Freewheeling - Keeping away from cycling activists

As someone who is into cycling I have found that my love for the activity has slightly waned of late. It's not that I have gone off cycling. It's more to do with all that swirls around it. 

I have always had a fairly simple relationship with bike riding. I get on my bike, I ride. Sometimes it is for a leisure pootle, sometimes for training, or for racing. Other times it's just to get from A to B. I could be riding in London streets, on country roads, or along off-road trails. 

Normally, whichever sort of bike riding I do, I always enjoy it and find it a pleasant space away from the more humdrum activities of everyday life.

However, in recent times I have noticed that cycling has come very ...politicised. Whether it's folks going on about the safety/lack of safety on Britain's roads, sexism, racism, all other sorts of -isms, sustainability, clothing sizes for women, colours, sponsors of cycle races and teams, even bike brands. Whatever is happening in cycling it just seems to attract some sort of shouty reaction from certain quarters, all aired on Twitter - of course. It's all a bit much for me. 

I just want to ride my bike and not give it too much thought. Apparently, even that puts you at loggerheads with folks. Folks have been known to throw at me the accusatory phrase - "If you don't see a problem then you are part of the problem." I am supposedly meant to feel guilty about this.

Let me elaborate on a couple of things:

Race and cycling

Last year, I was asked by a cycling magazine to write an advertorial for a clothing brand. This would have involved interviewing two black women - one of whom has a large following on social media - and who has been vocal on racial matters in cycling. She set up a group known for women of colour who cycle. I don't particularly agree with such groups forming based purely on race. It is a view I am entitled to, though as a professional journalist my personal views do not influence the way I work. However, I was later informed by the editor of the cycling magazine that I was being removed from the job because the two black women asked not to be interviewed by me. Apparently they didn't approve of my views. 

The advertorial was going to be related to training to cycle 100km - nothing to do with a person's race, but yet I was removed from the job! So suddenly I became the subject of "cancel culture". Ironically, these are the same women who campaign saying "representation matters" and want visibility of black people in various roles, including journalism! Absolute hypocrisy. I must also add that in the 12 years I have been involved in journalism this is the only time an interviewee has asked to not be interviewed by me.

I first became involved in club cycling in 2000. At that time there were hardly any black people who took part in club cycling. There were a few; just not many. Nevertheless I found the cycling community to be very welcoming. Sure it was dominated by white males - maybe even middle-aged, middle class males. I didn't ask them their ages or their class, and even if I could have taken an educated guess, I couldn't really have cared one way or another. I was just interested in being in a friendly environment, and that's how I found the cycling milieu to be. 

Fast forward twenty years and everyone is talking about cycling being racist and that the lack of black people involved in cycling is because we were being excluded. No one ever stopped me from riding a bicycle or taking part in events. 

I am not saying that I don't believe other people who say that they had a negative experience, but I think it's important to realise that people have different experiences in the same situation. When I say that I have had a positive experience I don't see why folks should look at me negatively. It's almost as though I have committed some sort of sacrilege because I am not going out and mouthing off about breaking down barriers. 

In my time I have known many black people (including members of my own family) who are just not interested in cycling, and who even wonder why I do it! That's been my experience, and for me to believe that the lack of black people cycling was down to personal preference rather than racial bias was not an unreasonable conclusion to draw. Because of that, some see me as a pariah for not joining them in their crusade. One black guy who has made his name by hosting an exhibition about Black Cycling Champions and claiming that cycling is a racist sport even blocked me from his Twitter account!

It is interesting how some of these people campaign for inclusivity, but yet their behaviour, by its very nature, is to exclude those who don't share their opinions.  

Militant Cyclists 

I have ridden bicycles around since the 1970s. My time as a commuter cyclist in London began in 2001. Back then, there were make-shift cycle lanes - mainly a line painted along the edge of the road but you weren't separated from traffic at all. I remember the first time I cycled from my home in Crystal Palace all the way to my office at the time, which was in Marylebone, I rode ever so cautiously and was quite nervous. But in fact, it wasn't bad at all. I quite enjoyed the experience and I was happy to continue riding my bike through the London. I have commuted by bicycle ever since. 

