Cycling’s a brilliant way to get around London, and it’s an even better way to commute. A lot of people get put off cycling in London because they think they’ll spend their entire time on the busy roads they know from being in a car or on a bus. In fact there are thousands of brilliant back street routes to try out which mean you hardly need to go near a main road if you don’t fancy it.

I end up doing the same journey pretty much every day so it’s not something to blog about on a regular basis, but what the hell, just the once eh? Local Cycle Guide 14 is my free cycle map of choice – it takes you all the way from Streatham in the south to Finchley in the north. Don’t worry if that doesn’t work for you – there are 13 other maps to choose from. Pick yours here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11682.aspx

My route home takes me from Victoria to Finsbury Park. It’s exactly seven miles – at mile one I pass Trafalgar Square, mile two is the magnificent British Museum (not that much of its contents are from the UK) mile three is marked by Mount Pleasant post office. I cross Pentonville Road at mile four, five is Barnsbury and six… well mile six is the Emirates stadium, home to a little local football team called Arsenal. They play in something I believe is called the Champions League, and the biggest impact it has on my life is when I’m trying to get home on a match night. Weaving my way through the crowds of red-clad fans adds an extra ten minutes to the ride home but it’s fun to get caught up in the buzz of the pre-match anticipation.

What’s the best thing about your cycle commute?