Photo of the day - 5: Cycling up Toys Hill the hard way

This is one of my favourite views when I go cycling in the Kent lanes. I rode past here today. It's the view over the Kent Weald, from Puddledock hamlet. I imagine on a very clear day you can see Bough Beech reservoir and Hever Castle from here - once you've had time to get your breath back. 

Yes, the ride up Puddledock Lane after coming down past Chartwell is not easy at all. I call it the hard way up Toys Hill. Toys Hill is hard enough, and puts fear into a many a local rider, especially as it is done towards the end of a ride when returning to South London, with its unrelenting gradients. But the route to the summit via Puddledock is harder. 

If you coordinate your turn well on the descent from Hosey Common you can use a bit of that momentum to carry you up the initial part of the hill - for all of one metre! Most of the time I have to take it easy when turning into this lane from Mapleton Road as it is a sharp left-hand turn. Also, there's a rapid click of the gears as I try to find the granny ring. 

After that it's a steady grind, up the narrow road that goes straight up, with 15%+ sections. You can't go all out, as you need your wits about you if a car is coming down the hill, or even other cyclists too. Also, it's best to get used to the gradient at this time of year while the road is dry. Often in autumn and winter the road surface is damp and you end up having to do the whole thing in the saddle to avoid the back wheel spinning. So if your legs are primed for this type of effort, doing in the saddle won't seem so onerous. 

I seem to have made it sound like a hill too be avoided. But I really love that sense of satisfaction when you reach the top, and Toys Hill Well, with it's lovely view and park bench make for a just respite and reward, before carrying on to join the main Toys Hill and ride up the last hard section, and enjoying the long fast descent to Brasted.

I did do another difficult climb after Puddledock - Westerham Hill. That one was still hard, but not as quad-busting as the previous push I had to do, so I was happy enough.

This is the link to the full route I did today.

Photo of the day - 10: Birthday get-together

It was great to catch up with my family to celebrate my sister's birthday. Fortunately, we can still get out to bars and restaurants in these Covid-19 times (albeit with a 10pm closing time), so we were able to go to this gastro pub in South London. My day had been quite fun-packed as my it started with an early-morning train journey to Shoreham-by-sea to take part in two hill climb races on the South Downs. It was early evening when I got back to London. Then it was a quick change to zip across from Crystal Palace to Kidbrook. I was a bit late getting there, but I was glad to have made it for Eromi's special day.

Photo of the day - 7: My top six South London Hills

Part way up the wall aka Canonbie Road

 As part of my regular set of rides I like to do a loop taking in my local hills near Crystal Palace. I am "blessed" to have these hills right on my doorstep so I can get in some good cycle training and leg strengthening - or at least that's the intention. So once every week or two I do a loop that takes in a few hills. I usually do six, though if I am pushed for time I do four, and if I am feeling motivated and time rich I do at least seven. This morning, I did the customary six - Crystal Palace Park Road, Kirkdale, Westwood Hill, Canonbie Road, Elliot Bank, and Wells Park Road. Crystal Palace Park Road is a nice little leg warmer, with the slopes getting steeper up to the 18% Canonbie Road. I then finish with a "gentle" 10% on Wells Park Road. And after that, I am ready for breakfast! 

This is the route on Strava.

Photo of the day - 1: Cycling on the Wandle Trail

I normally do a "One day, one photo" series during the month of September. This year I have switched it to October, just to vary things. But also because I was so crazily busy in September that I couldn't get on and blog each day! So here goes:

I did a bike ride along the Wandle Trail, a mainly traffic-free route through South London that goes from Croydon to Wandsworth. The route follows the River Wandle, a tributary of the River Thames. It's a pleasant, well-surfaced 12-mile (20km) ride that goes through some less well-known parts of South London, like Beddington, Morden and Earlsfield. You pass through a few parks and go around the back of some industrial areas. I cycled the route with Liv Thrive E+ e-bike, which was very handy as I was pushed for time and wanted to do the ride quickly! This is me at the start of the trail, at Wandle Park in Waddon, just outside Croydon.  

