Things I learned about cycling in England

1. Give yourself a day to get over the jet lag (especially if you plan to cycle around London). Take some time to get used to the traffic patterns and get rested up from your travels.

2. Have multiple maps even if your guide book says the paths are well-marked. They are. But you might want to veer off the path. If the roads aren't labeled on your map, it can be difficult to find your way back to the bicycle route.

3. England has great bicycle routes. They are a part of the National Cycle Network, a network of cycle paths passing throughout the United Kingdom. The routes are also organized regionally. We bicycled in Suffolk and the route wound through small villages, on and off road, on dual walking/cycling paths as well as busy roads. So, keep an eye out for the signs.

bicycles on the train: locating storage car - fail

an example of bicycle stowage

4.  If you are planning to hire bicycles in England, really think about your plans. We hired bicycles in London and traveled with them on trains and in the underground. This is doable, but it can be a challenge. You will have to carry your bicycle up and down flights of stairs. The underground can be crowded (no matter what time of day or day of week) and it is not that much fun taking up space on the car with a bicycle. Most trains have bicycle storage, but our challenge was figuring out what end of the train the storage car will be.

Also think about where you will store your bicycle at your hotel/hostel. You don't want to leave your bicycle locked on the street, because it is likely to be stolen. When we arrived we stayed at the Hilton in Trafalgar Square. The storage room was super small. They were kind enough to store the bicycles for us, but it was an inconvenience.

London Bicycle Tour Company at Gabriel's Wharf

Barclay's Cycle Hire

London has a lot of rental options. The London Bicycle Tour Company offers tours and rents bicycles by the hour, day or week.  Barclay's Cycle Hire is another way to go if you plan to bicycle around London.  You can pick up a bicycle at almost any underground station (and other locations), ride around town and drop it off in another location. These bicycles aren't the nicest, lightest bicycles, so you would want to weigh the pros and cons. In hindsight, I might have hired the Barclays bicycles in London and then hired bicycles for a week in Ipswich.

5. Check out your bicycle before setting off. The gears and brakes may be on different sides of the handlebars than your bicycle at home. This can be particularly dangerous if you are riding in the busy streets of London.

6. Bicycling is a great way to see a new place. I can't wait for our next bicycle getaway.