Nowadays we have the luxury of segregated cycle superhighways and special cyclist traffic lights to get you across busy junctions. I think these are great additions and have been instrumental in encouraging more people to cycle in London. I think that London is now an even better place to cycle, and its facilities are now comparable to (if not better than) some other major cities around the world. I can confidently say this as I always make sure to ride a bicycle (either my own or a hire bike) whenever I travel abroad. So I have ridden bicycles in cities around Europe, North America, South America, and the Caribbean, in my time.

The thing is, whenever I look at Twitter I see angry messages from various people about how terrible it is to cycle around London. I just don't share that experience with others. Sadly, if you respond on this platform saying that you have had an enjoyable experience people lambast you saying you don't know what you're talking about and asking you to produce statistics.

Campaigning organisations also want to suggest that every other city in Europe has better cycling infrastructure than London. I would take them seriously if the protagonists actually regularly commuted in those countries. Many of them have never cycled abroad - or at least when they cycled abroad it was in a holiday resort within that country as opposed to a city where people get on with daily life. These are not even like for like comparisons, so folks then draw their conclusions based on photographs of cycle lanes in these cities! 

A recently constructed segregated cycle lane in central Paris, running along rue Saint Antoine from Bastille to Chatelet, and on to Rivoli and Concorde has received much praise on social media. Granted it is a very useful cycle lane. But is this segregated lane better than an equivalent one in London? And does it mean that every cycle lane in Paris is in the same style as the one on Rivoli? 

I get astounded by how people take this cycle lane and extrapolate saying the whole of Paris has cycle lanes like this, and life as a cyclist in Paris is much better than in London! Have these people never ridden the Cycle Superhighway from Elephant and Castle to Clerkenwell? Or the path from Tower Bridge through Westminster all the way to the Royal Albert Hall? What is the difference? In fact I would argue that the London segregated paths are better than those in Paris because they are completely closed to motorised traffic. Cycle lanes in Paris still allow space for delivery vans - and the van drivers make the most of that permission! You certainly have to be on your guard when riding in a bike lane.

Then of course there's the "we hate cars" brigade. Activists have even taken to deflating the tyres of SUVs under cover of darkness and leaving notes reprimanding them for owning one. Interestingly, these will be the same people protesting against the regimes of Vladimir Putin of Russia, Kim Jong-un of North Korea or Xi Jinping of China. But yet, these urban rebels feel that it's okay to disrupt the lives of people who don't embrace their beliefs and behaviours.

And let's not forget the countless cyclists who jump the red traffic lights - some with fatal consequences. Campaigners continue to lambast terrible drivers of motorised vehicles. If you dared to question cyclists who flout road traffic laws they give a response along the lines of cyclists don't kill people when they don't jump lights. Some even refuse to acknowledge that this law-breaking occurs.  

I don't understand how they can't see that this brand of self-righteousness, and thinking they are above all other road users just doesn't endear them to the general population. It's not surprising that folks make negative comments about these militants on pushbikes, and display negative behaviour towards them on the roads. Travelling around a town should be about sharing the thoroughfares, not occupying them to the exclusion of others.

And so, in the climate of what I have mentioned above, I find it quite difficult to call myself a cyclist. I get concerned that people may automatically picture me as one of those scary angry folks who jumps red lights and refuses to give way to any other road user. 

These days I prefer to consider myself as a person who likes to travel by bicycle, among other forms of transport. In addition, I like to do club cycling and cycle races, as well as other sporting activities. I think it's better to not let myself get too immersed in the chatter of activists and militants.

It's nice to see that more and more people are taking to push bikes. London has definitely become more of a cycling city, than ever before. Though I must say that I personally don't feel any push to say that everyone should ride bikes, though I wouldn't dissuade it either. And I certainly don't believe that anything in society is discouraging others from getting into bike riding if that's what they want to do.  

Above all, bike riding is always about choice. You make your choice and respect the choices of others. Sadly, I think that what I have said here sounds much too reasonable, and is likely to once again attract the ire of others.

