[Closed] Moving to London next month, any tips?

Look for somewhere that's not on a tube line, it should be slightly cheaper, assuming you're cycling to work it'll make no odds to your journey.

Whereabouts in London are you going to be working?

you dont have to move as fast as everyone else....
its easy to get caught in the rush to work, short lunches, long hours, rush home, party hard mentality
take some time to move at your own pace

embrace the plethora of foods available

cycle eveywhere, always, but assume every care/ van/ bus/ taxi is trying to kill you

Brush up on your Cockney.

Sell all your bikes.
Use the money as part of the deposit for the rent on a timeshare in the top bunk in someones garden shed?

£5k should cover the deposit and the first weeks rent.

Absolutely everyone dresses like this, every day

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If you don't turn up already prepared in your full Pearly King outfit, you will be ostracised from that day forward.

London's great but give yourself some time to get used to the pace, the noise, the lack of open space, trees and grass and the apparent unfriendliness (it's not that unfriendly at all IMO but it can take some time to get used to it)

Also, money leaves your wallet at a much greater pace than outside London - there's more than enough opportunities to spend it - whether it's after-work drinks or just wandering past Costa - you'll go through £20 a day without thinking about it quite easily. I really hope you're on £50k + or it's hard to find the disposable income to make the best of what London has to offer.

Accommodation prices have gone really silly. I used to pay c£500/month for a room in a shared house in various parts of SE London which weren't really that great and I believe it's more like £7-800 now + bills.

Think about zones 3 or 4 to keep your accommdation costs down - and try and get below the magic hour commute time.

There's plenty of road clubs in London, who'll have MTB sections. If you're SE I can recommend trying Brixton Cycles - strong riders, very friendly and very sociable. Surrey Hills is ace for the MTB.

Enjoy 🙂

I really hope you're on £50k + or it's hard to find the disposable income to make the best of what London has to offer.

I have mates on 18k and seem to do just fine. 🙄

Go into brick lane bikes and laugh your cock off at what they're selling second hand hipsterwagens for.

brooess - Member
I really hope you're on £50k + or it's hard to find the disposable income to make the best of what London has to offer.

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I really hope you're on £50k + or it's hard to find the disposable income to make the best of what London has to offer.

All that Coke and Hookers doesn't pay for itself you know!

Hey! Congratulations! 😀

Where's the job? Postcode wise - just thinking about where I would look to live.

Give me a shout when you're here and you've got an evening free. I'll sure we kind find a Torpanranta-like for a beer or two.

It's been 5+ years since I had to deal with flatmates but moveflat.com used to be good for both advertising and finding. They have a load of filters (including "bikes OK") and require a good amount of info from the advertiser so you can get a better feel for what the place and people are like.

and try and get below the magic hour commute time.

Been in London 5 years now. It's great. In terms of finding a room with cyclists i'd Tweet all the main London clubs, I can certainly see if anybody has a room in my club (London Phoenix) A few others include: Dulwich Paragon, CCL, Islington, London Dynamo, East London Velo, Norwood Paragon, Kingston Wheelers.

Brooes speaks soon sense. Consider Zone 3/4. I lived in Finchley (Zone 4 North London) until October last year and paid £550pcm all in. Nice 3 bed house with two mates, on street parking, garden, quiet area and a 10 minute walk to tube station. 35 minute commute into work on bike. (Farringdon) Everything else Brooes says i'm not sure I really agree with. Loads of parks and green space even in the centre! Yes it "can" be expensive, but if you have self control you don't have to spend £20 a day. My lunch costs no more than £3 per day. I certainly don't find London any more or less friendly than any other city I have lived in. Also, the bus service is really very good. £1.50 single anywhere. Download "Citymapper" to see!

Where you're working is key when considering where to live (obviously) I'm biased to North London, ease of getting out on the M1 along with nicer areas (in my opinion) and good accommodation stock is why I live here. I now live in Muswell Hill.

Riding wise, Hertfordshire is really good, loads of little rolling lanes, with 60 miles typically having around 3,000ft of climbing. Kent is good, much steeper hills and a 60 mile ride there can chuck up 5,000ft without much trying. Better mtb riding there too.

Feel free do drop me an email if you have any questions!

Ride a bike everywhere. It takes london from being clostrephobic to an waren to explore. If you are not accustomed to riding in a urban area it is a learning curve. Most cyclists do not have e this skill.

