So apparently there’s a formula for how many bicycles you need in your life. According to those wise folks over at velominati.com, the golden ratio is N + 1, where N equals the number of bikes you already own or, “S - 1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from you partner.”

That’s right. Science is on your side, bike aficionados.

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The grand ol’ Tour de France is once again in full swing, making a mockery of our cycling prowess, our appearance in lycra and under-spec’d bicycles, and just around the corner the Olympics may well once again prove that this damp little island is really rather good at producing world class cyclists. Away from all those yellow jerseys though, cycling culture seems to be scaling new heights of popularity, with new cycling cafes, startups and businesses opening every day of the week.

In London the Santander Bike Hire scheme (Boris Bikes, for many of us – how long is that going to last?) seems to be continually on the up. A report by TfL in 2015 found that well over 10 million journeys were made on those trusty steeds around the capital’s roads and cycleways, and likewise journeys made on bikes are now – according to the same report – the highest since records began. The Human Streets report has said that on a daily basis more people cycle in London than use the Bakerloo, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines combined, and that a recent implementation of the dedicated cycle lanes around Vauxhall led to a 73% increase in cycle traffic over Vauxhall Bridge in just four months. That’s a pretty strong statement of intent amongst London’s would-be cyclists: give people more convenient (and dare we say safer) ways to cycle in this city and they’ll jump at that.

A real indication that our culture of biking has turned a corner has to be the sheer choice of bikes now available to the potential peddler. Where once the mountain bike was the only respectable choice for the non-competitive cyclist, there now seem to be myriad options, as much about aesthetic as they are about comfort and efficiency. From Bromptons to Fixies to Dutch bikes and recumbents: it’s not just about two wheels anymore, and the world around bicycles seems to be ever-expanding, too. Cycling in London is different to attempting to climb Box Hill or take on the great downhill courses of mid-Wales, so here are some bicycle related finds we thought we’d share with you.

Bamboo Bicycle Club

In a corner of East London, James and Ian of Bamboo Bicycle Club are building bikes, but there’s no carbon fibre or aluminium here. They use bamboo. The idea itself isn’t altogether new – in fact, the first patent for the bamboo bike was issued in 1894. While aluminium and metal frames might be easy to produce in a manufacturing setting, bamboo’s green credentials really are something to shout about – and with a higher tensile strength than steel, they stand up to technical scrutiny as well. In Japan, bamboo is used on construction sites: this is seriously strong stuff, and what’s more it grows incredibly quickly, so is ecologically sound as well.

Now, you can’t buy a bamboo bike off the peg here, but you can learn how to make your own – something which might send you sprinting off in the direction of Wiggle or your nearest Evan’s Cycles, but we think this is fantastic: in learning how to construct your own bike, you’re effectively making a completely bespoke product.

Tokyo Bike

The company founded in Yanaka, a suburb of Tokyo, has a home in London as well. These incredibly stylish bikes value comfort over speed and were designed in a city for the city. They’re a great blend of Japanese cool with brilliant functionality, and we think we’re likely to see a lot more of these beauties on the streets in the months to come.

They’re just so stylish we can’t decide which one (s) we need like the most, but we’ll take the Ace Hotel single speed for starters…

Saffron Frameworks

Back in 2009, Matthew Sowter did what many of us dream of doing and quit his job in order to pursue his passion for building bike frames. Saffron Frameworks, based in south London, now makes incredibly beautiful bikes, a number of which have won awards at Bespoked, the annual handmade bicycle show.

Brompton

It seems almost a cliche to mention the Brompton in a page about London cycling, but really, how can we not? There’s a very good reason they’ve taken off in the way they have: anyone trying to navigate a commute involving a train, for example, would be hard pressed to find anything else so handy, and let’s not forget the issue of what to do with the bike when you get to work… Sure, that scene in W1A might cut a little too close to the bone, but once you’ve got all that origami sussed, you’re sorted.

Whilst you might only have been made aware of the Brompton in recent years, in fact it was first designed back in 1975, went into production in 1977, and has been honed to perfection ever since. It’s rather wonderful that this truly iconic piece of design is still made in London, and even better that each bike can be entirely customizable.

Dutch Bikes

The absolute workhorses of the bike world and absolutely perfect for any kind of cycling on flat terrain, it’s perhaps no surprise that the best examples of these kind of bikes are (are you ready for this?) Dutch. Whether you need to lug stuff around, schlep the kids to and fro, or just need a bomb-proof bike, look no further.

Flying Dutchman, near to Kings Cross and Euston has so many wonderful examples of this kind of bike, that you may find you’re talking yourself into buying something you had no intention of getting, ever. Sturdy doesn’t even begin to describe them.

Other Bike related stuff…

Bike Share Maps

If owning a bike is too problematic, this is of course no obstacle in getting from A to B on a bike, thanks to the aforementioned Boris Bike scheme. There are docking stations all over the city, and many more in the planning. If you’ve ever been faced with arriving to a hub only to find nothing but empty racks, this nifty website might just help. Oliver O’Brien, a researcher at UCL, created these maps using data updated every two minutes, and though he says the server is subject to occasional fluctuations and you shouldn’t rely on it to plan your journey, we still think it’s a pretty useful resource to have on hand, especially during busy periods.

Cycle Maps and Route Planners

It takes a while to get to know London as a cyclist, but thankfully technology is on your side. Even a cursory glance at the App Store will show that there are an ever increasing number of route planners available, but you could do far worse than the London Cycling Campaign’s route planner. With options for a more scenic route, or a faster one, and advisories on things like traffic lights, it’s certainly worth adding to your arsenal.

Transport for London also produce free cycle maps of the city. These are actual maps as opposed to digital ones, and they have divided the city up into 14 areas, but up to 6 can be ordered per household. Also on the TfL website is information about the various cycling superhighways, now starting to be rolled out across the capital.

Bike Storage: Boxman

If your bike is in daily use you’d need it close at hand (obviously), but if you’re a fair-weather rider, have multiple bikes or are still gradually unpacking from a move, it’s nice to know that there’s no need to sell off any kit just yet. Although the name suggests that Boxman store only boxes, in fact they’ll store anything as long as it measures no more than 2 metres in length, weighs less than 25 kg and can be carried by one person. As with more regular box-related storage, Boxman will pick up your item from your home, whisk it off to safe storage and return it to you whenever you need it. We don’t mean to be enablers, we really don’t, but if that Tokyo Bike has tickled your fancy but you’ve talked yourself out of it because of space constraints you might be able to justify it. Maybe.

Bike Cafes

Bike cafes do, when you think about it, make total sense: we’re not all born with an innate understanding of a drivetrain or a derailleur, so it’s nice that there are people in the world who do, and who work at a place that also serves coffee. In addition to fixing bikes, many of these bike cafes now offer short courses on the ins and outs of how to maintain bikes yourself – always nice to know, eh?

If you’re in the Old Street area, try Look Mum No Hands (who also offer pop-up locations during the summer months, check their website for updates)

Are you a cyclist in London? We’d love to here your tips, recommendations and suggestions!

Boxman are a London-based self-storage company with a difference. No more traipsing to and from inconvenient warehouses to deliver and collect your things: we’ll deliver the empty boxes to your abode, you call us when you’re ready for them to be whisked away to our secure warehouse and again when you want them back. We don’t just collect boxes, either. If you’ve got outsize items (no more than 25kg, 2m in length and lift-able by one person) we’ll happily store those too. All this just gives you more time to get out on your bike, and in this weather, why wouldn’t you?