Rouleur Live - London rocks! Why I think London cycling infrastructure is pretty good

It was a pleasure to be on the panel at the London Rocks presentation at Rouleur Live, to talk about the positive aspects of cycling and cycle culture in London.

So many people talk about cycling in London in a negative way. It's something I have never really joined in doing, because I simply don't feel that way. I really enjoy cycling around London.

Rouleur Live panel, L-R: Laura Laker, Alec Briggs, yours truly, Ned Boulting

As someone who likes to travel by bicycle around London and in all the other places I visit around the UK and beyond, I don't think London does too badly, all things considered.

When Ian Cleverly of Rouleur asked me about appearing on this panel I was quite excited about doing it. In fact, I even put together a flow of how I thought the presentation could go! 

But a basic brief had already been put together and other panellists confirmed, so it was a case of going with the flow on the day. The presentation was chaired by Rebecca Charlton, and the other panellists were Laura Laker, Alec Briggs, and Ned Boulting. We all had slightly different perspectives: Laura was occupying her role as the active transport guru, given the writing that she does about it in The Guardian, Alec is a bike racer, though not a nerdy one that only talks about bikes and tech - but more of a cool hip kind of guy who keeps it real. The fact that he can also win races is just coincidental! 

Ned was there in his capacity as social commentator given that he gets on the telly a lot, commentating on the Tour de France, and other major cycling competitions, as well as being an author and a president of Herne Hill Velodrome. Then there was me - in the brief I was just billed as "all round good egg who likes to get out there rather than just talking about it!" I'm cool with that description.

We all had something to say, and were very positive about bike riding in London. The audience which engaged with us too, which is always a bonus. The main points we had to say is that London gets a bad rap, which is slightly unfair given that it is a newcomer in terms of infrastructure compared with other cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. 

Also, people have a tendency to take to social media to rant about negative aspects of cycling. Folks generally aren't going to go on-line to tell positive stories. It's not helped either by certain high-profile folks in media who constantly post footage from their helmet cameras about something they saw that didn't go well. 

There needs to be a way of highlighting the positives of cycling on a regular basis, rather than painting cycling in London as a doom and gloom picture as though folks cycling on the road were entering a lion's den or playing Russian Roulette.

In terms of cycling culture, because London is such a diverse place, there are varying "cycling tribes", meaning that some sets of cyclists don't always warm to other types of cyclists - for instance those dressed in Lycra on their road racing bikes vs. those in everyday clothes on a hybrid bike. 

At this moment in time, London is trying to find its feet in terms of cycling culture and cycling infrastructure. At some point things will settle down and cycling will become normalised as an everyday thing, rather than it being a specific activity set apart from other everyday activities. 

For the presentation I noted down various points, though didn't have the time to mention everything, so I will note them here:

• I first started cycling around London in 2001, at a time when most people cycling were cycle couriers and only a few hundred cycle commuters. I would only see about one or two women per week on a bike.
• There were no segregated cycle lanes at all - just the odd road that had a painting of a bicycle on the edge of the road, marking the bike lane! I used to spend time planning my own route from A to B through London via various back streets as there were no sign posts or maps. 
• Junctions at Elephant & Castle, Old Street, and Vauxhall Cross often involved putting my observation and bike handling skills fully to the test! 
• Nowadays, we have segregated cycle lanes including at those aforementioned busy junctions, a Superhighway network, signposted Quiet Ways, traffic-free paths, and a bike-sharing scheme for those who don't own a bike.
• When cycling to work at rush hour, there are so many cyclists on some roads that it's almost like being part of a mass participation bike ride. 

