatly decided.


Turns out they're free.


Well even so, I thought, I haven't even seen any bike docking stations near West Hampstead, let alone in West Hampstead. (Some boroughs are so snooty their councils haven't adopted the scheme because they don't want to ruin the beautiful streets with ugly blue bikes.) And I haven't seen any at my end route in Marylebone either.


So there must be none at either end, I decided.


But as it turns out Boris has made it Super Easy for noobs like me and has created online cycling routes for us neophites.


Apparantely this is my route:



http://cyclejourneyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/cycleXSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2



Looks fairly complicated. I'm quite sure I will die...


But I might go for a trial run this weekend.

What do we think? And if it all blows up in my face i.e if I get hit by a double-decker...well, I'll just take the tube from then on. Much warmer in winter anyway.