Bike vs car vs boat: Travel experts race across central London using three modes of Uber transport (and the winner may surprise you)
- The Points Guy UK travel site raced from Westminster Pier to Canary Wharf
- It’s a race reminiscent of Top Gear’s 2007 epic, in which the bicycle won
- The travel team rated each mode of transport for speed, comfort and cost
Uber’s shaking up of the taxi industry in London is well documented – but did you know it also operated boats and bikes in the capital?
Three staff members from The Points Guy UK travel site decided to pit them against each other in an intriguing race from Westminster Pier to Cabot Square in Canary Wharf in the east of the city – and the event was posted to YouTube.
It’s a race reminiscent of Top Gear’s 2007 epic, in which the bicycle won against a powerboat, car and public transport. Could pedal power do it again? We’ll reveal the podium places at the very end.
The Points Guy UK raced from Westminster Pier to Cabot Square in Canary Wharf in the east of the city using an Uber Bike, Boat and car
TPG UK’s Director of Content, Nicky Kelvin, hopped on the Uber Boat with his trusty hound – Barney.
He loved the space and the comfortable seating – which is available inside and outside.
And the sightseeing is ‘fantastic’, with ‘unrestricted views of some of the best London sights like the Palace of Westminster and Tower Bridge’.
Hull of a trip: Nicky loved the comfy seating on the boat – and the sightseeing
Plus onboard refreshments are available to buy.
‘On the downside,’ he said, ‘you’re tied to a schedule, the journey times are longer than other methods of transport and the route network is restricted to ports along the river – so a bit of extra walking may be needed.’
Liam Spencer jumped into an UberX car.
Liam enjoyed a ride in a ‘spotless’ Uber car that only took two minutes to arrive
He was a fan of the ‘extremely friendly and polite driver’, the fact that the car took less than two minutes to arrive and the ‘spotless’ interior.
Thumbs down for anything?
The cost – compared to the Tube, bike and boat – and that traffic can be horrific in London.
Jean, Head of Video, drew the bike straw and marvelled at how easy it was to find a bike (via the Lime app, which Uber has partnered with).
Jean was impressed at how quickly he found an Uber Bike and how easy it was to get riding
Jean was able to use bike lanes for most of the way from Westminster to Canary Wharf
He said it took less than one minute from selecting the bike to start riding.
Jean loved the electric boost, too.
Negative aspects of his journey included ‘uncomfortable’ roads away from the bike lanes and the cost – which isn’t cheap on longer trips.
The results: Uber Boat – comfort: 9/10. Speed: 42 mins. Cost: £7.20. Uber/Lime Bike – Comfort: 6/10. Speed: 29 mins. Cost: £6.27. UberX Car – comfort: 8/10. Speed: 25 mins. Cost: £16.23.
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The Uber Boat took 42 minutes to travel from Westminster Pier to Canary Wharf