Sam Smith pubs are good and cheap. Do 'tgo to the ****y ponse bars. London has the best pub scene I've been to in the UK.

Do not get caught up in post code snobbery

Eating is cheaper and better than most parts of the UK.

Spareroom is the main one really, it worked pretty well for me when I moved out of London and I managed to find a fellow cyclist. I'll be using it again when I move back to London in June.

There are also a few 'speed dating' type events around that try to connect potential flat mates, I've never tried one but friends have been successful with them. I would think that you'd have to get pretty lucky to find a cyclist at one unless you can persuade Look Mum No Hands to start running them.

London is mostly great for riding round but think about your commute a lot. When I was a student there my housing options were a bit limited and I ended up with a 40 minute ride. It wasn't a hard ride just took a while and turned into a bit of a pain. While there I pretty much quit mountain biking. It wasn't a great hardship as it more to do with the huge number of other things to do. Basically embrace it and enjoy what is there rather than thinking of getaways.

A lot depends on where in London you'll be working.
For lodgings, outside of zone 4 is cheaper and not that much further away (time & distance).
South is handy for the best mtbing in the parish= Surrey.
West & Nw = easy access to Chilterns.
N&Ne = Epping,Broxbourne & loads&loads of miles of xc fun into Hertfordshire.
East is pan flat.

Can give you more advice re - specific areas. & if you want a N&Ne tour let me know. 🙂

btw - will +1 - Barnet - greenest borough in London !

If Reading is of any interest my flatmate is off soon. Express trains to Padds can be had for 25 mins, but the full commute to Westminster I've been doing of 1.5 hrs each way has worn pretty thin.

lots to take in here, thanks for the good responses so far.

The job is in the postcode area SW1P. I'm planning to commute by bike, but not for the first few weeks until I get settled and work out the options for showering and changing at work.

simon_g: thanks, I'll look at moveflat.com.

will: if you hear of anything, would you forward it on? I'll do as you suggest and look at the local clubs

nedrapier: ace! I'll be in touch, i'm expecting serene waterside vistas! The postcode is SW1P. Any thoughts?

MI5? Sweet.

Do not go further than zone 4. Transport bacomes worse and expensive, riding in becomes a chore, it becomes sprawling suburban and you loose the benefits of London.

well i would look for somewhere SW/S/SE that had a train into victoria of under half an hour. this would mean it’s easier to get to clapham junction if you want to pop on a train to dorking where the good riding is

i live in SE19 so 27min to vicoria 24 to london bridge plus the overground. i’m not suggesting you look here but i lived in Balham, Brixton and Tooting previously and all were good for getting in and out of london.
my journey times are slightly longer now but i gain a the leafy view from my window and being in quiet lanes in 25min for a road ride.

MI5? Sweet.

The pay is terrible though, probably earn more working in the Double Tree hotel next door.

For SW1P, you're pretty well set for commuting to Victoria.
I'm in East Croydon and it's 15 minutes direct by train into Victoria. It's zone 5 (rumours of changing to 4).
You won't get that real "London feel" living this far out, although the mountain biking from here is pretty good. Croydon gets a bit of a bad press but I like it and East Croydon is pretty nice.

And advice you say??

STAY OUT OF MY FACE OR I'LL CUT YA!

Do not go further than zone 4. Transport bacomes worse and expensive, riding in becomes a chore, it becomes sprawling suburban and you loose the benefits of London.

+1

I lived on the border of Zone 3/4 (Snaresbrook/Leytonstone) for a year. Riding to EC1A was about 50 mins, tube around the same. It was still close enough for night busses and a reasonable cab ride (I even walked back from Islington once when I punctured and my pump broke) but the M11 was on my doorstep though, so getting out was easy. Epping Forest was also on my doorstep, but I actually only rode there twice.

A few years later I got another job in Zone 5 of North London and had to decide whether to move back into ([i]into[/i]) London to make the most of being there (so somewhere like Camden) or right out, to take advantage of not being in London. I moved out to Tring in the Chilterns, 10 minutes ride from Aston Hill.

The halfway house option really is just that.

I'd be looking around Putney, Barnes, Sheen, and Richhmond if I was working SW1. It gives the best links to head South and Southwest out of town (where the beaches, riding & other best non-London things are) is an easy ride or commute and has all the benefits without the downsides. Richmond Park on your doorstep and the River Thames nearby too.

