Anybody used the bike parking facility at the O2?

[AlanB]

I decided to take my bike to the Eagles concert yesterday, at the O2, after checking that they did in fact offer such a facility (and for free!).

Anyway, I dutifully arrived at about 7 pm, to be advised by a parking attendant at Car Park 2 to head for Car Park 4. For those of you who have been there, you drive past Car Park 2 a few yards and head across a crossroads to reach Car Park 4. Anyway, as I was sitting at the lights at the crossroads, with Car Park 4 ahead of me, I noticed a rank of bikes immediately to my right. So as the lights turned green I signaled right and turned, only to encounter problem 1: it's a one way street. Bummer. Now I'm facing the wrong way. Anyway, I manhandled the bike around so that I was now coming out of the same exit , and I'm looking all round me for the entrance to the bike rank area which is only 10 yards away. Nothing. I ended up climbing up the pavement where pedestrians push the button to cross. Most ungainly. Finally I arrive at the bike rank. "I'll sort the exit route out after the concert", I thought. Wrong.

Problem 2. While kitting up at the bike rank to leave the concert (which was fabulous by the way), I'm scanning round for an exit. Can't see one. Neither can any of the other bikers. Seems the only way is to actually drive through a gap in a low railing, which dumps you on the the crossroads, and with a horrendously tight left turn to get back on the road. Not only that, but the kerb / gutter is a steeply dipping channel. Stopping the bike while over it means your feet are flapping in the air, unable to reach the ground. It took me forever to get the bike turned and on my way.

Has anybody done this the right way? How did you do it?

Alan, Frustrated Eagles fan

 

[Slowdown]

You look where you're going, keep the revs up and slip the clutch, possibly dragging the back brake a bit to keep the speed down
You could have got some practise in in the car park before attempting this tricky manoeuvre, perhaps?

 

[AlanB]

Sorry, Slowdown, I meant has anybody used the parking facilities this way, not the exit technique.

 

[Magwych]

If you saw those bikes parked to your right, at the lights then that was Car Park 1. The entrance/Exit to that is way off in ome of tehotehr corners I believe. Last time I was around their Car Park 1 was inneed of a good mowing, being rarely used.

My guess is that one person parked there to save a walk and the rest just followed suit ...

FWIW when I park there I use the NCP car park , drive straight up towards the main Jubilee Line/Bus Station entrance and park on the pavement by the Tea Wagon.

 

[Wapping]

In The City

Somewhere out there on that horizon
Out beyond the neon lights
I know there must be somethin' better
but there's nowhere else in sight
It's survival in the city
When you live from day to day
City streets don't have much pity
When you're down, that's where you'll stay
In the city, oh, oh.
In the city

 

[steveuk]

go to car park 4.
take a ticket at the barrier. barrier opens. ride straight ahead.

there is a pedestrian exit to the car park in the left hand corner in front of you, next to a ticket machine.

park your bike in a push bike space just by the pedestrian exit leading to O2.

recycle the parking ticket. when you leave you can easily fit between the barrier and the fence.

or you can park at the station right by o2 - loads of bikes always parked right there.