Cycle route: South London to Central London (mainly traffic-free)

As more and more people take to two wheels, particularly around London, I wanted to share a route I took last Sunday when going from my local area, Crystal Palace, to central London.

On Blackfriars Bridge

This is a route that a lot of people will take, particularly if are among those who don't work from home, and therefore must travel to their place of work in London. Others may even just want to go to London for a recreational visit, stroll around the royal parks, go shopping, or meet a friend - in a socially distant way of course!

Quite a lot of people talk about how dangerous it is, how there are too many cars, how cycling unfriendly London is.... Well, I took this route and I was quite happy with it. It's a route I would recommend to anyone who wants to cycle into London. It's around 10 miles, goes along quiet roads, segregated cycle paths, and through parks. You can even do the route at a leisurely pace and enjoy the scenery and landmarks that London has to offer.

For this ride I rode an E-Bike, the Liv Thrive E+, which I have been riding of late, to get around London and beyond. It's been so useful to have it - including for me, as someone who also does training rides. Sometimes it's just nice to have a bike that can give me a little bit of assistance after a training session, especially when getting out of hilly Crystal Palace while I'm a bit pooped!

Leaving Crystal Palace

The first section of the ride takes me across Betts Park in Anerley, and onto Maple Road to reach Penge. Going up through Penge is where the climbing starts. It is possible to ride up through Crystal Palace Park to reach the top of the hill, though I stayed on the main road as there is a wide enough strip marked out for cyclists, and the road is wide enough to accommodate motorists and cyclists.

The top of the road near the junction and mini roundabouts has a bus lane, and cycle paths to get you across the junction to turn right for the descent along College Road. 

In Edward Alleyn's backyard

College Road is very popular with cyclists of all ages and levels. And on this sunny Sunday there were many riders out and about. Given that part of it is a toll road, there are fewer motorists than on other roads. Just beware of the speed bumps!

Dulwich Village

College Road and Dulwich College, on that road, are two well-known features that form part of The Dulwich Estate, founded by the actor and friend of William Shakespeare, Edward Alleyn in 1619. 

This guy was big in Dulwich, having set up the Estate as a charity to provide education for underpriviledged children through its various schools - including Dulwich College and Alleyn School. 

A number of roads and a pub are named after Edward Alleyn. The Estate owns a large amount of land and property, including Herne Hill Velodrome. Between interests like the tolled College Road, income from rented properties and leased land, the Dulwich Estate has the means to keep the listed buildings of Dulwich Village and the surrounding areas looking immaculate. 

Once at the bottom of College Road I reach Dulwich Park, another stretch of land originally owned by Edward Alleyn. These days the Grade II listed park is run by Southwark Council, and I must say it's always a pleasure to stop by there. 

 

Onwards from Dulwich Village, my route goes to East Dulwich, where there is a traffic-free cycle path called Green Dale. It is a steady climb up to Denmark Hill, where you cross the road, go through some back streets to reach Ruskin Park - named after the artist and painter John Ruskin who later settled in the Lake District.

South London massive

Very soon I am at the large medical teaching and research centre, King's College Hospital. From here there is a distinct ambiance of being in "urban London", as some of the tall buildings of the city come into view. The route goes through the back streets of Camberwell, Myatts Fields, and Kennington, to reach Elephant & Castle roundabout.

This junction used to instil fear into most cyclists, and was sadly the scene of a number of cyclist fatalities. Thankfully, following a £25m overhaul of the roundabout, including improving the cycle lanes and quiet ways around there by the Mayor of London, you can cross the junction safely.

Elephant & Castle is the first place where you find a segregated cycle superhighway, and in fact from here on in, the route is largely traffic-free as there are various segregated cycle paths to use. This path leads to Lambeth, near Westminster Bridge, though I turn right before that onto a spur road to St George's Circus, where I reach the extensive Cycle Superhighway (known as CS6) that goes to Clerkenwell, via Blackfriars Bridge. 

This is a nice and wide that allows two-way traffic for cyclists, complete with cycle-specific traffic lights too. On a working day huge numbers of riders snake up and down this path and, dare I say it, even a bit of commuting racing going on!

