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 in South London to the Lee Valley Velodrome in Stratford in East London.
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00:00We're here at Herne Hill Velodrome today and we're going to ride to the Leigh Valley Velodrome
00:21in London, two iconic London cycling destinations to show you the merits of riding your bike
00:28in the city.
00:29Now to take on this challenge I'm using this, the beautiful Ribble Hybrid ALE, something
00:35with 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
00:42to be using Komoot to plan our route from Herne Hill all the way to Leigh Valley.
00:48Well we'd better get on with it really, haven't we?
00:50Hang on.
00:51Morning boys.
00:52What are you doing here?
00:53There 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.
00:59I'm going to use my two legs and you guys are going to use your two bikes and we're
01:03going to see who gets to the Velodrome first.
01:05There is a catch though.
01:06The memo clearly stated that you guys have to go via the third most iconic cycling destination
01:10in London, the Mall.
01:11Alright well that's not fair because that is so out of the way.
01:15To make this fair again you have to take three different types of public transport.
01:20Okay, alright, you're on.
01:23Sounds fair.
01:24Sounds fair.
01:25Three, two, one, go.
01:27Oh, can I clip it?
01:32Andrew, come on, we haven't got time.
01:34Let's go.
01:56Come on.
02:17So we've just arrived at Herne Hill station.
02:20Just checking the live tracking here.
02:22They're already about to cross the bridge so they're getting really close to the Mall.
02:26We've got about a ten minute wait here before we get going up to London Bridge so I think
02:29this could be a tight race.
02:37For today's challenge I've chosen to give myself the best chance of winning as possible
02:43by using an e-bike.
02:45This is Ribble's Hybrid ALE and it looks like a beautiful sleek hybrid bike but with a difference.
02:52It uses an e-bike motion system that's tucked in the rear hub of the wheel.
02:58Now that gives me 250 watts of support in three different levels which means you can
03:03tune the ride to exactly how you want it to be.
03:06It comes with all of the other fittings that you would expect on a commuter bike including
03:10mudguard mounts on the front and rear, a pannier rack to carry all of your goods and
03:15wide tyres.
03:17The Ribble Hybrid ALE is going to give me that liquor speed I need to win today's race.
03:23Well James we've just crossed over Vauxhall Bridge which is just over there, past the
03:44MI5 building.
03:45Oh very exciting!
03:46It is!
03:48And we're about to go through Parliament Square, beautiful but notoriously a very difficult
03:53place to cycle through.
03:55However we've got this really cool blue superhighway.
03:59Can't miss it can you?
04:01No.
04:02We've just been on CS5 which has brought us down from Herne Hill and then we've ridden
04:06that through Vauxhall and now we're on to this one going through Parliament Square.
04:10Yep.
04:17I'm excited.
04:18I'm excited.
04:19I'm excited.
04:20James where are we?
04:49Well I think this is quite a famous building here on the left, Buckingham Palace.
05:02Well we're here, we're at Le Mal.
05:04The third iconic cycling landmark of London.
05:08So we've achieved our challenge, now it's just time to crack on but what a journey we
05:13had down here.
05:14It was pretty good actually.
05:15You know obviously riding in London is quite an experience anyway, lots of traffic but
05:21the cycle highways are so good.
05:24They're just really well marked out and actually navigating was good and we saw some great
05:29sights as well.
05:30Hang on a minute, what's that?
05:33Oh I've got a message from Will.
05:35Oh yeah?
05:36Yes.
05:37Where is he?
05:38Hi boys, you can see I'm at the Tube, second mode of transport.
05:42Where are you guys at?
05:44I think I'm in the lead right here, here comes my train.
05:47Oh he's on the Tube.
05:49So Elephant Castle.
05:50He's quite far along.
05:52Yeah.
05:53We better actually go then haven't we?
05:54We better go.
06:15Could 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
06:28versatile 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
06:43further forward 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.
06:52Then going hand in hand with that geometry, you've got those tyres.
