please empty your brain below

In theory, bikes on DLR doesn't open new options. However, in practice it does. The refurbishment of both foot tunnels (evil stare towards LB of Greenwich) has been criminally mismanaged, which has frequently resulted in one or both foot tunnels being closed. In those circumstances, a cyclist faced a massive detour, which is alleviated by allowing bikes on DLR.
Are the lifts on the Woolwich tunnel any closer to being open? Because that's a lot of steps to lift a bicycle.
Outside peak hours are indeed most of the time considering a 24 hour day, but it's abig chunk of the useful time for most people. The afternoon peak hours restriction (4 to 7 pm) are a serious restriction not just for people at work, but also those who want to go out for the day. In practice the main advantage will be at weekends.
As someone who lives in the East of London and works & spends a lot of time in the South East, this has been fantastic for me - and it's not just the crossing of the river (useful as that is), it's also the ability to get all the way to Woolwich, Lewisham or Stratford with the bike. I rejoice.

Not that a couple more proper foot/cycle crossings of the river wouldn't be very welcome.
Reminder - I HATE cyclists on tubes/trains as I've been trapped too many times to be even slightly forgiving.
Does HS1 not count as a rail crossing across the Thames?
Flippy, I dare say it does, but like the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and Dartford Tunnels, the HS1 crosses the Thames a few miles beyond Greater London, between Thurrock and Kent.
Slightly beyond the geographical scope of this post, but a bike crossing exists just east of the GL boundary at Dartford - a Highways Agency 4x4 with a rack on the back. 24/7 too!
Julian Bond - No recent progress in the Woolwich tunnel at all. I walked through it yesterday, and no sign of any work resuming.
Good post. I don't see what the greater London boundary has to do with it; DG said "no mainline railway services cross the Thames downstream of Cannon Street" and this is obviously wrong, though maybe not relevant to the sort of journeys he's talking about. But a train journey from Ipswich to Ramsgate, for instance, can and normally does stay downstream of Cannon Street these days.

The other little niggle is whether Overground should fall under the heading of "Tube/DLR". The heading should probably have read "Rail". But they're neat little maps, and I probably shouldn't be so picky.

Is the Dartford 4x4 service free?
>>"They've just run a six month trial to see if bikes on the DLR caused a problem, and they didn't, so now the agreement's permanent."

I can be a bit touch-and-go, though. I was peddling hard on the section between Shadwell and Poplar, when a DLR train came right up behind me. I had to put a hell of a spurt on, I can tell you. It was just inches from my rear mudguard, when suddenly it veered south towards West India Quay, which was fortunate.
So, yes, bikes on the DLR aren't a problem, as long as you have a reasonable level of stamina.
If this blog post is correct, the Dartford crossing is free and 24/7 for cycles.
http://realcycling.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/cycling-above-and-below-thames-at.html
There is also a ferry between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe. I have done it once, not very useful, but it exists.
@Richard M
What were you peddling - I didn't know itinerant traders were allowed on the DLR!

There are some fairly long gaps between crossings west of central London too: try getting from Laleham to Thorpe, Shepperton to Walton on Thames, or West Molesey to Hampton, or Petersham to Twickenham, or Syon Park to Kew Gardens (all within the M25, if not GLA itself)

The nearest state secondary school to my house is about half a mile away as the crow flies, but it's the other side of the river, so over two miles away via the footbridge and nearly three miles by road.
Thank you for your collective pickinesses.

I have updated the rail map to say "RAIL", and tweaked the sentence below to specifically mention London. It sounds clumsy, but that's what you wanted.

Yes, there's a big bridge (and tunnel) (and rail tunnel) (and bike transporter) (and a bus) at Dartford, but all a couple of miles beyond the Greater London boundary.

And thanks - I'd hate to be wrong.
The Overground does indeed allow bikes off peak; it saved me getting very wet indeed one very wet and very drunken Sunday afternoon a few years back, on my way back to Crystal Palace after watching a football match in a pub in Archway.
There used to be a ferry service between Trinity Buoy Wharf and North Greenwich - it gets a mention on TBW's website, but there's no trace of it on Thames Clippers' or TfL's sites, so I'm not sure if it still exists.

It's a tiny little thing, so if it still runs, probably doesn't allow bikes.










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