 

Welcome to Westminster

At the end of Blackfriars Bridge a left-hand turn gets me onto another Cycle Superhighway along the River Thames to Westminster. It's an iconic stretch giving views synonymous with the famous London skyline - South Bank, the London Eye, Big Ben (once they remove the scaffolding)!

On The Mall - traffic-free on a Sunday

From Westminster a system of traffic lights takes me across to the different lanes on Parliament Square, and into Great George Street to reach St James's Park and Buckingham Palace. 

With segregated cycle paths either side of this Royal Park - along Birdcage Walk and parallel to The Mall you are spoilt for choice. 

On a Sunday, the day I was there, the choice was even better as The Mall is traffic-free on this day and on bank holidays. 

So you can happily ride up the main carriageway and dodge around walking tourists rather than London taxis!

My route then goes up the path next to Constitution Hill, to reach Hyde Park Corner. Some cyclists who like a challenge will ride along the main carriageway of this busy junction, mixing it with London traffic as it whizzes around Wellington Arch. However, most people will use the crossings that take cyclists, pedestrians, and horse-riders safely across the thoroughfare to enter Hyde Park.

Park Life

On entering Hyde Park you can either turn left to ride along the segregated lane on South Carriage Drive, turn left into another parallel cycle path that goes towards Rotten Row, go straight on along the shared use path known as the Broad Walk, or do what I did and take the new segregated cycle path that goes along Park Lane. This is one of many pop-up cycle lanes that were quickly built as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic, designed to entice more people to travel by bicycle rather than crowding out public transport.

This path is slightly narrower than the permanent cycle superhighways in London but it is still functions well, and I must say it is better than putting up with the sharp bumps on the parallel Broad Walk. The path ends at Marble Arch, from where you can end your journey there and head into the shops and cafes nearby Oxford Street.  

Hyde Park, near the Serpentine Gallery and Lake

I'm not big on shopping so I just continued through the park along North Carriage Drive and got onto the segregated path that took me past the Serpentine Gallery and the lake, and down towards Knightsbridge.

Made in Chelsea

I exited Hyde Park via South Carriage Drive, near the opulent Mandarin Oriental Hotel, to pedal through the back streets of Belgravia to reach Sloane Square. Like Dulwich, which has a lot of places named after Edward Alleyn, this area is named after the main landowners, the Cadogan family and the Grosvenor family (surname of the Duke of Westminster). 

Quiet roads and little mews with luxury cars parked outside are the characteristic feature around here. Yes, there is a car culture, but the cars seem more for show than to actually drive around - which suits me fine when I'm trying to get from A to B on my bike! Eventually, I emerge at the bustling Sloane Square, and stop to enjoy a light snack on the benches before heading home via Pimlico, Vauxhall Bridge, and Oval.

My total distance door-to-door was just over 40 km (25 miles), though the ride from South London into Central London is around 16km (10 miles). If you don't want to ride home it is possible to jump on a train (while remembering to take a face covering or mask) at Charing Cross or Victoria Stations to get back to South London. 

This was a very pleasant bike ride for me. I feel blessed to have so many cycle lanes to take me into and around Central London, and be able to ride around some of the most famous places in the world.

Here is the route as recorded on Strava

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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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Rapha Festive 500 - Park Life tour: Day 7, Windsor Great Park

Stats
Kms ridden: 133
Running total: 503
Kms left: 0

Weather: sunny, 12 degC


Parks: Bushy; Windsor Great; Gunnersbury; Chiswick; Holland; Regents; Hyde


Route on Strava


Although today's post is entitled Windsor Great Park, that lovely park in Berkshire to the west of London, this was actually a mega ride that went all the way back into central London and took in Royal Parks before returning to Crystal Palace.

Bushy Park - the unsung hero of Royal Parks

Having roughly 130km left to reach the magic 500km, I had toyed with the idea of doing the whole lot in one day.

As long as I left the house early I would be able to do the ride.

This would be a largely flat ride as there would only be small lumps at Virginia Water and within Windsor Great Park.

Also, given that the ride would be mainly within the London conurbation even if it got dark this would not be a problem as the roads would be well lit, as opposed to be stuck out on misty country lanes of Sussex in the dark.

