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.
01:34I just want to play with, we've got time to play with you.
01:36And let's go.
01:43We've got time to play with PewDiePie this week.
01:44Let's go.
01:47You're at the back, stop here.
01:47Do it.
01:51You're at the back.
01:52You're at the back.
01:55You're at the back.
01:57You're there.
01:58So cool.
02:00You're at the back.
02:01You're at the back, you're at the back
02:02So cool.
02:03Let's go.
02:04I'm going.
02:04I'm going to go.
02:17so we've just arrived at hern hill station just checking the live tracking here they're
02:22already about to cross the bridge so they're getting really close to the mall we've got
02:26about 10 minute wait here before we get going up to london bridge so i think this could be a
02:29tight
02:36race for today's challenge i've chosen to give myself the best chance of winning as possible
02:43by using an e-bike this is ribbles hybrid a l e and it looks like a beautiful sleek hybrid
02:50bike but
02:51with a difference it uses an e-bike motion system that's tucked in the rear hub of the wheel now
02:58that gives me 250 watts of support in three different levels which means you can tune the
03:03ride to exactly how you want it to be comes with all of these are fittings that you would expect
03:09on
03:09a commuter bike including mudguard mounts on the front and rear a pannier rack to carry all of
03:14your goods and wide tires the ribble hybrid a l e is going to give me that liquor speed i
03:21need to win
03:38today's race
03:38well james we've just crossed over voxel bridge which is just over there past the mi5 building
03:44oh very exciting it is and uh we're about to go through parliament square um beautiful but
03:52notoriously a very difficult place to cycle through yeah however we've got this really cool blue super
03:58highway can't miss it can you no we've just been on cs5 which has brought us down from herne hill
04:05yes and then we've ridden that through voxel and now we're on to this one going through parliament square
04:10yep
04:11yeah
04:13yeah
04:14yeah
04:14yeah
04:14yeah
04:15yeah
04:22yeah
04:24yeah
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.
05:03Main 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.
05:12But 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.
05:20But the cycle highways are so good.
05:24They're just really well marked out.
05:26And actually navigating was good.
05:27And we saw some great sights as well.
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.
05:39Um, second mode of transport.
05:42Where are you guys at?
05:43I think, I think I'm in the lead right here.
05:45Here comes my train.
05:47Oh, he's on the Tube.
05:48So Elephant Castle.
05:50He's quite far along.
05:52Yeah.
05:52We better actually go there, haven't we?
05:53We better go.
06:14Could 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.
06:25Purely because it's got such great versatile 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.
06:42Which puts the front wheel further forwards than on a normal road bike.
06:46Meaning 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 tires.
06:57There's big chunky tires on this bike.
06:59They're still fast rolling, but they'll take on the potholes and all of the cracks and everything that the roads
07:05can 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.
07:34I've got to find another mode of transport, but I've got an idea. Come with me.
07:37help it out beraber einstirpour icon.
08:07marshmallows literally own layout
08:20Dower Bridge!
08:21We 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 really.
08:29It is, isn't it?
08:30Oh, hang on.
08:33I've got a text!
08:35Hi boys, hopefully you can hear me okay on the phone.
08:37So, I 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.
08:46How 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.
08:54Some off-road?
08:55In London?
08:56Is that possible?
08:58Yes.
08:58On the canals.
09:00So East London's full of canals.
09:02I see the Zurich Tower Bridge.
09:03We should be able to.
09:04We're pretty close.
09:05We can cut up through Limehouse, I would have thought, and onto the Regent's Canal.
09:09Cool.
09:10Program it in, mate.
09:11Let's plot it in.
09:13We're just coming down the Tower Bridge.
09:15I've got a sneaky suspicion on the live recording.
09:17They're just over there.
09:19There they are.
09:24There they are.
09:25There they are.
09:25There they are.
09:25No, look.
09:30That's so funny.
09:33We've just seen them go by on the boat.
09:35We better get going.
09:37Yes.
09:43Go, James!
09:46Go, James!
10:10I think we should go and ask the captain if he can put his foot down.
10:21I think the captain got a message.
10:24Full gas.
10:25Full gas.
10:30Full gas.
10:33Full gas.
10:44Full gas.
10:47Full gas.
10:48Full gas.
10:49Full gas.
10:51Full gas.
10:51Full gas.
10:53Full gas.
10:54Full gas.
10:55Full gas.
10:55Full gas.
10:56Full gas.
10:56Full gas.
10:56Full gas.
10:57Full gas.
10:57Full gas.
10:57Full gas.
10:58Full gas.
11:04All right, we're almost there, so 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. And he's right there. Welcome. Easy. How did you do that? How did you do that? We have
11:46these. Bicycles, my friend. We don't have to then rely on other forms of transport to get
11:52here. We could do it all ourselves. London Transport's like the best in the world. Yes.
11:57No doubt. But no transport is more efficient than the bicycle. Well, well done, gents.
12:03Well done. Well done. Fair and square, I'll give you that. It was a good challenge. It's
12:06not bad, you weren't too far behind, but it was still second place, first loser and all
12:12that, isn't it? Yeah. Thanks, guys. Yeah. Well, sorry, Will. It was a good challenge. But
12:18here we are, iconic Lee Valley Velodrome behind us. And that was a good challenge. It was.
12:24And I think the one thing that stands out more than anything else for myself is just
12:28how small London becomes when you're on a bike. Definitely. It was just, everything
12:33is just so close. It's like, all of a sudden, one minute you're like, oh, we're here. Yeah.
12:37So good. So I've just been thinking the cost of this trip versus what you can get one of
12:41these bikes on the cycle to work scheme. It's really quite impressive. I think within, you
12:45know, depending, say you're commuting five days a week, within six months, you could, you
12:49know, you could get your money back, really. It's really impressive. Easily, yeah. But
12:53that does end this challenge and what a challenge it has been. But if you've enjoyed it, then
12:58please do like and subscribe to the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel. And if you have any
13:02tips for riding in the city, do let us know in the comments section below. And likewise,
13:07if you're interested in the route that we took across London, we'll be putting a link to that
13:11in the description box underneath this video. But until next time, we'll see you then. I'm
13:19going to see you then.
13:21Bye.
13:21Bye.
13:22Bye.
13:24Bye.
