July 27, 2012 (London, UK) – My London love-in starts when I arrive to skies clear of the grey clouds – that was the weather story until July 22 – and I’m offered a bike for free. I didn’t want to risk putting my own bike on the plane or pay the high fee to do so, so I figured I would rent a bike once I got to London to cover the Games for Pedal. But a friend of my host at my B&B mentioned that her husband was getting ready to have his ankle operated on – too much football and rugby – she was sure he would lend me his bike.

I merely walked down the street and watched as she opened the garden shed and there was Cliff’s bike – and it’s a beauty. Under a bit of dust was a traditional black Raleigh 10-speed with Reynolds 501 double butted tubing and toeclips reminiscent of my cycling days pre-1990. It has detailed lug work and the stunning red and gold insignia on the front marking it as part of the legendary British bike builders.

Lower the seat; hose it down, lube the chain, pump up the very light presta valve tires and here I go—right to the local bike store Corringham Cycles for a helmet and lock. This means I have the pleasure of meeting Corringham proprietor Ben Chamberlain. It’s a classic British store with Dawes and Claude Butlers gracing the floor. I pick up the helmet and lock and off I go – to tackle the crazy, narrow roads upon which all traffic runs the wrong way.

As long as I am not traveling at rush hour I can take the bike on the train – there is even a separated area on one of the cars for bike, wheelchairs and prams. This is the easy part. The challenge commences when I depart and must negotiate the roads between West Ham Station and the back of the Main Press Centre where I eventually find out that hundreds of other cyclists and I can park our bike safely. It’s getting there that’s an Olympic event.

Bike lanes in London are scrawny little pathways between the curb and the double-decker buses. Inexplicitly they suddenly disappear at the next stop-light. When I arrive at Olympic Park I am told there is no cycling allowed on the grounds. This makes sense as it is quickly transforming to wall-to-wall humanity compared to the first day I walked through it.

I’ve got to go around the park. The perimeter of the entire area is 17.5km and if the map is correct, I’ve got to do nearly half that to reach my destination after I realize the military won’t let me in at the first entrance I try. I have met half of London by the time I find a dad and three kids cycling to the same area.

Brave family I must say, but the rest of the masses have no idea how to get anywhere – this includes most police and people in volunteer outfits. One volunteer admitted to me the questionnaire they had to fill out was pages long, but not once were they asked in their interview, if they knew their way around London. Twice I forget that I am not supposed to turn into the right-hand lane and come face to face with buses. The drivers here must have been trained at avoiding the directionally challenged.

I make it to the Main Press Centre (MPC) back entrance and it does have a great space to store bikes. A quick zip into the by-donation massage clinic on the way to the MPC eases shoulders that have tensed up from the sound of double-decker buses roars behind me.

The way home in the dark is much more difficult. I make the wrong turn almost from the get-go and end up discovering East London by bike. Everyone gives me directions that completely contradict the person before them until the last two guys I talk to – they get me on the right road. Finally, nearly 90 minutes later, I am on the train platform talking to more very pleasant Bobbies.

Back to Corringham Bikes for a rear carrying rack on the Raleigh the next morning. Knapsacks with laptops in them do not belong on your back. Ben has it installed in no time and off I go on Day Two of learing to Love London by bike.

The trip to the MPC is a breeze, but London seems to transform itself at night – where is that blasted West Ham Lane that leads to Manor Road that leads to the train station? No one seems to know. After my second tour of East London by night, I finally find the station.

Day three will be fun – I think. The Canadian women’s cycling team is holding a press conference at their Surrey hotel, near the race course. What a great opportunity to ride the course in advance. My troubles start when the lovely, but non-train using volunteers at the MPC transportation office give me the wrong transit itinerary.

Luckily a wonderful Italian gentleman – now residing in London, but still a huge Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartoli fan, gets me to the correct train system, except that when I end up at St. Pancras Station to take the National Train as the volunteers at the MPC have advised, I find it is the Underground that eventually will take me to Surrey and that particular one does not allow bikes – nor do they provide a safe indoor area in which bikes can be stored. So much for Plan A.

But Plan B – which is to meet Ryder Hesjedal’s train at St. Pancras three hours later works like a charm and I am part of a huge media scrum at the Arrivals Gate of the EuroStar train. Only drawback is competing against 6-foot-plus cameramen. The plus side is many of the other media realize that getting around by bike is the most efficient way to move in an increasingly packed to the rafters city.

