What's faster across one of the busiest cities in the world - the bike or public transport? James and Rupert use pedal power to try and beat Will in a race from Herne Hill Velodrome to the Lee Valley Velodrome in Stratford.
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00:00We're here at Hearn Hill Velodrome today and we're going to ride to the Lee Valley
00:21Velodrome in London, two iconic London cycling destinations to show you the
00:26merits of riding your bike in the city. Now to take on this challenge I'm using this
00:31the beautiful Rivel Hybrid ALE, something with a little twist because it does use a little motor.
00:38And I've chosen Cannondale's Topstone Tiagra as my bike of choice here and we're going to be using
00:43Komoot to plan our route from Hearn Hill all the way to Lee Valley. Well we'd better go on with it
00:49really haven't we? Hang on. What are you doing here? There was a memo last night did you not see it?
00:56The boss said we're going to spice this video up and make a race of it. I'm going to use my two
01:01legs and you guys are going to use your two bikes and we're going to see who gets to the Velodrome
01:04first. There is a catch though. The memo clearly stated that you guys have to go via the third most
01:09iconic cycling destination in London, the Mall. Alright well that's not fair because that is so
01:14out of the way. To make this fair again you have to take three different types of public transport.
01:21Okay, alright you're on. Sounds fair. Sounds fair. Three, two, one, go. Oh he's got a headstone.
01:26Come on. Come on. Come on. We've got time. Let's go.
01:38Of course let's have a headstone.
01:40Let's go.
01:41I'm going to enjoy your car.
01:43From here, talk to hours with people take two directions.
01:45Let's go.
02:15So we've just arrived at Hearn Hill Station, just checking the live tracking here.
02:22They're already about to cross the bridge, so they're getting really close to the mountain.
02:25We've got about 10 minute wait here before we get going up to London Bridge, so I think
02:28this could be a tight race.
02:36For today's challenge, I've chosen to give myself the best chance of winning as possible
02:42by using an e-bike.
02:44This is Ribbles Hybrid ALE and it looks like a beautiful sleek hybrid bike but with a difference.
02:51It uses an e-bike motion system that's tucked in the rear hub of the wheel.
02:57Now that gives me 250 watts of support in three different levels, which means you can tune
03:02the ride to exactly how you want it to be.
03:05It comes with all of the other fittings that you would expect on a commuter bike, including
03:09mudguard mounts on the front and rear, a pannier rack to carry all of your goods and wide tyres.
03:16The Ribbles Hybrid ALE is going to give me that lick of speed I need to win today's race.
03:21Well James, we've just crossed over Vauxhall Bridge, which is just over there, past the MI5 building.
03:30Oh very exciting!
03:31It is!
03:32And we're about to go through Parliament Square, beautiful but notoriously a very difficult
03:37place to cycle through.
03:38However, we've got this really cool blue superhighway.
03:39Can't miss it, can you?
03:40No, no.
03:41We've just been on CS5, which has brought us down from Hearn Hill and then we've ridden
03:43that through Vauxhall and now we're on to this one.
03:44We've just been on CS5, which has brought us down from Hearn Hill and then we've ridden
03:45that through Vauxhall.
03:46And now we're on to this one going through Parliament Square.
03:51Now, we're on to this one going through Parliament Square.
03:53Yeah, yes.
03:54Yeah, yep.
03:55Oh no.
03:56Yeah, absolutely.
03:57We've just taken one of theạn speeds I thought.
03:58It's so disgusting!!
03:59But, it's so delicious!
04:00It's the centro supermarket.
04:01And we're without a drink at mekur.
04:02I guess I've got enough of time to go for that view of the marble.
04:04It doesn't necessarily care if good it is.
04:43James, where are we?
04:48Well, I think this is quite a famous building here on the left.
04:54Buckingham Palace.
04:57Well, we're here.
05:02We're at the Mall.
05:03Made to the Mall, so the third iconic cycling landmark of London.
05:08So we've achieved our challenge.
05:10Now it's just time to crack on, but what a journey we had down here.
05:13Pretty good, actually.
05:15Obviously, riding in London is quite an experience anyway, lots of traffic, but the cycle highways
05:23are so good.
05:24They're just really well marked out, and actually navigating was good, and we saw some great
05:28sights as well.
05:29Hang on a minute.
05:30What's that?
05:31I've got a message from Will.
05:32Oh, yeah?
05:33Yes.
05:34Where is he?
05:35Hi, boys.
05:36You can see him at the Tube.
05:40Second mode of transport.
05:42Where are you guys at?
05:44I think I'm in the lead right here.
05:45Here comes my train.
05:46Oh, he's on the Tube.
05:48So, Elephant Castle.
05:49He's quite far along.
05:51Yeah, yes.
