Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 2: Thames Path

Featured waterways: Waterlink Way (River Pool and River Ravensbourne), Thames Path, Docklands, Limehouse Cut and Basin, River Thames (from Greenwich to Woolwich)

Distance ridden: 63km 

Cumulative distance: 143km

Distance left: 357km

Terrain: Mainly tarmac, with a short gravel section at Limehouse Cut

Weather: Sunny but cold, 4 degC

Nutrition: Water

Route on Strava:

As is the tradition for me, the second day of my Festive 500, Christmas Day is a ride in Central London. The routes vary each year, but they always pass through the central area London. I often find it a treat to cycle around London when the roads are empty compared with how they are on other days of the year.

Mind you, with the exceptional year that we have had with the Covid-19 pandemic this has meant that we have already had a number of weeks of deserted roads in Central London. If anything, the roads on Christmas Day were busier than they were in April when we were in lockdown!

These Christmas Day rides also tend to be shorter than other planned rides because I like to finish early so that I can get on with other things like seeing my family and having a leisurely Christmas dinner.

Cutty Sark, Greenwich

My route went along the Waterlink Way, which I pick up in Beckenham and travel up through Sydenham, Catford and Lewisham to reach Greenwich. There were quite a lot of people in Greenwich; most of them were queuing up outside Starbucks. That must surely have been the only café open in the whole of London!

From there, I took the Thames Path East to reach Woolwich. This path was tarmacked and you could ride through quite quickly. However, this path is popular with walkers and joggers, so I had to temper my speed especially on blind corners. There were a few narrow sections too where I had to be ready to give way to other cyclists and pedestrians.

As well as imposing vistas of the Canary Wharf complex on the opposite side of the Thames, the other big feature is the Thames Barrier. This feat of engineering is the one thing that protects London from being flooded. It is possible to do day trips there and find out more about the Thames and the London flood barriers. I've heard it's quite fascinating. That is something to look forward to once we are out of lockdown.

Thames Barrier

 At Woolwich, I took the foot tunnel to head North of the river. According to the Greenwich Borough website the lifts were out of order, so I went into the tunnel expecting to carry my bike down and then up the steps. To my pleasant surprise the lifts were working - that must have been the Council's Christmas present to me!

Once on the North side of the Thames I headed for Docklands. Unlike the North end of the Greenwich foot tunnel where you arrive at the Isle of Dogs and there's a mini park and snack bar area, the North end of the Woolwich foot tunnel is a bit lost, lonely and desolate with various industries in the area and not much else too see. It's not particularly well signposted for cyclists - almost like the authorities don't expect anyone to go cycling there. Granted, there is no real reason to be there unless you work there, are lucky enough to live there, or are doing a project on light industry!

Royal Victoria Docks

Thankfully, there was one sign for Beckton, and to be fair, there were a few cycle paths too. So I managed to get myself to the Excel Exhibition Centre (latterly known as the Nightingale Hospital for Covid-19 patients), and to Royal Victoria Docks, a place where I have been for open water swimming.

This area had more people and even group bike rides taking place as people were making the most of this sunny Christmas Day.

After navigating through the myriad of lanes and segregated cycle paths I reached Limehouse Cut. It is when I go through these parts of East London that I really notice the contrast in the different neighbourhoods. 

For example, Poplar in Tower Hamlets looked pretty deprived and reminded me of those documentaries like "World in Action" I would watch in the 1980s, where they would talk about life in the inner city. Although many depressing high-rise blocks have been replaced with cute sized semi-detached houses, there was still a lot of graffiti around, with rubbish in the streets and beat up old cars. One small road just off Cable Street stank of urine and was full of homeless people with all their wordly goods in old shopping trolleys. Depressing. 

Limehouse Basin

Meanwhile, in the nearby Limehouse Basin were trendy, plush apartment buildings facing onto the marina, where people can just pop across the way to their gym club or a restaurant (once they are open).

I must say, Limehouse Basin was a new find for me, and it did look picturesque - as evidenced by the many people who stopped and photographed the various barges and boats moored there.

From Limehouse I did a brief unplanned stint along the Regent's Canal. By unplanned, read "I took a wrong turning and realised I'd gone the wrong way after a mile or so!"

