London is a fantastic city for cyclists, and unsurprisingly the number of bicycles on the capital’s major roads has  increased by over 173% since 2001. So if you’ve been attracted by the lure of cycling around our great city, where are the most economical places to rent in London for all you cycling enthusiasts out there?

Research by Rentonomy.com has found the most common area for bicycle commuters is Dalston, where 12% of all commuters cycle into work. Stoke Newington boasts 10%, Highbury has 9%, Clapton also has 9% and Herne Hill, with 8% of all commuter cyclists, make up the top five, according to the 2011 census.

Rentonomy.com explains that these areas are all linked by virtue of being close to the centre of London and having a large, young working population.

The average rent for a one bed property in these five areas will set you back around £238 per week. With annual Travelcards costing £1,200 (zones 1-2) and £1,400 (zones 1-3), savvy cyclists among you could be saving up to 15 per cent of their rent.

Think safe, think bike

Of course, it’s no use saving money if cycling around London is unsafe and this concern is understandable. While it’s true 16 people were killed cycling last year, Transport for London estimates that people make around 540,000 bike trips every day in the city. The number of cycle deaths is increasing, but this is sadly inevitable due to the sharp rise in the number of cyclists.

So how can we best stay safe on two wheels? Some things are obvious, like wear a helmet and don’t cycle drunk, but some are perhaps less so. For example a recent study showed the biggest threat to cyclists are still freight vehicles, involved in more than four out of ten incidents, with over half turning left at the time of the crash. The London Cycling Campaign therefore strongly advises cyclists never to undertake a lorry, especially in front of red lights.

Safety has certainly been actively increased by the introduction of the bright blue cycle superhighways around the capital. In 2008, then Mayor Ken Livingstone announced 12 routes, with the aim of creating continuous routes into central London by the end of 2012, although at present only four such routes are up and running; CS3 (Barking to Tower Gateway), CS7 (Merton to the City), CS2 (Bow to Aldgate) and CS8 (Wandsworth to Westminster). Other routes are now scheduled to be completed by 2015 and we look forward to reaping the rewards over the coming years.

So, if you’re the active type with a strong road sense then all that’s left to do is get on your bike and start enjoying your commutes to and from work.

Image credit: Thinkstock

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