Segregated (ish) cycle path near rue de Rivoli, Paris

• Over the last 15 years that I have cycled in Paris I have noticed a steady growth in the number of cycle lanes, and on my most recent trip there had been radical changes, notably right in the centre, around Chatelet and Rivoli. 
• However, the lanes aren't any better than what can be found in London, particularly because sometimes a segregated lane "disappears" and then you are back in with the main flow of traffic.
• Segregated cycle lanes aren't totally segregated because there are gaps in the lanes to allow for delivery vans to pull into them!
• The traffic lights are phased so that even if you have right of way in the cycle lane, motorists can still turn right across your path - so you have to keep an eye out. That is something that you see in many European cities. I also saw that when I cycled across New York City.
•  It's great that many streets allow for cyclists to ride in contraflow up a one-way street, but some of the roads are very narrow, forcing you to give way to an oncoming van. 
• Some of the roads in central Paris are cobbled - not quite Paris-Roubaix, but you definitely get a bumpy ride. Ditto for when I used to cycle around Milan.
• There are very few green spaces to ride a bicycle in Central Paris until you get to the extremities of the city at Bois de Vincennes or Bois de Boulogne.

Bois de Vincennes on the edge of Paris - one of the few green spaces for bikes in the city

• I cycled around Brussels a couple of years ago, and had similar experiences to Paris, in terms of motorists encroaching into the segregated cycle lane. Also, some parts of the cycle lane contained a drainage channel, which I found hazardous to cycle on, so I ended up riding wide and on the main carriageway.
• Outside of Brussels, when riding in the Flanders region it was great to see cycle lanes on the A roads - something you also see in France as well.
• Interestingly folks talk about Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and other countries in Europe being more cycling friendly countries than the UK. During the first coronavirus lockdown I used part of the time to do conversation exchanges with folks in other countries (to practice my language skills). Whenever I asked them about cycling in their country (apart from the Netherlands and Denmark), they all said that they don't ride because they find cycling in their country dangerous!
• Many cycling activists talk about wanting the freedom to ride their bike how they want - the freedom to wear whatever colour clothing they want, use or not use the cycle lane, wear a helmet or not, or put a bell on their bike.
• In these countries that are deemed "cycling friendly" even they have their rules. In many countries it is a legal requirement for your bike to have a bell fitted that can be heard from 100m away; it is illegal to ride on the main carriageway where there is a cycle lane; notably in France, cyclists have to wear high-vis on dim days or at night when outside of the city; in Spain it is illegal to not wear a helmet when outside of a built-up area.

So in light of all of the above it is hard to say that cyclists in London get a raw deal compared with other places. In fact, I feel very happy to ride around London and have the liberty to wear what I want and not have to stress about finding a bell for my bike!

It is also worth noting that when comparing infrastructure to other cities around the world, London is a sprawling mass compared with other cities and that the Mayor of London has to work on a surface area that is easily two or three times that of other European cities. 

On Blackfriars Bridge, London, next to a cycle Superhighway

Furthermore, this surface area is divided into 33 boroughs, each with its own administration and decision making power regarding cycling infrastructure - an added layer that Sadiq Khan has to deal with when trying to improve cycling in the city.

So on balance, I don't think we do so bad, and I do agree that London rocks!

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Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways: Day 8 - Back on the Thames

Featured waterways: Croydon Canal, Grand Surrey Canal (disused), River Thames

Distance ridden: 30km 

Cumulative distance: 511km

Distance left: 0km

Terrain: Tarmac

Weather: Overcast, 0degC

Route on Strava:

Finally, I'd made it to the last day of the challenge! I just had 19km left to do, so barring a catastrophe I believed I would be able to achieve the 500km. All I needed to do was to pootle into Central London and then somewhere along the home run I would hit the magic 500km mark. I would treat it like the final day of the Tour de France when the riders traditionally do a leisurely paced ride from the Paris suburbs into the city centre. 

In fact, if I really wanted, I could stop riding at Brixton or Herne Hill and get on a train to avoid the big hill leading back into Crystal Palace. But that wouldn't be in the spirit of things really, would it? Furthermore, during these Covid-19 times I feel safer riding my bike out in the fresh air than sitting on a train with all the risk of people coughing or sneezing their coronaviruses onto me!

After a celebratory end-of-year 10km run around my neighbourhood, I had a leisurely breakfast and then set off on my final cycle ride of the Festive 500, and of 2020.

