I tried being a ‘strikelist’ in London – this is how it went

Red light bandits, closed cycle lanes and empty promises – this is what riding as a ‘strikelist’ was like.

London rental bike riders have been getting a lot of hate this week after the ‘strikelist’ trend emerged as an annoying by-product of the ongoing Tube strikes.

But what is so wrong about being one – a person on a bike who hires a Lime or Santander bike only when they absolutely have to as a last resort but isn’t considered a real cyclist?

I decided to find out – and challenge myself – by going undercover as a ‘strikelist.’

Full disclosure, I can never truly be a strikelist – I’m way too deep into cycling and am part of the lycra-wearing gang, with my Strava clocking around 16 miles a day.

As someone who has ridden a rental bike a handful of times, the experience ended up being more freeing than I ever imagined, despite some hiccups along the way.

My strikelist transformation started yesterday by leaving my trusty bike at home, saying goodbye to my ego and taking out a Santander bike – or Boris bike as some still call them.

Taking the bike out in east London shortly after 7am was a breeze – no sign of battle for bikes or any extreme measures like removing a pedal to stop anyone else taking the ride.

I really enjoyed the comfy seat, and headed toward Victoria station with a pink and orange sunrise behind me.

But the sense of calm was just a mirage hiding what was waiting ahead.

When I reached the Victoria Embankment cycleway, the mood changed to every-rider-for-themselves war zone. There was glass, bits of debris, rushing, and more dangerous overtaking than usual on the route, which is at capacity even on an average day.

It wouldn’t be a London commute without people jumping red lights like there is no tomorrow, and this was in full throttle at the junction of Westminster Bridge and Victoria Embankment again, with many doing so despite shouts from pedestrians and other cyclists.

Outside Big Ben, the cycle lane was blocked, forcing riders of all abilities onto the busy road.

Eventually, I reached my destination at Victoria and docked the Santander bike without a hitch – half of the mission completed.

I felt a sense of freedom not having to worry about my own bike locked up on the street.

However, I received a reality check a few hours later when trying to take out another Boris bike. The release code refused to work despite using it within the first five minutes after payment and I couldn’t get through to the Santander customer service.

Pissed off and hungry, I walked to another docking station, only to find out that I couldn’t pay for another ticket on my card as the system thought I already had a bike.

Defeated by the glitch, I searched for the nearest Lime bike with some juice left in it.

This is when I felt the closest to other strikelists desperately looking for a way home. There no bikes in sight and I was unsure how long I would have to walk, with the battery on my phone running dangerously low.

Eventually I managed to find one solemn bike on its own around the corner of the station.

Whizzing back on an electric Lime bike was a joy, but just as I was relaxing into my ride, I was reminded how selfish behaviour can ruin it for everyone.

Hundreds of bikes had been abandoned in the City at the LIFFE Trader statue, blocking the pavement and forcing pedestrians onto the cycle path.

Like the parting of the Red Sea, some saintly person had managed to carve out a narrow path through the army of bikes, just wide enough for one person.

Watching pedestrians dodge the scattered bikes was cringey, and I left hoping it hasn’t turned another person against cycling or giving it a go.

Stopping to look at scene, somehow I felt like I was part of the problem just by being on a green bike.

After all, life is infinitely better on a bike, whether you’re a strikelist, serious rider or something in between.

A TfL spokesperson said: ‘Santander Cycles are a vital part of London’s transport system and we are committed to ensuring that our bikes are available where people need them, with staffed docking stations in place at key transport hubs to cope with high demand.

‘We’re sorry to hear about the problems our customer encountered when hiring a bike and are investigating this.’

Metro approached Lime for a comment.

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