Depends if you want to go full urbanite or prefer to dip in and out as required but that's where I'd go.

Central as you like there! London's your oyster. Pick a cycle time you're happy with and draw a circle. It's handy to have a decent tube line for those times when you're not on the bike (drunk, otherwise out or travelling outside London with work) Victoria Line in either direction is a good one to be on. Finsbury Park (also has Picadilly, overland and bus station) was a lot easier transport wise than Crouch End, but we got a much nicer quieter place for the same money with a decent garden in return.

The reason we ended up in North London was that we had a bunch of friends all in the same patch. London's a big place: if you're in North London and you've got an invite to Clapham, that's quite a ballache. Enable impromptu fun!

Anything else you want to be doing? Just for a personal example: climbing walls. There's a few of them about, great if it's close enough to drop in easily.

Then have a think about where you want to be at weekends. Make the most of London, obviously, but which direction are you going to want to head for some countryside? Surrey hills/ Herts/ Kent?

and yes, get in touch. waterside easily doable; serene, maybe less so!

I live in North London too, technically I'm in the last London postcode heading out in my direction (probably in a similar place to some of the folks above, LB Barnet). I've lived in this area my whole life

It's very green for London, I have green belt almost on my doorstep

I work in Central London and commute by bike in the main. If you're happy bike commuting then you have loads of options. I think realistically you're going to be constrained by
- budget (don't forget you might want storage for your bike)
- what you want from the area (vibrant, quiet, good transport, shops, nightlife, riding on your doorstep)
- how long you're happy to commute for

It's not cheap renting, and you can always move after 6 months if you don't like it. Having a group of cycling folks doesn't mean you'll like them anymore than non-cyclists, they might be more understanding though.

OP, Clapham/Battersea would seem a reasonable choice location wise. As a benchmark my mate rents his 3 bedroom place next to Battersea Park for £2k a month to three sharers, not sure where you'll be able to keep three bikes in a London flat mind. There are quite a few flat sharing websites. If you want a house with garage you are going to be further out and a share may be diifficult.

Enjoy its a wonderful city, so much to see and do, worked there for 20 years and lived in the very centre (SW3) for 2 which was excellent. If you've a car a Sunday morning drive to the center of the Surrey Hills is 50 mins or 40 mins to Newlands Corner for a more xc ride (still with singletrack and some decent jump sets). If you don't have a car you can rent cheaply from Victoria nr coach station or places in Battersea. Zipcar is convenient but quite pricey.

I'd argue that you're office isn't really that central, it's a bit South and West, but it's definitely not out the way. You have a few options for stations, Victoria is the best option for having tube lines running through it plus the train, but might be a 10+ min walk to your office. The walking time either side of public transport is often what makes cycling quicker!

@will - I know you via Strava wierdly, you're always the person at the blooming top of the STW leaderboards on any of the segments I do pottering around or on my commute! 😀

not sure where you'll be able to keep three bikes in a London flat mind

We had 5 in ours. 2 commuters in the hall, 3 mtbs with front wheels and saddles off, sat on the end of an ikea throw with the rest over the top in a corner of the living room.

The tips and ideas are really helping, thanks folks. I'm going to look at being south of the river. I've friends in Clapham, so I'll look at Battersea, Clapham and Brixton first. Then expand outwards. I'm not sure about whether commuting by bike is worthwhile, although I'd prefer it to the tube.

I'm keen to get out on the mtb, atleast on weekends. It'd be nice to have a local climbing wall or bmx track, though I'm not sure whether I'd get much use out of those during the week.

So, what are the cycle clubs south of the river?
Can anyone recommend any bouldering/ climbing centres?

-nedrapier: Sounds like you have good Bike-ram yoga skills. In my current flat, at peak, I had 5 mtbs and a roadie in a 1-bed flat. Three on the balcony, 1 in the living room and the last in the bedroom :D. Where there's a will, there's a way..

Croydon was mentioned earlier. The transport links are fantastic and the trains run all night. There is biking from your doorstep and it must be a lot cheaper than living in town.
I used to commute on my bike to Battersea and that took 30 to 40 minutes.

Cycling in London is always worth it. 90% of the time it's significantly faster. It's cheaper. It's more pleasant. It's gives you freedom. It exercise built into your day.