The route went through the vibrant Peckham Rye Shopping Centre, which is now traffic-free, and led me to the back of the library where I discovered another traffic-free path known as the Surrey Canal Path. What was previously known as the Grand Surrey Canal no longer exists, but this section of it has been made into a very pleasant cycle way that leads to Burgess Park. Both Burgess Park, and the site of thee Peckham library are built on what were previously basins of the Grand Surrey Canal. Who'd have thought there was so much history here - and so much water!

Glad to reach the finish line at Tower Bridge

After crossing the park and going through some back streets in Bermondsey, I arrived on the new segregated cycle lane at Jamaica Road, and shortly after that I was on the River Thames at Potters Fields, facing Tower Bridge - my virtual finish line. 

There was no champagne to pop - not even a celebratory tea and cake as everywhere was closed due to the pandemic restrictions. So I just smiled to myself in quiet satisfaction that I had achieved what I had set out to do, and the week had gone to plan without any significant hitches. 

One can never take the week-long Festive 500 challenge for granted, especially at this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere countries where the weather can be inclement and the days are short. You always hear stories of folks whose Festive 500 came to an abrupt end due to a significant mechanical problem, or sliding over on ice and getting injured. Then there are many people who just lose motivation at this uninviting time of year, get to day 6 and realise it's just not feasible to complete the outstanding 300km in two or three days! 

Talking of weather, there was no ice on the roads at the time that I was cycling, but it was freezing - literally, as temperatures were fixed at 0deg C. This wasn't the day to be standing around. One mistake I did make, was to spend a bit of time with my gloves off when adjusting my tripod, taking photos and recording video footage.

My hands got so cold I could barely change gear when cycling. It was only when I rode home and rode at near race pace that I began to regain any feeling in my fingers.

I was very happy to end my Rapha Festive 500 on the Thames - at the river in the city I call home. And Tower Bridge seemed like a majestic, backdrop as I felt like I was Queen of the Waterways - well at least for 8 days! The many passers-by and tourists gave me slightly bemused looks as I recorded my footage on the path, though to their credit they took care not to photo-bomb my pictures.

None of them will have imagined I had ridden my bike 500km over the last eight days or known that I had ridden along rivers and canals in all the corners of London and the suburbs - that was for me to quietly celebrate. 

But who knows, they might see or hear part of my stories if they are ever trawling through social media and looking for places to ride their bikes along a London river or a canal. Hopefully I will have been able to give them a couple of ideas!

I have discovered a number of new places during my rides around London's waterways over the last eight days. It has provided a different angle of London, and also given me ideas for traffic-free routes and short cuts. I only touched the surface in terms of the waterways I visited. There are many more to visit, plus many disused ones too. I hope to ride along them in the not-distant future.

Also, one tip when route-planning rides in London, is if you want to find a traffic-free area, look for a river, canal, brook or basin and you may well find that there is an associated traffic-free path or quiet road available.

So that's my Festive 500 over and out for 2020. I look forward to doing another theme in 2021.

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Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 1

Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 2

Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 3

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Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 6

Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 7

London gears up for more bike riders

It's official. Bike riding is very much on - even if other activities are off. And many people have been gearing up for it in this glorious weather (excuse the pun). Folks are buying bicycles or digging out their old bikes and taking to the streets up and down the country.

Many businesses have suffered during this coronavirus crisis, but bike shops have remained buoyant with some having their busiest period ever, especially as they were on the list of essential shops that could remain open.

With such quiet roads, people have taken the opportunity to cycle around unhindered with their families. Even my brother was able to go out riding with his seven-year old daughter on the roads near his home without any problem.

Now that people are steadily resuming work, the government is strongly encouraging us to cycle, in order to ease the strain on public transport and maintain social distancing. Extra pop-up lanes have been constructed too.

I think this is great, and it has been one of the few glimmers of light in what has otherwise been a rather grim period.

I must say, though that despite the efforts being made by local councils to erect pop-up lanes there are still people who want to complain about the government not doing enough for cyclists in the UK.

Central Paris, near Chatelet and Rivoli

People have a tendency to post photos of cycle lanes in other countries and then automatically claim that their system is better than what exists in our country - then proceed to slam the government.