Not a problem - I quickly wound my way through Stepney Green to reach Cable Street and head towards Tower Bridge where I picked up the cycleway to Westminster. I have probably said it before, and will say it again - this is my favourite part to cycle in London. It is great to be on a segregated cycle lane, riding past all the well-known landmarks in London. That is quite a luxury. Many people had had the same idea as I did, to go cycling along there. Cyclists of all ages and abilities, on different types of bike populated the cycle path on this sunny Christmas Day. 

The last part of my ride in Central London took me over Westminster Bridge, and along the South Bank. It was quite a treat to be able to do this, as normally this area would be heaving with people making it difficult to cycle through. Granted, there were still enough people to create a buzzing atmosphere, but the government rules around going out with just one other person, meant there weren't massive crowds. So I was able to go from Waterloo to Tower Bridge unhindered, before dropping down onto a new segregated cycleway at Tower Bridge, which took me down Jamaica Road and to Surrey Quays, from where I continued east to Deptford Creek. 

As we were getting well into the afternoon, I realised the time had come to return home as I still wanted to get back and do the normal Christmas things (well as normal as we are allowed to do things at the moment). I wasn't going to miss out on enjoying some Christmas dinner and stuffing myself with chocolates and mince pies while watching the rather aptly named Home Alone!    

It was a good day.

Related posts 

Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 1

Cycle route: South London to Westminster and Chelsea

Cycling through London need not be an experience to be endured. Many people fear riding through the streets of the capital, thinking that it is at best a test of battling through traffic negotiating unfriendly motorists, and at worst a pure daredevil activity.

On Blackfriars Bridge - from one segregated cycle path to another, along the River Thames 

As someone who has cycled around London since 2001, I must say that cycling in Central London is not so bad. Facilities for cyclists have improved a lot in recent years, particularly with the advent of the Cycle Superhighways, Quiet Ways, and the Transport for London bike sharing scheme for those who need a bike.

I have been riding the Liv Thrive E+ E-bike and found it really useful for getting around London. It's particularly good if you are new to cycling and/or you don't want to exert yourself too much when riding. As someone who lives in a hilly part of London, I know what it means to exert yourself when cycling!

So here's a loop I recommend when cycling from South London, into Central London and back again.

Entrance to Dulwich Park with the Picture Gallery opposite

Start off in Crystal Palace, where you can ride up through Crystal Palace Park, and exit the park on the East side to arrive at the top of Crystal Palace Park Road.

A bus lane and an assisted crossing can get you onto Fountain Drive, where you drop down a speedy descent through the toll road section of College Road. 

I always feel good going down the road and not having to stop to pay, unlike the motorists queuing at the barrier near Dulwich College.    

College road leads into Dulwich Village, where you can stop off at the Park, the Picture Gallery opposite, or at one of the cafes on the main street. 

It's quite a nice corner of the world.

Onwards and the road continues straight on to Red Post Hill, which on the E-bike felt effortless. On a manual push-bike the climb is not too steep, and is the last climb before reaching Central London. What goes up must come down, and true to form the road drops down to Loughborough Junction - what I call the gateway to inner London. 

From here the route goes past social housing estates at the back of Brixton and Camberwell, before crossing a quiet road that leads behind Kennington Park and eventually emerging at Elephant and Castle.

The main street through Dulwich Village, which has a few cafes

Now, this is a junction, which in the past has been a place that many cyclists have avoided. But in recent years a lot of work has been done to develop a cycle-friendly passage across the junction.

And I must say, it is very good now. There is a segregated path that runs alongside the junction and cycle specific traffic lights.

Then another paths leads towards Lambeth North and you can pick up a segregated Cycle Superhighway that goes through Southwark and all the way to Clerkenwell if you feel like heading that way.

The route I took went over Blackfriar's Bridge and then I turned immediately left to ride alongside the River Thames on another segregated Cycle Superhighway that goes past all the famous landmarks of London - The Oxo Tower, The Eye, The National Theatre, right up to Westminster and the Houses of Parliament. Still following the segregated path you go across to Parliament Square and Great George Street to reach the serenity of St James's Park and Buckingham Palace.

