Moving to London. Bike related help and advise needed.

In a couple of months I´ll be moving to London to make an internship of six months and I was thinking on taking my bike with me to use it for my daily commutes to work and short rides on the weekends.

My main issue is about the bike getting stolen. Now I´m using an OnGuard Bulldog Mini u-lock + a cable, which is more than enough for where I live, but I think that in a big city like London it´s like using dental floss. Will it be enough with another good quality u-lock? (i.e. Kryptonite Evo Mini...)

I was also wondering if I´ll need any kind of extra security for the seat. I mean, I´m not using a Moots Ti seatpost and a SLR seat, just an ultra-worn out Concor and a cheapo Kalloy microadjustable seatpost, but I wouldn´t like to get it stolen.

I´m also concerned about the gear ratio. I´m running 46x17 cause here there are quite a lot of hills, but for a flat city like London I was thinking on something like 46x16 or even 46x15. Maybe this last one is too hard? Are there many windy days? What about the outskirts of London, will I have to face any steep hills if I gor for a ride?

And my last issue is related to the weather. Rain isn´t a problem, I´m used to it, but what about snow? I think there aren´t many snowy days there, but that´s more than here. And what about temperatures? I don´t usually face temperatures of less than 5 degrees, any recommendations of what to wear?

EDITED:
A couple of new doubts now that I have more information.

Ok, my work placemente is in Kingston Upon Thames (Zone 6) which I believe it´s absolutely far away from what it can be called London. I still don´t know whre I´ll be renting a room, but let´s say that somewhere in Zone 2 e.g. Queenstown Road (I haven't got the faintest idea of how is this area, just an example). According to Google Maps there are 10 miles (16km) from one place to the other and this is the route: http://goo.gl/maps/xJ6hl

Do you think it´s plausible to do it daily or should I get a transport card and fuck the bike? Any places, roads or areas to avoid? How many time will I need to cover the distance (10 miles)? I mean, on open road it shouldn´t take more than 40 minutes but I don´t know how is the traffic there.

Thank you in advance guys!

Hey up. Riding round London is the best way to get about so deffo bring the bike. Locks well I'd recommend 2 different a krypotonite and a good chain/abus locked thru the frame and wheels and don't leave it tied up in the same place for more than a few hours as a rule. No ones going to nick your seat unless it's a Brooke's
Easy enough to change the back cog so get used to the roads 1st. Don't run lights and look over your shoulder and never undertake a lorry. Watch out for pedestrians as no one looks when they cross the road.
Snow is rare as the city is a few degrees warmer cos of the buildings .

In a couple of months I´ll be moving to London to make an internship of six months and I was thinking on taking my bike with me to use it for my daily commutes to work and short rides on the weekends.

My main issue is about the bike getting stolen. Now I´m using an OnGuard Bulldog Mini u-lock + a cable, which is more than enough for where I live, but I think that in a big city like London it´s like using dental floss. Will it be enough with another good quality u-lock? (i.e. Kryptonite Evo Mini...)

I was also wondering if I´ll need any kind of extra security for the seat. I mean, I´m not using a Moots Ti seatpost and a SLR seat, just an ultra-worn out Concor and a cheapo Kalloy microadjustable seatpost, but I wouldn´t like to get it stolen.

I´m also concerned about the gear ratio. I´m running 46x17 cause here there are quite a lot of hills, but for a flat city like London I was thinking on something like 46x16 or even 46x15. Maybe this last one is too hard? Are there many windy days? What about the outskirts of London, will I have to face any steep hills if I gor for a ride?

And my last issue is related to the weather. Rain isn´t a problem, I´m used to it, but what about snow? I think there aren´t many snowy days there, but that´s more than here. And what about temperatures? I don´t usually face temperatures of less than 5 degrees, any recommendations of what to wear?

Thanks in advance!

Use a decent lock and that one , often it's about where you lock your bike , how you lock it and if there's half decent bike in the rack locked worse than yours they won't go for yours , ultimately if they want your bike and they have half a brain cell no lock will stop them though
I wouldn't bother about seatpost +saddle too much , brooks saddles get stolen more than any others by far

run 52x15 for max tarck bike coolness ;) but lots of people run 46x16 , outskirts of london have a few hills nothing major though , richmond park has a couple if that's your thing + box hill isn't too far

Snow isn't that common at all maybe a couple of times a year if your lucky , a decent softshell jacket makes it into my bag every day though since it rains on and off lots , it's rarely sub 5* though

Where you moving from ?

Hey up. Riding round London is the best way to get about so deffo bring the bike. Locks well I'd recommend 2 different a krypotonite and a good chain/abus locked thru the frame and wheels and don't leave it tied up in the same place for more than a few hours as a rule. No ones going to nick your seat unless it's a Brooke's
Easy enough to change the back cog so get used to the roads 1st. Don't run lights and look over your shoulder and never undertake a lorry. Watch out for pedestrians as no one looks when they cross the road.
Snow is rare as the city is a few degrees warmer cos of the buildings .

