Biking around
Take on your own physical challenge and cycle to the sporting events
Like a runner or a swimmer, you would need to be physically fit. Like a goalie or a boxer, you should be prepared for close calls. But if you are coming to London's Summer Olympics — and you have what it takes — using a bicycle could be a great option in a city preparing for some severe traffic jams.
Biking in London is not for the average tourist. The British capital can be a mix of trucks, buses, black cabs, cars, motorcycles and bikes competing fiercely with one another, especially on major roads during rush hour.
Still, thousands of locals commute to work on bicycles each day. One reason is a growing number of bike paths, including some along an ancient canal system that is closed to drivers. The city also rents out thousands of bikes on its streets.
"Riding on London's main roads is not for the faint of heart," said Dan Stone, 52, an American who lives in central London and regularly cycles there. "But find out-of-the-way routes and you can see so much more of this amazing city than someone on public transportation."
Tourists who bike could find it faster, cheaper and more fun to travel to the many Olympic venues during the July 27-Aug. 12 games than visitors taking cabs, buses, trains and subways. People who carefully plan their journeys to Olympic venues could also stop at major tourist locations en route, such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Oxford Street, the New Tate Museum and Victoria Park.
By contrast, tourists who decide to rent cars will have to navigate around the roads that will be reserved for the exclusive use of tens of thousands of Olympic athletes, officials, sponsors and reporters. And good luck finding a parking spot.
For those taking public transportation, London's subways, trains and buses are expected to handle 15 million trips a day during the busiest days of the Olympics, up from a daily average of 12 million.
That's why Olympic organizers are promoting the bike. People who bike to the Olympic Park will find 7,000 spaces to safely lock up their wheels. Visitors on bikes will also be able to explore the capital street by street, including East London, a region that tourists often miss.
In this sprawling metropolis, where self-defense for bike riders is a must, there is also a sense of camaraderie among cyclists. The Olympic bike rides are likely to forge unexpected cross-continental friendships for biking tourists.
自行車行程
挑戰自己的體能，騎單車去比賽場地吧
就像跑步或游泳選手一樣，你得要有極佳的體能。和足球門將或拳擊選手一樣，你應該為千鈞一髮的狀況做好準備。若你來倫敦觀賞夏季奧運會──而且你體能應付得來的話──在這個可能會嚴重塞車的城市裡，騎單車或許是個絕佳的選擇。
在倫敦騎單車並不適合一般的遊客。這個英國首都可能會出現卡車、巴士、黑色計程車、車輛、機車與單車彼此爭道的情形；尖峰時刻的主要道路上更是如此。
不過，每天還是有上千名倫敦市民騎單車通勤上班。愈來愈多的單車專用道是其中一個理由，其中包括一些沿著古老運河系統修建並禁止汽車通行的車道。該市的街上也有上千輛出租單車。
現年五十二歲、居住在倫敦市中心並經常在當地騎單車的美國人丹史東表示：「膽小的人最好別在倫敦的主要道路上騎單車。不過在找到偏遠的路徑後，你在這個讓人讚嘆的城市裡所能看到的，遠比任何搭乘大眾運輸工具的人更多。」
騎單車的遊客或許會發現：以這樣的方式前往七月廿七日至八月十二日奧運期間的許多比賽場地，會比搭計程車、公車、火車與地鐵的遊客快速、便宜且有趣多了。細心規劃前往奧運賽場路線的人，也可以在途中停留在白金漢宮、大笨鐘、牛津街、新泰德美術館與維多利亞公園等主要觀光景點。
相較之下，決定租車的遊客將得繞過專供上萬名奧運選手、官員、贊助商與記者使用的道路才行。此外，祝福大家能順利找到停車位。
那些搭乘大眾運輸工具的人請注意，倫敦的地鐵、火車與巴士在奧運期間最忙碌的日子裡，預計每日將運輸一千五百萬人次，高過一般上班日的一千兩百萬人次。
這就是奧運主辦單位大力推廣單車的原因。騎單車前往奧運公園的人能在那裡找到七千個可以安全鎖好單車的停車格。騎乘單車的遊客也將可以逐街探索倫敦，包括遊客經常遺漏的倫敦東區。
在這個幅員遼闊的大都會裡，單車騎士們都得要有防身技能，但騎士之間也有一股友好的氛圍。對騎單車的遊客來說，奧運單車之旅也有可能擦出意外的跨洲友誼呢。
全通翻譯引用 http://chinapost.com.tw/guidepost/topics/default.asp?id=2701&pre=1&sub=7
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