The ramifications of the Pandemic of 2020 and its resulting global lockdown has yet to fully reveal themselves. But one thing is certain - our relationship to public transportation and spaces will shift and as such, we are all re-defining what our workplaces and team gatherings will look like in the future. Today, it means finding safe ways of getting into town and to the office in addition to taking all precautions on public transport.

My walking time from home to office is around 45-50 minutes at a good, solid clip and it gets me to my 10,000 step goal to and from. I usually prefer walking to bicycling, as when I first moved to London 18 years ago, I got a bike but quickly returned it, feeling unsafe riding in Central London even with a helmet on. But as Sadiq Khan has quickly pivoted to making even more Central London cycling lanes, it's safer and more enjoyable to bicycle into town these days.  So I've discovered that a bike ride takes me 20 minutes to get to work , shorter than what my daily bus ride used to take. And that's using the solid, good old Santander bikes.


Enter the new commute essentials. Over the past two weeks, I was loaned an eclectric, foldable bike from Hummingbird. Super lightweight and using ProDrive's motor engineering technology to power its electric engine, the electric boost kicks in once you are at speed on the bike and you pedal backwards three times, kind of like Dorothy's thrice heel kick. Admittedly, it takes a moment to get used to the lightness of the electric ride, figuring out how to feel most stable and secure, but the powered, electric boost helps most at junctions when stopped at a red light and you need a helping hand to cross over smoothly. At a price of £3,745 this is an investment for the city commuter who doesn't want to chance the availability of a Santander city bike (nor the germs) and wants the convenience of a light, foldable bike you can tuck away into the bottom of a closet at home.

You can buy the version shown here at the Conran Shop


Wearing new Temperley London Denim Jacket and Pleated Skirt

Obviously, riding a bike into work with your laptop and bits and bobs requires another necessity - a backpack. Travel brand AWAY offers a minimalist but uber-functional backpack with a zillion pockets and compartments, and slides in nicely a la Tetris onto your AWAY luggage should you have some. Here are a few more we've found that might work well for you as you zoom along...

Note: In the video I'm actually biking in the dead-end of our Because HQ so didn't need a helmet, but that's another essential for a bike ride in the city. There are a ton of colourful and minimalist versions to choose from online to help make the journey safe. We've made an edit here below!