Christ! So what do workers who stay for 8 hours in their workplace do with their bikes?

And what do you mean with "Don´t run lights"? Edit: understood. I think you were refering to bike lights.

I´ll take care with pedestrians though they are the same everywhere. Always crossing before looking.

Thank you very much!

Use a decent lock and that one , often it's about where you lock your bike , how you lock it and if there's half decent bike in the rack locked worse than yours they won't go for yours , ultimately if they want your bike and they have half a brain cell no lock will stop them though
I wouldn't bother about seatpost +saddle too much , brooks saddles get stolen more than any others by far

run 52x15 for max tarck bike coolness ;) but lots of people run 46x16 , outskirts of london have a few hills nothing major though , richmond park has a couple if that's your thing + box hill isn't too far

Snow isn't that common at all maybe a couple of times a year if your lucky , a decent softshell jacket makes it into my bag every day though since it rains on and off lots , it's rarely sub 5* though

Where you moving from ?

Thanks a lot. I´m almost decided to go on with a 46x16. And as both of you agree that there won´t be any problems I´ll leave it as it is.

Nice to hear that it´s not as cold as I was expecting. :)

I´m moving from Bilbao, Basque Country, northern Spain.

Reading material:

Primary locks
Secondary locks

Get two D locks. Fuck how heavy they are, the weight is worth the cost of protecting your bike. To make you a bit scared, here: Stolen Bikes This happens daily. Prevention is better than regret.

Christ! So what do workers who stay for 8 hours in their workplace do with their bikes?

A lot of London offices have underground car parks or back yards where you can chain a bike. Ask the question at your place and see.

Locks:

Reading material:

Primary locks
Secondary locks

Get two D locks. Fuck how heavy they are, the weight is worth the cost of protecting your bike. To make you a bit scared, here: Stolen Bikes This happens daily. Prevention is better than regret.

Gearing:
Lots here ride 65gi as it is stop start in central London with more lights and crossings per mile than you will have experienced ever before.

Locking at work:
If on street, find somewhere public with a secure solid structure to lock to. Avoid that quiet little alley where someone could work unhindered for the three or four minutes it will take them to defeat your locks.

Social:
Look at compass beers and come to say hi.

Temperature:
Central London stays warm with buildings and traffic kicking out heat pollution. Staying dry matters more so think about a good waterproof for winter.

Snow:
On the two days it snows, ride in on roads with 24 hour bus routes. You will then only have to deal with light slush. All of this will be on your way in to work as due to the above pollution the snow will have gone by the time you go home. The next day any moisture on the road will have reformed into Ice, take it easy and don't lean.

Reading material:

Primary locks
Secondary locks

Get two D locks. Fuck how heavy they are, the weight is worth the cost of protecting your bike. To make you a bit scared, here: Stolen Bikes This happens daily. Prevention is better than regret.

Sick. How can anybody steal a bike locked with a Fahgettaboudit? I definitely should take a look to a decent u-lock.

A lot of London offices have underground car parks or back yards where you can chain a bike. Ask the question at your place and see.

Good to hear it. I´ll check it just the first day I get there.

Locks:

Gearing:
Lots here ride 65gi as it is stop start in central London with more lights and crossings per mile than you will have experienced ever before.

Locking at work:
If on street, find somewhere public with a secure solid structure to lock to. Avoid that quiet little alley where someone could work unhindered for the three or four minutes it will take them to defeat your locks.

Social:
Look at compass beers and come to say hi.

Temperature:
Central London stays warm with buildings and traffic kicking out heat pollution. Staying dry matters more so think about a good waterproof for winter.

Snow:
On the two days it snows, ride in on roads with 24 hour bus routes. You will then only have to deal with light slush. All of this will be on your way in to work as due to the above pollution the snow will have gone by the time you go home. The next day any moisture on the road will have reformed into Ice, take it easy and don't lean.

Nice explanation, particullarly the part related to snow. :)

65gi, seems too ¿soft? Anyway I reckon I´ll just get a 16t cog so I have 46x16 and 46x17. If I don´t feel comfortable with the first one I can go back to 46x17.

Thanks to all of you. If I have any other doubts I´ll be posting again in this thread.

Just don't leave a bike outside for long periods. Hopefully your employer should offer somewhere inside to keep the bike.

65gi, seems too ¿soft? Anyway I reckon I´ll just get a 16t cog so I have 46x16 and 46x17. If I don´t feel comfortable with the first one I can go back to 46x17.

Depends on which bit of London you're going through, there are some hills, but some routes e.g., East-West along the river, are quite flat.

Re. snow, the volume of traffic generally means that the snow never settles on busy roads unless it's heavy snow all night. The roads are quite grimy though so decent mudguards can be a good investment once it gets wet.