 

Cycle route: South London to Surrey and Kent lanes

As social distancing measures is getting more people to take up cycling, new cyclists are keen to find cycle routes they can ride for their leisure. With the glorious weather we have been enjoying in the UK for the last couple of months it's not surprising that people want to ride.

Here is a local cycle route from my home in South London, around the Kent and Surrey local lanes. It's a short route that can be done in under two hours - maybe one hour if you're a finely tuned athlete. I call it the "scout camp loop" because it goes past a scout camp along the way. It's a nice little route to do if you don't have a lot of time but want to feel like you've trained. I generally do it early in the morning before work, or in the late afternoon, after work.

The ride starts from near Elmers End, a common hang-out for bike riders in South London. There is a Tesco superstore nearby for any last-minute provisions or a cashpoint. Mind you, unless you are going there before 8am you may be in for a bit of a queue in these times of coronavirus.

Part 1


Apart from a fast descent at Spout Hill, the first half of this ride is mainly uphill, though nothing too steep apart from two sharp ramps. One comes early in the ride on The Glade, and the other one is on Featherbed Lane near the half-way point, just after the Scout Camp at Frylands Wood. After this ramp you are rewarded with a stopping point at The White Bear Pub. Well, actually it's not a real reward as government restrictions mean the pub is closed. However, there's a patch of grass you can sit on, or a wall you can lean against. When I went past yesterday, I saw a couple of motorbikers who had stopped and were having a mini picnic on the grass. There are benches and tables, but the owners have closed them off. Hey ho!

Part 2


On reaching the pub, which is at a crossroads it's good to know the climbing is more or less done, and there is a nice steady 4-mile descent along Layhams Lane to look forward to. Then in West Wickham there is one 8% gradient on Corkscrew Hill. It's very brief though, and over before you know it.

The last part of the ride, through Elmers End suburb would normally be a road where you see many groups of riders steaming through in a chain gang. I have been known to cheekily latch on to those groups to test myself and remind myself that I've still got it (or not as the case may be)! But nowadays groups are banned, so instead I do a mini time trial over the last couple of miles back to Elmers End Green. It's nice to open the burners - if only just to feel satisfied that I have used up more than a few calories and will deserve my dinner!

Part 3


I recommend this ride for anyone new to cycling for fitness and wanting to test themselves by riding it fast. It is also fine for those who are looking for a leisurely ride with a stopover in a country pub (once it has clearance to be reopen). The roads aren't flat, but they are not too steep and they give you a decent work-out over a short distance. It also feels good to be in rural lanes, even though you are less than 20 miles from Trafalgar Square. You won't be alone on these lanes, as many cyclists will be in this area too. Just give them a wave when you see them.

Find the route and stats here on Strava


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Daily photo - 3: South London running route

View from my run: Docklands as seen from Lower Sydenham station

This time last year I was preparing to run the Beachy Head Marathon. Twelve months later I am once again preparing to run 26.2 miles at the New York Marathon. It is a greater undertaking than last year because of the distance I am travelling to the race. It is also hillier than other big city marathons.

So the maximum must be done so I am ready for the start line, and can also reach the finish line. These days I am doing training runs of over half-marathon distance (13.1 miles or 21.1km), so it's important to keep things interesting and vary the places I go to, in order to stay motivated.

Long runs are an opportunity to explore local parks and green spaces. Being in South London there are lots of local parks to discover, especially when following the Green Chain Walk. I have done a 14-mile (22.5km) run that took in Crystal Palace Park, Dulwich Park, Brockwell Park, and Dulwich Wood. Today, I did a 16-mile (26km) run that included Beckenham Place Park, Crystal Palace Park, and South Norwood Lakes.

It was interesting to see the different neighbourhoods and see new areas and views that I hadn't previously noticed. This is the view of Docklands from Lower Sydenham train station as I was running from Beckenham Place Park to Alexandra Recreation Ground. It was a slightly dull morning when I ran here, but I hope to return on a sunny day when you can really see Canary Wharf in it's grandeur.


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