05:52We'd better actually go there, haven't we?
05:53We'd better go.
05:54Could there be a more perfect bike to take on the streets of London than Cannondale's
06:18Topstone Tiagra?
06:19It is a gravel bike, but it's way more than just that.
06:22A gravel bike is actually perfect as a commuting weapon, purely because it's got such great
06:27versatile features.
06:29The first feature that makes it great as a commuter is the riding position.
06:33It gives you a much taller, much more commanding position when you're riding in traffic, and
06:38it's also got what Cannondale call their out-front geometry, which puts the front wheel further
06:43forwards than on a normal road bike, meaning it's way more stable.
06:48Now with the road surfaces that we have around here, that is definitely a plus point.
06:53Then going hand-in-hand with that geometry, you've got those tires.
06:57There's big, chunky tires on this bike that are still fast-rolling, but they'll take on
07:01the potholes and all of the cracks and everything that the roads can throw at you.
07:06With the DNA of a road bike, this bike is definitely fast and nimble, and we'll make sure that today
07:12we will come out on top.
07:13Right, so we've made it to London Bridge, and I've got to find another mode of transport,
07:19but I've got an idea. Come with me.
07:38Take a look at another mode of transport, this wagon Jest.
07:40The
07:53company
07:54Tower Bridge
08:21Tower Bridge
08:22We were coming by and we just felt like we had to stop really
08:25Yeah it's not an iconic cycling spot but it's an iconic spot altogether
08:29It is isn't it
08:30Oh hang on
08:31I've got a text
08:34Hi boys hopefully you can hear me okay on the boat
08:37I think to level the playing field you guys should take on another challenge
08:41You keep banging on about how good your commuter bikes are and how they're so versatile
08:46How about you try some off-road on the way to Stratford
08:49Let me know what you think
08:50So we need to hit some off-road before we get to the velodrome
08:53Some off-road
08:55In London
08:56Is that possible?
08:57Yes on the canals
08:59So East London is full of canals
09:01I see these are at Tower Bridge
09:03We should be able to
09:04Pretty close we can cut up through Limehouse I would have thought
09:07And onto the Regents Canal
09:09Cool
09:10Program it in mate
09:11Let's plot it in
09:12We're just coming under Tower Bridge
09:14We've got a sneaky suspicion on the live recording
09:17They're just over there
09:18There they are
09:20There they are
09:21There they are
09:23There they are
09:25No look
09:30That's so funny
09:32We've just seen them go by on the boat
09:35We better get going
09:36Yes
09:37Go James!
09:41Go James!
09:45I think we should go and ask the captain if he can put his foot down
10:12I think the captain got our message
10:36All right, we're almost there.
11:06So, literally just there.
11:26I think he's just round the corner.
11:29Is he and I?
11:30He's coming round the corner.
11:31Look, there he is.
11:32So there's us.
11:33Oh, yeah.
11:34And he's right there.
11:36Welcome.
11:40Easy.
11:41How did you do that?
11:43How did you do that?
11:45We have these.
11:46Bicycles, my friend.
11:48We don't have to then rely on other forms of transport to get here.
11:52We could do it all ourselves.
11:54London transport's like the best in the world.
11:56Yes.
11:57No doubt.
11:58But no transport is more efficient than the bicycle.
12:01Well, well done, gents.
12:02Well done.
12:03Well done.
12:04Fair and square.
12:05I'll give you that.
12:06It was a good challenge.
12:07It's not bad.
12:08You weren't too far behind.
12:09But it was still second place, first loser and all that, isn't it?
12:13Yeah.
12:14Thanks, guys.
12:15Yeah.
12:16Well, sorry, Will.
12:17It was a good challenge.
12:18But here we are, iconic Lee Valley Velodrome behind us.
12:22And that was a good challenge.
12:24It was.
12:25And I think the one thing that stands out more than anything else for myself is just how small London becomes when you're on a bike.
12:32Definitely.
12:33Everything is just so close.
12:34Like all of a sudden, one minute you're like, oh, we're here.
12:37Yeah.
12:38So good.
12:39So I've just been thinking the cost of this trip versus what you can get one of these bikes on the cycle to work scheme.
12:43It's really quite impressive.
12:44I think within, you know, say you're commuting five days a week, within six months, you could, you know, you could get your money back, really.
12:50It's really impressive.
12:51Easily.
12:52Yeah.
12:53But that does end this challenge and what a challenge it has been.
12:56But if you've enjoyed it, then please do like and subscribe to the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel.
13:01And if you have any tips for riding in the city, do let us know in the comments section below.
13:06And likewise, if you're interested in the route that we took across London, we'll be putting a link to that in the description box underneath this video.
13:13But until next time, we'll see you then.
13:16I'll have to get a Boris bike.