There's a bmx track in brockwell park, just outside of brixton. an ideal tube commute to victoria...

Spend the first five years drunk, everything slots into place after that

3 main climbing places I know of are the castle in Finsbury Park, Queensway and Mile End. Also one in Barking I think

Cycling in London is awesome, you should definitely aim to do this!

I'm SE19 [waves at MrSmith] and work SW1A I ride in. If I want to go quick (and risk a metal tombed muppet knocking me off) I can be at work in about 30 mins. I normally go slower ... just taking it more careful in the traffic these days....take 40mins ish. If injured or for whatever reason I can get an express bus X68, in to waterloo and be in work in an hour for £1.50, N68 night bus home after a night out. Trains are good although I didn't look at where the stations were very close before i bought...and managed to be about as far as possible from one....crystal palace 23 mins walk, norbury 18 mins, gipsy hill 20 mins, west norwood 27 mins, thornton heath, selhurst, norwood junction...you get the idea. at least once at the staton its only 22 mins to victoria, so door to door work journey is still an hour. BTW, Norbury is on the border zone 3/4. Crystal palace is up and coming so may suit, and its the meeting place for various club rides (dulwhich paragon and others)

on the downside...(or plus side), my mileage when climbing at the Castle (green lane, finsbury park), and the westway 2 or 3 times a week and getting home to SE19 kept me fit!

oh and there is another bmx track at Burgess park I think (near camberwell)

Cycling in London is awesome. It's by far the best way to get around 90% of the time.

Climbing walls, as well as the above there's bouldering at the Arch in Bermondsey, which would be closer to you south of the river.

Cycling clubs: Brixton Cycles has a fairly large club and there's also Dulwich Paragon, both are road/track biased but are large enough to have some mountain biking. Always loads of road groups going out to Kent from Crystal Palace, as well as a few CX type loops. MTB is more realistically a drive or train away at Swinley or Surrey Hills.

Area-wise, I personally prefer the Brixton/Peckham/Camberwell area to Clapham and Battersea. There seems to be a bit more going on than further west. Possibly slightly cheaper too, although there's probably not too much in it anymore. Between there and Crystal Palace is probably where I'm going to be looking when I head back in June.

If you're working around Westminster (Marsham St?) do yourself a favour and get yourself here for a breakfast or lunch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_Caf%C3%A9

I worked in that area for seven years and its got a few good pubs and Victoria St has improved greatly but more of the fun is to be had elsewhere in the city. Don't discount Waterloo or London Bridge bound trains as its a nice walk/cycle across one of the bridges to and from work.

I preferred South East in terms of quieter more normal vibe and more affordable but others love north of the river. I guess you end up liking where you live.

You'll have days, weeks and months of loving/hating the place and it can be lonely despite the crowds. Having said that you'll never be bored and will pinch yourself sometimes.

Try and avoid going into the city centre every weekend just because it's there as the crowds might get to you. Try and do what you'd be doing now if that makes sense e.g. chilled weekends riding trails in the countryside etc.

Enjoy.

For local clubs you've got Addiscombe CC, Dulwich Paragon, Bigfoot Bikes....
If you end up in Clapham, give me a shout and I'll take you out on some Croydon trails. I think there a couple of localish forumites so we'll see if we can get a group out.
For actual rock climbing/bouldering Harrison's Rocks in Kent is good.

Im in SW1V the other side of a big road, for climbing the vauxhall climbing centre would be handy if you are commuting brixton/ clapham area, a stop on the way.

Yeah, take copious amounts of valium so Londoners don't make you so angry that you shoot up a bank.

Get some noise cancelling earphones surgically implanted in your head so you can live entirely in your own bubble as though you are the only human being in the universe. Practice your tube travelling skills by putting your feet up on your furniture and dropping your trash on your carpet rather than in the nearby bin. If you are interested in art, get some good books so you can look at the paintings that you didn't see in the gallery because 10 million other people were standing in front of you.

TheBrick - Member
Cycling in London is always worth it. 90% of the time it's significantly faster. It's cheaper. It's more pleasant. It's gives you freedom. It exercise built into your day.

This ^^

Get some noise cancelling earphones surgically implanted in your head so you can live entirely in your own bubble as though you are the only human being in the universe. Practice your tube travelling skills by putting your feet up on your furniture and dropping your trash on your carpet rather than in the nearby bin. If you are interested in art, get some good books so you can look at the paintings that you didn't see in the gallery because 10 million other people were standing in front of you.