Personally, I find that kind of talk quite tiresome. Firstly, from my experience of cycling around cities around Europe and beyond, most major cities don't have a cycling infrastructure that is so much better than what you find in London.

I have been doing conversation exchanges with folks in France, Spain and Italy recently and one thing I have found interesting is that every one of these folks - based in Paris, Toulouse, Valencia, Madrid, Milan, Verona, Bari, Florence, Brussels have all said that they do not enjoy cycling around their cities because it is too dangerous. Only one woman, based in Lyon said that she would be happy to ride around her city.

Bridge going to Saint-Michel

Interestingly, I have recently seen photos people have post on Twitter, showing these great cycling plans and lanes in Brussels and in Milan - and yes, you've guessed it - they dismissed London's efforts as comparatively poor!

I wrote an article earlier this year in which I compared the achievements of London mayor Sadiq Khan, with those of his counterpart in Paris, Anne Hidalgo. Both mayors were up for re-election this year (until COVID-19 halted the process).

Where Khan had realised around 90% of his plans for London, Hidalgo had only achieved 60%. Yet people began to rave about her plans to make Paris a 100% cycling city by 2024 with every street in Paris being cycle friendly. I am always sceptical about politicians announcing ambitious plans for the future - especially when they have fallen short with their pledges in the current manifesto. (Where have I heard that before?!)

As someone who uses a bicycle as my mode of transport whenever I visit Paris, I have found my experience of cycling around the French capital to be quite pleasant. Who wouldn't enjoy pedaling down the traffic-free path along the River Seine in the shadows of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre? But that's just the equivalent of someone going along the cycle superhighway on the Embankment in London, with the Eye, the South Bank, and the Palace of Westminster opposite.

Cycle path along the River Seine near Chatelet

Meanwhile in Paris I get dumped off this lovely path along the River Seine and find myself on Place de la Concorde ready to start the fun and games of getting across that big square, when there's no specific cycle lane.

It's even more fun riding up the world's most famous avenue, Champs Elysees, and mixing it with all the traffic. Fortunately there are so many sets of traffic lights to stop at that vehicles can't really pick up any speed, so it's not so intimidating.

The merry-go-round continues at the Arc de Triomphe roundabout with its 12 - yes 12 exits. You are on the right (as is the case in Europe) and you need to turn left to get to the Eiffel Tower. Try negotiating that when there is no system. It's just every man, woman, and their dog for themselves and you just have to wing it and grow a few extra pairs of eyes - and balls!

Birdcage Walk, near Buckingham Palace

Back in London, the nearest we have to that is Hyde Park Corner, which is a comparatively dull, uneventful affair as you are guided safely across the round through Wellington Arch via a set of pedestrian/cycle/horse crossings.

Of course, you can always jazz things up if you choose to ride your bike around that roundabout. No doubt there are people who do so, and then complain that London roads aren't set up to accommodate cyclists! But the vast majority of people use the available cycling facility.

Then with cycle lanes through Hyde Park, and now Park Lane, and cycle paths going back towards Buckingham Palace, with dedicated cycle traffic lights cyclists have a perfectly safe and trouble-free passage across the most famous parts of Central London.

I just randomly chose Paris as the comparator, but if I substituted Paris for other cities (apart from Copenhagen and Amsterdam) similar issues would be noted. But I think you get my point, dear reader. My point is that riding through the centre of other major cities is pleasant enough, but the issues there are not so different from what is London. In fact, in few ways, London fares better.

Cycling through Central Paris at rush hour

So, I am reluctant to knock the cycling facilities in London, as I feel that they are quite good, and furthermore the Mayor of London has a lot more to juggle compared with other cities.

Sadiq Khan has a surface area to manage that is in some cases five times the size of other major European cities. Furthermore, with permission needing to be granted from each of the 33 boroughs that make up London, it makes the planning and decision-making process much more complicated than other City Councils that just deal with local government in that city alone, and maybe central government.

These factors definitely have a bearing on the way things are done, and I think that all things considered we haven't done so badly. So in these times of coronavirus I would prefer to celebrate what is being done for cycling rather than criticize it.

Cycle superhighway on Blackfriars Bridge

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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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