I think the locking issue is being somewhat overplayed in as much as ocation is a hugely important factor and there is a lot of (bad) luck involved.

Sick. How can anybody steal a bike locked with a Fahgettaboudit? I definitely should take a look to a decent u-lock.

This should be made into a sticker , no lock will stop a decent thief it'll just put off a disorganised one

Get two D locks. Fuck how heavy they are, the weight is worth the cost of protecting your bike.

agreed 100%.

A couple of new doubts now that I have more information.

Ok, my work placemente is in Kingston Upon Thames (Zone 6) which I believe it´s absolutely far away from what it can be called London. I still don´t know whre I´ll be renting a room, but let´s say that somewhere in Zone 2 e.g. Queenstown Road (I haven't got the faintest idea of how is this area, just an example). According to Google Maps there are 10 miles (16km) from one place to the other and this is the route: http://goo.gl/maps/xJ6hl

Do you think it´s plausible to do it daily or should I get a transport card and fuck the bike? Any places, roads or areas to avoid? How many time will I need to cover the distance (10 miles)? I mean, on open road it shouldn´t take more than 40 minutes but I don´t know how is the traffic there.

Thank you in advance guys!

A couple of new doubts now that I have more information.

Ok, my work placemente is in Kingston Upon Thames (Zone 6) which I believe it´s absolutely far away from what it can be called London. I still don´t know whre I´ll be renting a room, but let´s say that somewhere in Zone 2 e.g. Queenstown Road (I haven't got the faintest idea of how is this area, just an example). According to Google Maps there are 10 miles (16km) from one place to the other and this is the route: http://goo.gl/maps/xJ6hl

Do you think it´s plausible to do it daily or should I get a transport card and fuck the bike? Any places, roads or areas to avoid? How many time will I need to cover the distance (10 miles)? I mean, on open road it shouldn´t take more than 40 minutes but I don´t know how is the traffic there.

Thank you in advance guys!

Ride it bro I do it from kingston to near queensntown road occasionally and it's not too bad + bits of kingston are pretty nice to cycle in if you route it well

Plus do you know where or who it is in kingston your working for ?

Ride it bro I do it from kingston to near queensntown road occasionally and it's not too bad + bits of kingston are pretty nice to cycle in if you route it well

I´m convinced to do it unless someones tell me that it´s no advisable for whatever reason. :) How long does it take you to do this route?

Plus do you know where or who it is in kingston your working for ?

Yes indeed, although if you want more info I prefer to tell you by private message.

Thanks a lot!

Route

Why are you going the long way around? Just follow the road? Or am I missing something?

Route

Why are you going the long way around? Just follow the road? Or am I missing something?

Don't know, it´s the route Google suggested. Anyway the road (A3) in your route seems to have some heavy traffic. Is it safe to ride it? I reckon that I will be doing it with no sun light in winter and spring.

You'll soon learn to amend your route as you gain confidence and local knowledge, being on your bike is the best way to get to know a new city.

When I first moved to London I rode a Raleigh Chopper for the first year or so, negotiating Vauxhall gyratory every day, the fact that you're trying to find things out beforehand tells me you'll be fine.

The A3 is pretty grim, but you will be going against the main traffic flow. THe one way system round Wandsworth gets very snarled up, but again you are going the opposite way to the peak traffic so it is doable.

I'd suggest you need to be a pretty confident rider to go the direct route. Cars fly down the A3 at 40-50mph on the part next to Richmond Park and you will need to cross 3 lanes at the roundabout at the bottom to turn up into Kingston. If you are not used to this I would follow some/all of the first route you posted.

It should take you between 45 mins to an hour.

You'll soon learn to amend your route as you gain confidence and local knowledge, being on your bike is the best way to get to know a new city.

When I first moved to London I rode a Raleigh Chopper for the first year or so, negotiating Vauxhall gyratory every day, the fact that you're trying to find things out beforehand tells me you'll be fine.

Yes, I agree with you. In part that´s why I want to take the bike with me. By public transport or by walk you don´t get to know even half of the city, but by bike it´s much easier and much fun, of course!

The A3 is pretty grim, but you will be going against the main traffic flow. THe one way system round Wandsworth gets very snarled up, but again you are going the opposite way to the peak traffic so it is doable.

I'd suggest you need to be a pretty confident rider to go the direct route. Cars fly down the A3 at 40-50mph on the part next to Richmond Park and you will need to cross 3 lanes at the roundabout at the bottom to turn up into Kingston. If you are not used to this I would follow some/all of the first route you posted.

It should take you between 45 mins to an hour.

It reassures me the fact that I´ll be riding the opposite way to the traffic.

I´ll try to do the shortest route, I reckon I won´t have any problems as I´ve been commuting through quite heavy traffic in the last years and I´m pretty used to it. Anyway the other route seems quite fun as it crosses a nice big park. It might be a good alternative for sunny days in summer. :)

Thanks a lot all of you who have posted here, it´s being really helpful your experience.