Avocado smash with smoked salmon – and the time I bumped into Boris Johnson

By Sophia Martelli  
Santander Cycles20 January 2016

Charlie Bailey, age 25, lives in Highbury & Islington and is a weekend/leisure cyclist.

I love cycling when…

“I’m with my boyfriend on weekends. We have ‘ Cycling Sundays’, which is a bit of a date day where we don’t get on public transport (we do that all week), and hire Santander Cycles to see a bit more of London together.

My favourite route…

“ Is walking from Highbury & Islington down Upper Street to Angel, and from the docking station there we bike to Columbia Road Flower Market (Sundays, 8am – 3pm) for the hustle and bustle of it all. Then we’ll take another bike down to Old Spitalfields Market to get some lunch (the falafel from Pilpel has a great kick). The great thing about a Santander Cycle is you don’t have to go back on yourself to collect a bike you’ve locked up somewhere, so you can go for a wander around, say, Shoreditch then continue on your journey from another docking point once you’ve had a chance to explore.

Alternatively…

“We’ll do something different, such as pick up a Santander Cycle in Hammersmith and wend our way along cycle path by the river to Putney for a nice brunch. Hudson’s has the best meal to get you fuelled for a day on the bikes: avocado smash with smoked salmon. “After that we might cycle on to Sloane Square to check out what’s on at the Saatchi Gallery, browse the stalls at the artisanal Duke of York Square food market (Saturdays, 10am – 4pm): a favourite is the excellent fudge – I always figure I’ve burnt enough calories to deserve it…

My cycle style…

“One thing I love about the Santander Cycle experience is there’s no Lycra involved – I can wear a skirt and even my hat, if it’s not windy – and I’ll strap my heels into the front compartment if we’re going out for dinner. At the end of the day we can have a drink – I find a Pimm’s is always calling on a sunny day – without having to think about cycling back home.

My cycle people…

“My family haven’t got anything like Santander Cycles back home, so when they come down from Birmingham it’s a real novelty to be able to get on the bikes and explore London with them. I’ve taken my parents, aunt and uncle – even my nan and granddad – on Santander Cycles to see the sights. It can be easier than going down into underground stations: once my mum got left on the tube, and with no mobile phone reception it took a while to relocate her!

My best Santander Cycle moment…

“The highlight has to be bumping into Boris Johnson while I was riding on a Santander Cycle – the scheme he put into action. I resisted asking him for a selfie – that’s not my style...”

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