I watch as the CBC crew queue up in a great long line for a cab – that will only move slightly ahead into a stopped-dead traffic jam. Meanwhile one of my Canadian colleagues refers to the Javelin Line – the high-speed train that was supposed to take six minutes from St. Pancras to Olympic Park – as more “like a shotput.”

Once again I get lost on my ride back to West Ham, but at least each night my wondering about East London is less and less. But I do have a slightly scary time when a helpful man gets out his mobile device to find the most direct route to West Ham for me and I end up on a very lonely road, one side of which is the back of garages and the other the railway line. I see the outline of a male figure ahead and do a sharp 180.

I will leave that shortcut for daytime. Even though it is close to midnight by the time I arrive home each night the 3km ride after the train ride is virtually free of traffic and supplies me with a fox or two or three who seem to like to trot beside cyclists.

Welcome to London 2012… the anticipation for tomorrow is building as the lavish Opening Ceremonies are unfolding. There’s cycling fever here with Bradley Wiggins winning the Tour de France and Mark Cavendish the reigning world champ soon on the start line as the men’s road race is the opening event of the Games. Canada’s Giro Champ Ryder Hesjedal will be there as well at the ready, as this massive show of sport unfolds…let the Games begin.

London 2012 cycling schedule

Road
July 28, 10:00-16:15 – The Mall
• Men’s Road: race, victory ceremony

July 29, 12:00-16:15 – The Mall
• Women’s Road: race, victory ceremony

Aug. 1, 12:30-13:45 – Hampton Court Palace
• Women’s Individual Time Trial: individual time trial, victory ceremony

Aug. 1, 14:15-16:05 – Hampton Court Palace
• Men’s Individual Time Trial: individual time trial, victory ceremony

Track
Aug. 2, 16:00-18:30 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
• Men’s Team Pursuit: qualifying
• Men’s Team Sprint: qualifying, semifinals, finals, victory ceremony
• Women’s Team Sprint: qualifying, semifinals, finals, victory ceremony

Aug. 3, 16:00-18:55 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
•  Men’s Team Pursuit: round 1, finals, victory ceremony
• Women’s Keirin: round 1 & repechages, round 2, finals, victory ceremony
• Women’s Team Pursuit: qualifying

Aug. 4, 10:00-11:30 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
• Men’s Omnium: flying lap
• Men’s Sprint: qualifying, 1/16 finals

Aug. 4, 16:00-18:40 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
• Men’s Omnium: 30km points race, elimination race
• Men’s Sprint: 1/16 finals repechages, 1/8 finals & repechages, race for 9th-12th places
• Women’s Team Pursuit: round 1, finals, victory ceremony

Aug. 5, 10:00-11:25 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
• Men’s Omnium: 15km Scratch race, 1km time trial, victory ceremony
• Men’s Sprint: quarterfinals, race for 5th-8th places
• Women’s Sprint: 1/16 finals & repechages, 1/8 finals & repechages, race for 9th-12th places

Aug. 6, 16:00-18:55 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
• Men’s Sprint: semifinals, finals, victory ceremony
• Women’s Omnium: flying lap, 20km points race, elimination race
• Women’s Sprint: quarterfinals, race for 5th-8th places

Aug. 7, 10:00-11:30 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
• Men’s Keirin: round 1 & repechages
• Women’s Omnium: 3km individual pursuit

Aug. 7, 16:00-18:30 – Olympic Park, Velodrome
• Men’s Keirin: round 2, finals, victory ceremony
• Women’s Omnium: 10km Scratch race, 500m time trial, victory ceremony
• Women’s Sprint: semifinals, finals, victory ceremony

BMX
Aug. 8, 15:00-16:30 – Olympic Park, BMX Track
• Men’s seeding phase runs
• Women’s seeding phase runs

Aug. 9, 15:00-17:00 – Olympic Park, BMX Track
• BMX Track Men’s quarterfinals

Aug. 10, 15:00-17:20 – Olympic Park, BMX Track
• Men’s semifinals, final, victory ceremony
• Women’s semifinals, final, victory ceremony

MTB
Aug. 11, 12:30-14:30 – Hadleigh Farm, Essex
• Women’s Cross-country: race, victory ceremony

Aug. 12, 13:30-15:30 – Hadleigh Farm, Essex
• Men’s Cross-country: race, victory ceremony