On Sep 13, 3:12*pm, Tom Anderson wrote:

On Sat, 12 Sep 2009, MIG wrote:

[snip]

What I should have done, and did do on the way back, was

Get on the DLR to Mudchute.
Get the 135 to Aldgate Eastish.

Or:

Get the train to London Bridge
Cycle to Whitechapel Gallery

Faster, cheaper, and more reliable.

I'm not trying to be a smug ******* here, but a a bike is not only the
best way to travel distances up to five miles or so in London, it is *far
and away the best way* to deal with closures.

I shall tell that to (a) my very pregnant friend; (b) my pal who often
ferries his couple of young kids about London on his own by p/t; (c)
the guys I know who do a bit of painting and decorating around London
and take their own kit with them on p/t, (d) the one-time colleague I
knew who'd love to cycle but cannot because of a health issue (which
cannot in any shape or form be argued to be down to his lifestyle);
(e) my elderly relative who's fit and active but for whom cycling
would now simply be beyond them; (f) the very fit guy I know who needs
to get around town and visit various clients whilst looking sharp, who
despite his considerable fitness perspires a great deal and just isn't
willing to arrive looking flustered in his snazzy suit; (g) the
friends I have who used to live in a high-up flat with no space for
leaving their bikes inside anywhere and who gave up on cycling when
they had their bicycles that were well locked up outside nicked and/or
vandalised.

Also, whilst it applies less to weekends, taking a bike on a train is
not always allowed or possible.

I am totally up for evangelising about cycling around town, and I'm
also well aware that one could dismiss various reasons ('excuses' if
you will) for not cycling as being a bit lame - but all the above are
true examples of where cycling falls down somewhat - another obvious
example is 'asynchronous journeys', if I may call them that (that's
not to say cycling isn't possible for some portions thereof but it can
get a bit fiddly). I do think there is the danger that 'cycle
evangelists' can end up sounding smug and putting others off by
claiming it's the be all and end all when it comes to transportation.

Though that all sounds like I'm having a go at you Tom, and that
wasn't really my intention! I won't go back and edit it because the
various points still stand. Some of them can be (and occasionally are)
addressed by the provision of various facilities - a bike shed for a
block of flats (sorry 'executive apartments' as we must call them
now), more secure cycle parking at stations etc. Some perhaps by a
more general change of attitude (e.g. arriving a bit dishevelled at a
clients having cycled there shouldn't be an issue). And in the
specific case of this specific journey, then yes I'll agree with you
(though I do have to say that taking a bike on a train that has no
designated cycle space is not always the most joyous or relaxing
experience, though one acquires various strategies for dealing with
it).