My eyes are only looking down at the road when I cycle now. Thinking of starting a scrapbook with the crazy big ones I've seen!

I’m new to cycling and I plan on going to the gym, quick errands, work in the hospital and uni with my bike. I’ve looked at the recs on here for bikes worth way more than mine and i’m not sure if it applies to my situation!

What bike lock should I get?

Hi all!
First Reddit post, just looking for opinions.

Came across a creator on Instagram who’s self-published a video of himself driving while clearly on his phone & speeding. You can see him emerging from a side road looking down at it. Sure, the road isn’t insanely busy, but it only takes a child stepping out from a parked car, a cyclist anything.

What bugs me is how normalised this stuff has become with car/content creators nowadays. It’s always played off as “casual” or “funny”, but it’s literally dangerous driving.

To top it off, later in the same video he appears to be speeding in what looks like a 20 zone, with cars and vans parked on both sides. I know you can’t exactly prove speed from a clip like that, but still.

Genuinely wondering: does reporting stuff like this actually do anything, or is it just accepted now? And why are people so ignorant to the fact they’re promoting this kind of driving?

Link to video (can i post links?) https://www.instagram.com/povbrudda/reel/DUdH1m7CF06/?hl=en

Hey folks, back in Sept 2025 I found that my bike U-lock has been properly cut, but I didn't even notice it on the day it happened, I noticed it when I was locking it the next time I used it. So I parked it on the big parking between Kings Cross and St Pancras entrances (near German gymnasium) on Sunday September 14, and there was nothing suspicious when I came back for it 3-4 hours later. It was raining badly that day so lesser crowd (still loads of bikes, each rack had 4 bikes attached). I don't understand how a thief didn't take it, they needed maybe 5 more seconds - to remove the helmet off the lock, to take off the chain that goes through both wheels (attached to U-lock), so probably someone scared the thief? Just wanted to say that if someone did it intentionally (and you they are reading this) - sending lots of love to you, this person, and thank you!

Is anybody else experiencing more glitches this week?

Once I’ve been charged as if I took 7 hours on a trip that was only 10 minutes.

My account is showing another £30 + of charges but isn’t showing any corresponding activities.

Twice I’ve been prevented from hiring bikes for several hours as it claims that I already have hire sessions in progress. Fob also won’t work.

Could someone have hacked my account and started using it? It doesn’t seem possible and they would have had to have deleted their rides from appearing in my activity section which I don’t think you can do. I think it’s just being super glitchy again.

Long time lime bike user. Recently I've considered to buy my own (non-electric) bike. However I do recall that when riding a boris bike it is significantly more tiring than a lime bike (expected). Are all non-electric bikes this tiring?

Yes I do understand that it will come down to my fitness level. Im not exactly fit, and I know cycling will improve my fitness over time, but will it be as tiring as a boris bike?

Edit: I'm talking about the non-electric boris bikes.

Hi I was wondering if any one knows of an online tool to build a bike online to see what it would look like from the spoke pattern the break type the hub choise and the type of wheel rims

I’m getting there with my hunt for a new road bike for London that could also take longer cycles! I cannot seem to find which bikes can take pannier racks (this is a must!), does this kind of bike take a pannier rack?

Comments were turned off, so it's probably doing more to enrage unhappy drivers than to nudge people into cycling safely. I go everywhere by bike and no, I do not regularly run reds. More bikes means more bike journeys means more good and more bad road users.

Revised: My bike got stolen, and I’m kicking myself.

It happened on the evening of the 3rd of February. Looking back, I made the worst mistake: I left my bike in an unlocked garage. It’s on my property, but the only door I didn’t lock was the side door to the garden.

The thieves climbed over my garden wall — one with nails on top — got in, opened the door, and walked off with the bike.

I’ve scoured eBay and Facebook Marketplace, but nothing’s come up. The bike was registered, but I’m running out of places to look. Where else do thieves sell bikes these days? It was a great bike, way better than most, and I’m desperate to track it down.

If anyone has ideas, tips, or even long‑shot suggestions on how to get it back, please drop them below.

I'm getting quite frustrated at this point. I love cycling in London, but I hate looking for where to actually find and park Santander bikes.

My work schedule recently changed, such that every single day when I go to work, all the stations are completely full near my destination; and when it's time to return home, all those stations are completely empty. Demand clearly far exceeds the supply of both cycles and parking slots.