I felt spoiled for choice to be able to either ride up the Mall or Birdcage Walk, both of which have cycle lanes. I went on the latter (as I have ridden up the Mall loads of times in the past) and then cut in front of Buck House to then ride along the side of Green Park on, you've guessed it - another segregated cycle path.

Birdcage Walk on the way to see the Queen!

 Then it was a case of going under Wellington Arch to enter Hyde Park, along South Carriage Drive, and when I was almost level with Harrods I left the park to head into Chelsea along some quiet streets and make my way back home via Belgravia and Pimlico, and over Vauxhall Bridge to regain the depths of South London.

This was a very pleasant 22-mile loop around London, with lots of traffic-free sections and rides on traffic-light roads. I would certainly recommend this route even to a newby rider.


Of course there are various sections where you can do a shorter ride and just do the section nearest to your home. Depending on current rules you may wish to photograph the various pretty sights and landmarks you will spot along the way.

Cycle Superhighway along the River Thames towards Westminster

Here is the route as recorded on Strava.


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Bike Life with the Liv Thrive E+ E-bike

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Rapha Festive 500: Park Life Tour - East and Central London

   

Rapha Festive 500: Day 2

Sunday 25th December - My Tour de Londres - Central London loop

Christmas Day, yay! I can do what I want, eat and drink what I like and lounge around - at least once I've done my customary Park run and a few miles of the Festive 500 challenge! So, given it was going to be a funpacked day I made an early start.

Midnight mass, a few hours' sleep and then 14-mile bike ride to Richmond Park for the Park run. I had never done the Park run there before, but chose this venue for Christmas as it's my favourite London park, and as it was going to be my 50th Park run I wanted to make an occasion of my run.

Riding through London on Christmas day at 8am is a dream. If only it was like this all the time. I was able to take the main roads without any problem and not think about taking a quieter alternative or a traffic-free route. Streatham High Road, Wandsworth one-way system, the South Circular were such a breeze I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!

The Park run was fun and festive, with the route being a loop set between Richmond Gate and Sheen Gate. They weren't the easiest 5kms, but they were definitely easier than cross-country races I've done in Richmond Park.

Santa ditches his reindeer to join the Park run!

Santa Claus came on the run as well, but I don't know what he was playing at. No sledge, and all the deer looking on forlornly wondering why he was running away from them!

Alistair, the run director on the day was impressed that I had ridden over from Crystal Palace. That's a long way, he said. I didn't want to blow him out of the water and say I would be doing more riding around London after the run!

Next up was my route into London via Putney Bridge, Fulham, Chelsea, Knightsbridge and into Hyde Park. Traffic did begin to get a little busier, as the Sloane rangers who brought out their Chelsea tractors also wanted to take advantage of these relatively quiet roads.

Christmas day is great for biking in London

As for the parks, Christmas seemed like any other day. Loads of people were out in all of them - Hyde Park, St James's Park, Green Park and the Mall - walking, cycling on Boris Bikes, or scootering. In the sunshine there was a real feelgood factor, and London looked lovely - just like a set in a Christmas film.

To jazz up my ride on this day, and for probably the only day of the year, I rode with my headphones on and sans helmet along the cycle superhighway from Embankment to Tower Bridge. On a day like this I couldn't not have a bit of Troika or Walking in the Air serenading me on my ride along the River Thames!

Then after Tower Bridge, I came back down to earth with a bang! The pretty buildings, the Royal Parks, the family walks were all gone, and replaced with the drudge and dreariness of Bermondsey and Deptford. And, worst of all I was welcomed by a ravaging head wind, which blew even stronger after Lewisham. There was nothing to look at, apart from the tarmac as I pedalled madly, going nowhere fast!

I guess you can't have it all. Eventually, I returned home and heaved a big sigh of relief while enjoying a well-earned glass of wine. I really appreciated my turkey roast, chocolates and mince pies.


Stats:

59.9km ridden; running total - 151.4km; 348.6km left
5km run
1 bagel, 2 Hobnobs, 3 Quality Streets
Weather: Sunny, 13degC, windy


My rides on Strava

Ride to Richmond Park

Central London loop


Related posts
Tackling the Rapha Festive 500

Rapha Festive 500: Day 1