06:57There's big chunky tyres on this bike that are still fast rolling but they'll take on
07:02the 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
07:11sure that today we will come out on top.
07:32Right, so we've made it to London Bridge.
07:34We've got to find another mode of transport but I've got an idea.
07:37Come with me.
07:41Let's go.
08:11Tower Bridge.
08:22Tower Bridge.
08:23We were coming by and we just felt like we had to stop really.
08:26Yeah, it's not an iconic cycling spot but it's an iconic spot altogether really.
08:30It is, isn't it?
08:31Oh, hang on.
08:32I've got a text.
08:35Hi boys, hopefully you can hear me okay on the boat.
08:38I think to level the playing field, you guys should take on another challenge.
08:42You keep banging on about how good your commuter bikes are and how they're so versatile.
08:47How 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.
08:54Some off-road?
08:55In London.
08:56Is that possible?
08:58Yes, on the canals.
09:00So East London's full of canals.
09:02I see the Zurich Tower Bridge.
09:04We should be able to.
09:05We're pretty close.
09:06Up through Limehouse, I would have thought, and onto the Regents Canal.
09:10Cool. Program it in, mate.
09:11Let's plot it in.
09:13So we're just coming down the Tower Bridge.
09:15I've got a sneaky suspicion on the live recording.
09:18They're just over there.
09:20There they are.
09:25There they are.
09:31That's so funny.
09:33We've just seen them go by on the boat.
09:36We'd better get going.
09:37Yes.
09:44Go, James!
10:03I think we should go and ask the captain if he can put his foot down.
10:16I think the captain got our message.
10:19Full gas.
10:21Full gas.
10:32Full gas.
10:33Full gas.
10:34Full gas.
10:35Full gas.
10:36Full gas.
10:37Full gas.
10:38Full gas.
10:39Full gas.
10:40Full gas.
10:41Full gas.
10:42Full gas.
10:43Full gas.
10:44Full gas.
10:45Full gas.
10:46Full gas.
10:47Full gas.
10:48Full gas.
10:49Full gas.
10:50Full gas.
10:51Full gas.
10:52Full gas.
10:53Full gas.
10:54Full gas.
10:55Full gas.
10:56Full gas.
10:57Full gas.
10:58Full gas.
10:59Full gas.
11:00Full gas.
11:02We're almost there.
11:05Literally just there.
11:25I think he's just round the corner.
11:29Nearby.
11:30He's coming round the corner, look, there he is, so there's us, and he's right there!
11:37Welcome!
11:38Easy!
11:39How did you do that?
11:43How did you do that?
11:46We have these.
11:47Bicycles, my friend.
11:48We don't have to then rely on other forms of transport to get here.
11:53We can do it all ourselves.
11:54London transport's like the best in the world.
11:56Yes.
11:57No doubt.
11:58Which is more efficient than the bicycle.
12:01Well, well done, gents.
12:03Well done.
12:04Fair and square, I'll give you that.
12:05It was a good challenge.
12:06It was not bad, you weren't too far behind, but it was still second place, first loser
12:12and all that, isn't it?
12:13Yeah.
12:14Thanks, guys.
12:15Well, sorry, Will, it was a good challenge, but here we are, iconic Lee Valley Velodrome
12:21behind us, and that was a good challenge.
12:24It was, and I think the one thing that stands out more than anything else for myself is
12:28just how small London becomes when you're on a bike.
12:32Definitely.
12:33Everything is just so close.
12:34All 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 on one of these
12:42bikes on the cycle to work scheme, it's really quite impressive.
12:44I think within, say you're commuting five days a week, within six months, you could
12:49get your money back, really.
12:51It's really impressive.
12:52Easily, yeah.
12:53But that does end this challenge and what a challenge it has been, but if you've enjoyed
12:57it, 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
13:05below.
13:06And likewise, if you're interested in the route that we took across London, we'll be
13:10putting a link to that in the description box underneath this video.
13:14But until next time, we'll see you then.
13:16I'm off to get a Boris bike.