Or ignore all that ^ stuff and explore. London is one of the greenest cities in the world, 38.4% green public space, compared to say Paris, where it's only 9.4%. Sure, if you go to the Southbank on a sunny Saturday there will be a lot of people around, but that means that there's nearly always something going on there, from Christmas markets and foodie festivals to music or comedy. If you want something quieter you can still go and explore the remoter parts of Richmond Park, Hampstead Heath or Walthamstow Marshes. And if there are too many people at the Tate Modern or the Science Museum then try the White Cube or the Horniman Museum, or one of the thousands of independent galleries. If you like beer, don't sit in a crowded central London pub, but go to Bermondsey and visit 5 or 6 microbreweries in one afternoon. If all the tourists at Borough Market get you down then head for Maltby Street or Brixton Village instead. That's the great thing about London, there's always another (often better) option to be explored, there's something for nearly everyone if you look hard enough.

And if you want to get out, it's about 20 minutes from Crystal Palace by road bike until you're in country lanes, and another half an hour or so until you're standing on the top of Ide Hill, looking out across the Weald of Kent.

Don't get wound up about how other people ride their bikes, you're not there to be everyone's policeman. Conversely be prepared for 'helpful advice' about how you ride your bike- too fast, too slow, using a bike lane, not using a bike lane etc etc delete as appropriate. You'll see it all eventually. You are sharing a city with 7 million other randoms, some of them are going to be jerks

Mortlake or Sheen? Great transport links, easy ride into SW1. River, Richmond Park, great pubs 🙂

I'm in Barnes - it's ace.

Some good links to various clubs here:

http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/these-are-londons-gang-territories-in-a-single-map--Z1oinQab_g

Always something going on, never a dull moment.

SW1P = only tip is to use [url= http://www.caskpubandkitchen.com/ ]Cask[/url] as your local

Londons full of interesting sights and acitvities beyond the usual tourist traps, make time to explore there's so much more to do and see

(for example the Huntarian Museum)

I used to stay in Wandsworth - without a tube, it was much cheaper, and handy for the west. Pay close attention to your cycling routes - avoid the main roads and pinch points and you'll wonder what all the fuss is about. And you'll see amazing stuff.

I'd be tempted to get a dynamo for my bike with fixed lights, a frame bag for my lock, and a rack with some kind of shoulder back that fixes to it to make things as seamless as possible. I find myself locking up and hopping in and out of places a lot, so improving this process saves a lot of faff. Also a decent bell really helps - a loud one, not the crappy ping ping thing you normally get.

Oh and when cycling, don't get carried away. Lots of riders, both old and young, are very aggressive (in terms of riding) so are weaving in and out of cars and other cyclists - for an example, try Chelsea embankment/Grosvenor road at hometime. You can still ride fast but it's worth backing off when things get tight, imo. You don't want to be a statistic.

As a follow up to @molgrips, have friends who live in Wandsworth and commute via the overground train although OP your Westminster work location isn't so convenient for that. Easy bike ride in from there. My daughter lives in Peckham and cycles in via the superhighway (note she says other agressive cyclists are her biggest danger, so take care and if you do want to ride fast remember someone else's child may not)

Chapeau @nick/hans for the number of bikes 🙂 I kept one in a duffbag at the back of a big wardrobe and was pleased with myself - modest standards obviously.

Climbing, have an ex colleague who is a big climber, used to practice on a wall under the Westway/A40 I think. Loads of mates ride road bikes, London Dynamos, and do regular rides out and and round Richmond Park before work. If you don't know Surrey Hills look at some shop rides from say Nirvana in Westcott (my LBS), Pedal and Spoke in Peaslake or the facebook group London's Calling. For bits and work in London I used the excellent Soho Bikes.

used to practice on a wall under the Westway/A40

They turned that into a full-on and rather large climbing centre many years ago:

http://sports.westway.org/climbing

Rents tend to very geared to public transport links, you can therefore rent in some areas, which have poor transport links, but are pretty central relatively cheaply if you are depending on a bike for transport. If depending on public transport I would focus on South London as trains going directly into Victoria are what you want - avoiding the bunfight at Clapham Junction to change from Waterloo trains to Victoria trains. This would rule out the SW such as Putney, Barnes, Richmond etc, which are lovely, I live there, but expensive for relative inconvenience.

