My ride to work: Herne Hill to Farringdon

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Route Herne Hill to Farringdon - around the back streets of Brixton to join up with Brixton Road, up to the Oval before dropping down Kennington Lane, past Waterloo joining the river at the Wheel; a leisurely ride along the South Bank before joining the road again at Gabriel's Wharf; over London's deadliest bridge, Blackfriars; and up to Farringdon through Smithfield, dodging the meat packers

Distance About five miles

Weather Dry but grey and chilly - almost perfect for cycling. I'm still in shorts but have donned a Gore-Tex jacket to acknowledge the onset of autumn. My back light's on in the morning for the first time since last winter

Badly behaved drivers None. Buses and taxis rarely trouble me. I keep a healthy distance from HGVs but the road equivalent of the hoodie, 'white van man', has never really lived up to my fears. Scooter riders are insane but, unusually, I haven't had to avoid one today. Sadly, camaraderie between cyclists can be in pretty short supply - on a rainy day it can feel like dog eat dog out there

Dozy pedestrians A City boy with a wayward brolly on Farringdon Road - the business end added another scratch to the less than pristine finish of my helmet, which after four years of this daily commute bears more than a few scars from near misses and one nasty hit

Distractions A quick nod to the gold-painted - and impressively early - living statue on the South Bank (who I swear nodded back)

Time taken 35 minutes