STAFF REVIEW: RIVER THAMES BIKE TOUR – LONDON

May 2, 2017
Staff Reviews , London Days Out

Maddie Bowe

By the time Leoni and I arrived in London, we were raring to get started on our River Thames City Daytime Tour with Fat Tyre Bike Tours. After eagerly pinning the trip on the calendar back in January, we’d waited for tours to resume again in April – can’t imagine it’d be quite so fun in the winter! We’ve both been on several walking tours of London, so were looking forward to leaving our walking boots at home, putting our feet to the pedals, and trying something different. Here’s how we got on…

The tour began at Southwark Underground Tube Station, where we met our tour guide for the day – history of London aficionado, Max. We were shown to the ‘office’ a short walk away, where they keep the bikes, and adjustments were made for the different participants heights. There were also plenty of optional cycling helmets to borrow – after all, safety first! We then listened to a health and safety briefing, before cycling off to our first stop. On our way towards the London Eye, we passed through Leake Street Tunnel – a legal Graffiti spot famous for artwork by the likes of Bansky, and as a place for artists to come and paint. The hardest thing was trying to see all the artwork as we whizzed past – may have to go back the next time I’m in London!

We then headed towards the London Eye, or The Coca Cola London Eye as it now been re-branded. Once everyone had taken pictures, we set off again and soon arrived outside the Tate Modern, where we could spot some of the city’s other iconic landmarks, including the Shard, Walkie Talkie and The Cheese Grater – makes you realise London does have some funky names for it’s skyscrapers! The tour continued for around 2 hours, before we stopped at Borough Market for lunch.

As complete Borough Market ‘newbies’, Leoni and I had the tough decision of what food to buy as there was so much choice. We decided on Indian Street Food Stall, Gujarati Rasoi, and gosh it was good! It was a selection of spiced vegetarian dishes and sides of Samosa’s and Bhaji – a definite recommendation if you’re ever in Borough Market.

With content bellies, we climbed back on the saddle, and headed out for the remainder of the tour. We continued cycling around central London’s famous landmarks, including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Monument, Shakespeare’s Globe and, finally, a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s Ship. By the end of the tour, both our brains were full of facts and ready to chill out on the train back to Brighton.