Croydon was mentioned earlier. The transport links are fantastic and the trains run all night. There is biking from your doorstep and it must be a lot cheaper than living in town.

You can always hang out with the MBR lot too. 😉

@molgrips, I think I was underselling it the as my ex-colleague is quite a serious climber

Oh and when cycling, don't get carried away. Lots of riders, both old and young, are very aggressive (in terms of riding) so are weaving in and out of cars and other cyclists - for an example, try Chelsea embankment/Grosvenor road at hometime. You can still ride fast but it's worth backing off when things get tight, imo. You don't want to be a statistic.

This.

Ignore RLJs and students wobbling through junctions with their headphones on. There's no shortage of rat runs either. Bizarrely I felt safer riding in zones 1 & 2 than further out. This was a few years back tho, so please don't treat as gospel.

@molgrips, I think I was underselling it the as my ex-colleague is quite a serious climber

Ah.. well it used to be literally just a wall, outside under the underpass.

Bizarrely I felt safer riding in zones 1 & 2 than further out.

The small roads are safe, it's the big ones that are mental. Edgeware Rd, as an example.

Definitely look to cycle.

Here's me and a bunch of others spaffing on about how marvelous it is:

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/commuting-by-bike-a-happy-3-year-adds-up

my other tip would be to ignore the doom mongers and naysayers who visited once and who’s sole experience of the city is madame tussauds and a Hagen-Daz ice cream from Leicester square.

it’s whatever you want it to be. i’m mostly sat in my home office looking out at the trees or the pair of peregrine falcons on the transmitter mast or nipping out for a ride in quiet country lanes, or going the other way for an inner city food/culture fix.
wherever you live first it will probably not be where you end up as you will eventually gravitate towards an area that suits your needs.

Many people will be recommending the more 'desirable' parts of town (I see Clapham, Battersea, Richmond etc as examples), but if you set your sights a little wider, you could end up with something a lot nicer, for the same sort of money. Certain areas will come with a premium, as everyone who doesn't really know about London will want to live there. And everyone wants to live in that beautiful victorian/Edwardian townhouse in a nice leafy quiet street, or in a s****y new development, but if you're brave enough, you could venture into a council estate somewhere less 'desirable', and get a lot more for your money. You might even get a place just to yourself. And the truth is, that such areas are nowhere near as bad as they used to be, or what some people think they are, these days. You could even get somewhere that's really well located, just because it's not on the radar for most folk. And in London, I'd say somewhere a bit 'ethnic' will probably be a bit more interesting and varied than a white suburban enclave. And as soon as there are more black and brown faces around, the prices seem to drop.

Best tip I can give you, is get a Brompton. This will help open up loads more possibilities, as you'll not be so confined to finding somewhere near transport links etc. Plus if it's pissing with rain at the start/end of the day, or you're going for a meal/drink after work, it just gives you more options. Mine has become indispensable.

As for the likes of Croydon; better value for money, but they start becoming a bit of a mission if things don't run too smoothly on the transport front. Might only be 15-20 mins or so from central London, but get a problem on the network, and it could end up taking much, much longer to get to work/home. Base decisions on the worst case scenario, not on ideals.

I have to say, I'm enjoying pottering around on a Brompton - recently aqcuired about 3 weeks ago. For being able to pop into a shop easily, or a pub or somewhere else without needing to find somewhere to stick it, and more importantly being able to jump on the tube or train with it (done all of these this week), it's absolutely brilliant

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I'd be tempted to get a dynamo for my bike with fixed lights, a frame bag for my lock, and a rack with some kind of shoulder back that fixes to it to make things as seamless as possible. I find myself locking up and hopping in and out of places a lot, so improving this process saves a lot of faff. Also a decent bell really helps - a loud one, not the crappy ping ping thing you normally get.

Dynamo - not yet, too pricey and USB charging lights have been fine for me
Frame mount lock - check
Rack - check
Rack pack that slides onto rack in 5 seconds - check
Proper bell, old school honker - check
Commute into London on a lovely path, though this is a slight detour from my normal route, and inside zone 3, check

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@molgrips I am sure you are right, he's been going for years so when he was talking about it it was probably just the wall.