So I set off from home at around 9am, passing through a misty South-West London. Fortunately, the sun did come out and all mist was burned away. So by the time I reached Richmond and Twickenham the day looked lovely.

My first park of the day was Bushy Park, the unsung hero to me. Folks rave on about the nearby Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common, and Hampton Court Palace across the road, but forget about Bushy Park.

If a park like Bushy existed in any other town people would be marvelling at how beautiful it is. But because of its more "glamorous" neighbours it doesn't get mentioned much.

Even I admit that many a time I have breezed straight past the place when on a cycle ride to Hampton Court, or en route to Windsor. So today, I was happy to ride a route that took me right through Bushy.

Bushy Park is pretty large, pan flat, with a lake and ornate fountain. It's an extremely pleasant place to do a run. In fact, the Park Run - something that millions of people up and down the country do every Saturday morning - began in Bushy Park. The event has one of the biggest fields, with numbers regularly exceeding 2,000!

Otherwise, if you are feeling less energetic there are plenty of places to just stop among the regularly arranged trees and have a picnic.

Once back on the road I breezed past Hampton Court Palace and pushed on to Virginia Water, one of my favourite parks in the South-East. Along the way, I saw lots of groups of cyclists. That is not an uncommon sight, but what struck me more was the pace that people were riding at - almost like there was a sense of urgency. It made me think that they were probably trying to get in their Festive 500 kilometres before tomorrow's deadline!



As usual, Virginia Water was packed with Christmas walkers from Surrey and Berkshire. From there, I rode up through Windsor Great Park and into Windsor, where there were humongous queues to get into the Castle. I can't believe that people would hang around all day standing in line!  At least the sun was out.

A brief period of calm on Eton Bridge, after the bustle around Windsor Castle

Once past the tourists in Windsor and Eton my ride took on a much less glamorous landscape as I passed through drab suburbs near Slough, and then up through places like West Drayton and Southall before reaching Gunnersbury Park.

This park took me back to 30 years ago when I was a student at Warwick University, and spent a summer in Ealing. Gunnersbury Park felt like the centre of the universe! Today, it was a modest, though still pleasant neighbourhood park. 

By the time I reached Chiswick it was getting dark and it was getting a bit desolate being stuck out on the busy South Circular Road.

Finally made it to Westminster - 500km done!

Thankfully, that spell didn't last long, and my route then took me through Hammersmith, Kensington and then into central London via Holland Park.

Being in the West End I couldn't omit to go around the Royal Parks, so I did a quick stint around Regents Park while getting overtaken by lots of chain gang club riders. Then I had to battle my way through the crowds visiting Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.

My 500km were achieved in Dulwich, South London however I chose to do my photo shoot in Westminster where it would be better lit at night.








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One day one photo - 9: Brexit Shexit!

It's been over a year since the UK voted to leave the EU, and we are 18 months out from officially leaving this historic establishment. However, it doesn't look like the UK Government has got its act together on what is meant to be going on, and how we will exit. Some of the fundamentals such as remaining part of the customs union, and allowing freedom of movement of EU citizens is not finalised. However, the UK still wants to negotiate trade deals even though the other important matters, including the Irish question - have yet to be decided!

Meanwhile, there's a massive swathe of people, including the UK Government who hadn't actually wanted to leave in the first place. How do you effect something that you don't actually want to happen, and that you hadn't expected to be doing!

This is all borne out by the regular protests that take place on Parliament Square, or on Millbank, opposite the Palace of Westminster. I regularly pass them on my ride home from work. I get used to hearing what they have to say and it is now just a regular feature along the way, like the traffic, the road furniture and the hundreds of tourists.

But the protest that was on today, was particularly noteworthy as it was a mass rally that took up all the space on Parliament Square. It was organised by the Liberal Democrat Party, and there were various speakers including Bob Geldof (of Live Aid fame) and a local Member of Parliament, Tom Brake.

I don't know how effective these protests will be, but it certainly shows that Britain is not overwhelmingly ready to leave the EU. I hope somebody hears that, and officials act accordingly.