00:15We'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
00:37little motor. And I've chosen Cannondale's Topstone Tiagra as my bike of choice here
00:42and we're going to be using Komoot to plan our route from Hearn Hill all the way
00:45to Lee Valley. Well we'd better go on with it really haven't we? Hang on.
00:51What are you doing here? There was a memo last night did you not see it?
00:55The boss said we're going to spice this video up and make a race of it. I'm
01:00going 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. There is a catch though. The memo
01:06clearly stated that you guys have to go via the third most iconic cycling
01:10destination 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
01:19public transport. Okay alright you're on. Sounds fair? Sounds fair. Three, two, one, go.
01:24Oh, he's got a headstone. Oh, he's got a bit.
01:32Andrew, come on, we've got time. Let's do it.
01:34We'll cut this out.
01:37What are you doing here?
02:17We'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.
02:26We've got about a 10 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
02:51a difference.
02:52It 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
03:03the 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 wide tyres.
03:17The Ribble Hybrid ALE is going to give me that lick of speed I need to win today's race.
03:39Well James, we've just crossed over Vauxhall Bridge, which is just over there, past the
03:43MI5 building.
03:44Oh, very exciting!
03:46It is!
03:47And we're about to go through Parliament Square.
03:51Beautiful, but notoriously a very difficult place to cycle through.
03:54However, we've got this really cool blue superhighway.
03:59Can't miss it, can you?
04:00No, no.
04:01We've just been on CS5, which has brought us down from Hearn Hill, and then we've ridden
04:06that through Vauxhall, and now we're on to this one going through Parliament Square.
04:10Yep!
04:47James, where are we?
04:49Well, I think this is quite a famous building here on the left.
04:54Buckingham Palace?
05:01Well, we're here.
05:02We're at the Mall.
05:03Made to the Mall.
05:04So, 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.
05:13It was pretty good, actually.
05:15You know, obviously, riding in London is quite an experience anyway.
05:19Lots of traffic, but the cycle highways are so good.
05:24They're just really well marked out, and actually navigating was good, and we saw some great sights
05:29as well.
05:29Oh!
05:29Hang on a minute.
05:30What's that?
05:33Oh, I've got a message from Will.
05:34Oh, yeah?
05:35Yes.
05:35Where is he?
05:37Hi, boys.
05:37You can see him at the Tube.
05:40Second mode of transport.
05:42Where are you guys at?
05:43I think I'm in the lead right here.
05:45He comes to my train.
05:47Oh, he's on the Tube.
05:48So, Elephant Castle.
05:50He's quite far along.
05:52Yeah.
05:52We'd better actually go there, haven't we?
05:53We'd better go.
06:14Could there be a more perfect bike to take on the streets of London than Cannondale's Topstone 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.
06:38And it's also got what Cannondale call their out-front geometry, which puts the front wheel
06:43further forwards 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.
06:53And then 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 the potholes
07:02and 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.
07:10And we'll make sure 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.
07:50Is that where the company is ?
08:02Understand that within church, when they are going to HBO orban process?
08:03Is that where the company's going to be?
08:11In turnstreet can everyone go ahead and write a link.
08:13We've got to find aquerade that things like that are going around.
08:14Let's amazing.
08:17Appreciate that one Friendship.
08:18Take the cuddle and
08:20Tower Bridge! We 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 all together really.
08:29It is isn't it? Oh hang on. I've got a text!
08:35Hi boys, hopefully you can hear me okay on the boat. I think to level the playing field,
08:39you guys should take on another challenge. You keep banging on about how good your commuter bikes
08:44are and how they're so versatile. How about you try some off-road on the way to Stratford?
08:49Let me know what you think. So we need to hit some off-road before we get to the Velodrome.
08:54Some off-road? Is that possible? Yes on the canals. So East London's full of canals. I see
09:02the Zurich Tower Bridge. We should be able to. We can cut up through Limehouse I would have thought
09:08and onto the Regent's Canal. Cool program it in mate. Let's plot it in.
09:13We're just coming under Tower Bridge. I've got a sneaky suspicion on the live recording. They're just
09:18over there. There they are. There they are. That's so funny. We've just seen them go by on the boat.
09:35We better get going. Yes.
09:43Go James!
10:10I think we should go and ask the captain if he can put his foot down.
10:20I think the captain got a message. Full gas. Full gas.
10:34Woo-hoo!
10:46It makes you tune in!
10:55Hello!
11:04All right, we're almost there.
11:06So, literally just there.
11:26I think he's just round the corner, he's coming round the corner, look, there he is, so there's
11:32us.
11:33And he's right there.
11:39Welcome.
11:42Easy.
11:43How did you do that?
11:45We have these.
11:47Bicycles, 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.
11:57Yes.
11:57No doubt.
11:57But no transport is more efficient than the bicycle.
12:01Well, well done, gents.
12:03Well done.
12:03Fair and square.
12:04I'll give you that.
12:05It was a good challenge.
12:06It's not bad.
12:07You weren't too far behind, but it was still second place, first loser and all that, isn't
12:13it?
12:13Yeah.
12:13Thanks, guys.
12:15Well, 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
12:29small 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.
12:37So good.
12:38So I've just been thinking the cost of this trip versus what you can get one of these
12:42bikes on the cycle to work scheme.
12:43Really quite impressive.
12:44I think within, you know, say you're commuting five days a week, within six months, you could,
12:48you know, you could get your money back.
12:50Really.
12:50It's really impressive.
12:51Easily.
12:52Yeah.
12:52But 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
13:00channel.
13:01And if you have any tips for riding in the city, do let us know in the comment section below.
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.
13:13But until next time, we'll see you then.
13:16I'll have to get a Boris bike.
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