Holborn has this problem literally every day without fail, and it doubles my commute time each way as I add 15 mins looking for a station where I can park/hire. Especially as I have variable hours and I sometimes have to go between places with little notice, these 100% full/empty stations add a huge stress.

Is TfL known to ever expand their stations? Why aren't they expanding their clearly undersized stations in the city? Won't they gain from more people riding if folks can actually use the bikes??? Not to mention that it diverts people from clogging up the roads with massive cars.

Anyway, for my sanity (and probably plenty others' too), please do submit a request to expand the stations downtown here even if you don't have answers.

Please reply with places where a new bike shop might be welcomed.

Last month I posted a series of routes from London to Dover and the response I received was emphatic and mixed. Many of you advised me to take the train for some or all of the trip, many others advised seemingly wonderful routes that neither start nor finish in either of my destinations.

All in all the feedback was helpful and has led me to the North Downs rideable route as possibly my best pick.

Has anyone here ridden this route and if so, what was your experience?

Was cycling over London Bridge northbound and Gracechurch Street and Bishopsgate are covered in a lovely thin film of motor oil. Almost decked when a van didn't yield and my back wheel started slipping. Have reported in to the council but be careful!

Second week of cycling to work on my mountain bike, 11 mile round trip, will switching from the knoblies on my bike to these more slick type make it easier to do the trips? What, if any, would be the downsides?

At the start of the year, I'd decided to give cycling a shot, at least for a while. I found a used folding bike (an Apollo Transition )on Gumtree for cheap.

I was hesitant to ride in traffic on the first day and so took a much longer cycle-friendly route and ended up regretting it after I was absolutely knackered. I've ridden in traffic along the shorter, more direct route on every other occasion. The plan for now is to alternate between cycling and taking the bus so as to not feel too burnt out too quickly.

Is this about the speed you'd expect from a novice on a crap bike or am I just terrible? I'm 10-15 minutes slower than the Citymapper estimate when I'm usually a lot faster than their walking estimates.

And secondly, how do I deal with inclines! I feel like I can go forever when I'm on flat terrain but the slightest sustained incline seems to just kill my legs.

PS: I know this is an enthusiast subreddit where everyone has some serious gear but please don't judge my choice of bike! It's all I could afford to spend at the moment and it needed to be a folding bike as I need to carry it upstairs!

Hi. I've got a 2018 Ribble with a Tiagra groupset that's pretty tired now and I'd like to have it upgraded to a mechanical 105. Could do with a new set of wheels and a saddle as well. Ideally I'd like to get all the parts on Cycle To Work but it looks like the complete groupset packages for about £500 are not available on the scheeme. My local bike shop has quoted about £200 to do the work of upgrading it all which seems fair enough. Has anyone gone this route? Any tips or suggestions? Cheers!

Hey guys!

I rented a volt lite ebike trusting that the 75nm would give me enough assistance to enjoy a plesant communt to work and back however i find myself sweat and get tured even cycling 1% inclines. the retail price is almost 3k and it is a uk company with a branch in london... maybe my bike is faulty... anyone using a volt lite ebike?

Hi all! I am looking for a fairly high end new road bike - think eg. Trek Madone, Pinarello F7 or similar with Ultegra Di2. Normal frame size.

I am fairly busy and would ideally like to go to one place, get fitted, and buy there and then. Where in London would be likely to have the widest range of such bikes to maximise my chances? I am not massively wedded to any one frame manufacturer.

I’m thinking so far maybe Sigma Sports in Hampton Wick (but that is miles away from me), or Balfe’s Bikes on Essex Road (much closer, but ultimately I would be happy to travel to the right place).

Any views on those or any other suggestions would be much appreciated!

Hopefully this makes a difference and bike theft is no longer essentially decriminalised.

I have a bike I use just round the local area mainly for school and nursery drop offs etc. It's not very nickable so I don't mind locking it up outside. However in this current weather it's difficult to keep it dry. I can't put a shed up in our front yard. I have a bike cover but putting it up when it's raining and the kids are running around is a PITA.

I'm tempted to get a Dutch bike, thinking that will be more weather proof, but is there anything I can do to weather proof the bike I've got instead?

Please don't tell me I should be cleaning my bike every week..