Hey, great! thanks everyone for your suggestions... I had started to doubt my decision to do a tour here after I was ripped off £70 for a cab ride from the airport to the hostel, but today I had a very good time walking around the city centre with a friend and Im starting to get really excited about seeing the rest of the country. I think Im going to shoot for the lakes district first... thanks again and if there are any more suggestions they're welcome!... cheers
Which airport? There's a cycle path out of Gatwick as far as Reigate, when you get tired of riding just throw your bike on a train the rest of the way into town.
For Heathrow, follow the Grand Union Canal to and from central London. Terminal 4 is a piece of cake to access on a bike, Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are more challenging. There's been a fair bit of discussion about this on this forum.