You might recently have spied a trail of breadcrumb-pictures on my Instagram where I’m riding London’s eponymous Santander Cycles, meandering my way around what I think are some of our wonderful capital city’s most picturesque parts; the gorgeous Little Venice area of Regent’s Canal, the Outer Circle in Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill… The Cycles are a ubiquitous and awesome fitness resource which anyone can use to see those parts of the city they’ve not visited before: I.e. go discover London for less than the cost of a green juice and get fit at the same time, it’s the perfect combo!!! For example – and it’s a bit of an unusual example – I recently attended a mind-blowing special spin class ABOVE the iconic landmark Tower Bridge, hosted by (and ON) Santander Cycles. The 80m glass walkway housed myself and 9 other lucky invitees as we Santander-cycled our way through an hour-long sweaty BOOM Cycle class whilst watching a deliciously romantic sunset over the Thames and St Pauls.
Typically, of course, Santander Cycles are not used as spin bikes in studios, but arguably they deliver the same cardiovascular outcome to their temporary tenants! Given that they’re scattered all across the city like a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, you can be comfortable that there’s one waiting for you nearby, and a place to drop it off at the other end; they’re ultra convenient lifestyle accessories, and that removes the ‘hassle factor’ which is a big barrier to doing it! Cycling is not only a fantastic form of exercise, gruelling cardio whilst gentle on the joints (and wallet!), it’s also a fun and rewarding way to view all of London, whilst getting to your destination 
Being half British and thus having lived in London for c. 10 years now, I sometimes take for granted just how diverse and utterly beautiful this city is. Walking along the banks of the Thames, I just had to stop, breath and take it all in; a mindfulness moment, if you will!
Whilst London public transport is fairly quick and relatively efficient, cycling most definitely is the more enjoyable way to travel. What better way to get to your destination – fast, picturesque and delivers fitness in spades. You are the boss, and can tailor your pace such that you enjoy a ladylike gentle cycle or perhaps a more fierce formula one sprint! It’s a fitness cause I’m massively in favour of, so would highly recommend you sign up and unlock fitness in the city whilst you’re in London!
Happy and safe cycling! Faya x
N.B. Santander Cycles are hosting a range of events with BOOM Cycle over the summer, like the one I showcased above. They’re very much ‘money can’t buy experiences’. At each event there will be a Boom Cycle class, all you need to do is sign up HERE !