Also agreed on the small vs big roads, I am very uncomfortable in traffic but was happy enough on a 10 min Boris bike commute as it was 95% back streets

@benp 🙂

Other bonus of Wandsworth (including Putney, and the right streets in Battersea/Clapham area), is that the Council Tax is pocket money compared to several other places.
Used to be the cheapest, or 2nd cheapest in the whole country when I lived there, and that's including the extra charge for Putney Heath upkeep. Unlike Lambeth, which was well in to 4 figures.
I used to live at the Putney Heath end of the borough. Greenery (Putney Heath, Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park) was 1 street away. And A3 dual carriageway for a quick escape from town the same distance.

Go to Torture Garden, BEST NIGHT OUT OF YOUR LIFE

dress code is strict though

I was born in London and spent the first year of my life there before my parents headed for the (alleged) idyll or rural north Oxfordshire.

I missed a chance to live and work in London in my 20s, instead spending 10 years living and working in Manchester. I love Manchester, but time in the capital city is something I feel I missed out on.

These days I live in rural West Lancashire and spend half the week working in London (usually staying 2 or 3 nights a week).

My observations are thus:
- Work and play are often closely linked - this is often due to (incorrectly) perceived travel hassle. Don't just socialize with work people near work.
- Travel is an important subject of conversation for London dwellers - always remember that however busy it is, it is materially better than anywhere else in the UK. And it's incredibly cheap - use it!
- Ride a bike - I'm seriously considering a Brompton for this summer. I'll be able to leave safely at work when I'm back at home and then use it when in London to explore better in the evenings.
- Pubs are generally pretty good with wide choice of beer.

But most of all: don't take yourself too seriously - there are some seriously joyless ****ers in London!!!!

I'd argue that you're office isn't really that central, it's a bit South and West, but it's definitely not out the way

Eh? We are talking London, England, yes?

The small roads are safe, it's the big ones that are mental. Edgeware Rd, as an example.

Agreed. I trialled a commute in down Mile End Road once (this is back in 2001 - is it a cycle super highway now?) - never again. My Lee Valley Road commute was better, but best of all was the canals and parks option, sadly very dodgy during the winter.

As for the likes of Croydon; better value for money, but they start becoming a bit of a mission if things don't run too smoothly on the transport front... Base decisions on the worst case scenario, not on ideals.

Agreed. I moved out to Colchester and my commute went from 50 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, theoretically. I would guess that at least once a week there was a problem, and I had very few alternatives.

+1 for finding a riding route through the back streets - there's lots of signed 'quietways' which IMO are better for peaceful riding than the cycle superhighways.

The CSH have been deliberately built to be highly visible and to get the non-cycling/normal masses riding - so by definition the vast majority of riders on them are new or inexperienced at riding in urban conditions amongst so many other riders... hence the experience people are having.

The quietways are just that, quiet... and you get to see more of the place as you don't have so much going on around you

Eh? We are talking London, England, yes?

CAVEAT - The below, and my earlier comment, is on the assumption that it was in the quiet area in the no mans land between the tube stations. I'm probably wrong 😆

In London terms, not England terms. I doubt many people go through that part unless they have to, rather than the places closer to the West End or the City, where lots more people pass through

I like to walk out of choice, not because I have to!

Worked a a courier on a motorbike in London when I was 19, loved it, went to gigs 4 times a week, parties parties parties 😆 after about 10 months was over it. Hated the place.

Worked there twice since those heady days and really didn't like it at all. Lived in Maida Vale and Dalston. The road in Dalston was lovely but was an oasis in a sea of filth and infamy 😆

Now I think it is a fantastic city, I get quite excited visiting there but couldn't live there unless I was on silly silly money.

When I lived in Dalston used to commute by cycle to Canary Wharf, the route evolved into a real pleasure from what was a grind going through Hackney.

Have mates who live in Ealing and that is nice but the M4 is a pain.

South West or South East would be my choice.

We had 5 happy years in Clapham (ah,the 90's). It seems to be much more pricey these days.Very handy for your workplace via bike.
I'll also second the "back road" options.

We started off in South London , But North London is miles better... 😀 😉

I'm one of the few that doesn't mind a busy road then!

If it has a bus lane, or is wide enough to pass cars then I'm happy. Sometimes the slower more scenic route is just too slow. Works OK in central London, but the minute I'm into zone 2-3 and further out I'm usually on the bigger roads