7242 Metres

I grew up on the Dutch countryside and rode everywhere. It wasn’t a love for cycling at first, it was just something I did because there wasn’t another option. When I think about it, during the 4km ride from the village to my home, the only time I would need to use my brakes was maybe when I parked my bike in the shed. I was quite surprised when in my first couple of years living in London, my brake cable snapped twice.

I love cycling through London. It is not the most ideal situation to be behind a smelly bus, having to go through 48 traffic lights in a 40-minute ride (yes, I counted them!) and picking your way through stationary traffic, but it just doesn’t make sense to me to be in that bus, and not moving. I’m not afraid on the road but I am, without realising it, very aware of everything around me. Always keeping an eye on the road to avoid potholes, broken glass, turning cabs, stopping busses, crossing pedestrians, fellow cyclist, red lights and left turning white vans.

I wanted to capture what I see everyday when cycling through the morning traffic in London – what I see before I actually start looking, the views from the corner of the eyes, the lines, the shapes, the speed, the wait, the hazards and the joys. When I look at these photos, it’s like I’m cycling these 7242 meters again in just a flash.

London, 2012
Published in The Ride Journal issue VIII