Regent's Park, London - my favourite training ground

There are few well-known haunts for London-based cyclists with Richmond Park and Box Hill being among the top places. 

One other place that's up there for leisure cycling and training rides, particularly for club riders is Regent's Park. I have known for a long time that people cycle around there, but I didn't realise quite just how much. I had always perceived it as a place where North London-based riders have to resort to when doing their chain gangs given that we cyclists down South have the Kent country lanes at our disposal.  

In fact, cycling clubs based South of the River are now organising rides in this Royal Park based between Baker Street and Primrose Hill. Dulwich Paragon go there, and I have seen riders from Peckham Cycling Club too. Maybe folks who work in Central London find it easier to meet there after work rather than racing 10 miles down to Elmers End, Beckenham through the rush hour traffic to make the 7pm start. 

Working from home at my base in Crystal Palace, maybe I would find the Kent chain gang more practical than traipsing up to Central London. But in fact, no. I am happy to cycle to Regent's Park and do some laps there. 

Dirty Wknd cycling group training laps at Regent's Park [photo: Dirty Wknd]

The thing is, whether I turn up at Regent's Park in the early morning or early evening there are always groups of riders doing laps. Various groups ride around the Outer Circle at different speeds. Some of the groups are official club runs such as the ones organised by Dulwich Paragon or Dirty Wknd (pictured). Though there are many informal groups.

So it's just a case of latching on to whichever group matches my pace, and I am straight away into a training mode.

I like how these groups just tend to form organically. There's no one specifically organising who goes into which group. It's just a case of a couple of folks riding around and then others catch on, and as the group proceeds along the roads they pick of more riders. When we come to a stop at the different traffic lights one group joins with another group and the mass gets a bit bigger - though not too big, as some people may leave the group to form their own slower or faster group. Others may call it a day and peel off at one of the many exits of Regent's Park. 

Of course in all of this, and as with all group rides there is an etiquette to follow.  Folks aren't keen on half-wheeling another rider, changing direction without looking first, or braking suddenly. It's all about smooth riding. Also pointing to the riders behind any hazards such as cars pulling out, slower riders to over take, pot holes, pedestrians, or lights turning red are all things that make for a good ride. And yes, folks do observe the traffic lights. With Royal Parks police monitoring the park I don't think riders particularly want to pay an unexpected charge for their training ride!

One lap of the Outer Circle is just under three miles, and I usually do three or four and then go home. You might wonder why I bother given that the rider to and from Regent's Park is about 24 miles for me - more than twice as much as the training ride itself! But I must say, it is worth it because for that time I am pushing myself in a group ride and in a controlled environment. Riding around Regent's Park is quite well accepted by park users and the motorists, so there tends to be a harmonious relationship as well between road users - which is not always the case on country roads! 

The other thing for me too, is that after riding my laps of Regent's Park I feel tired like I have had a proper work-out, but I also feel a real buzz on my ride home through London. I feel high, and I also feel blessed that I can do such a work-out in central London and then ride home via some of the most famous monuments and landmarks in the world.

As I get fitter I do plan to do more laps, and I will probably set off earlier now that the mornings are lighter. Even if I get there at 6am I am sure I will find riders circling Regent's Park.

My Regents Park ride on Strava

Bike Review: Canyon Roadlite WMN CF 8.0

For those of you who are after a bike for keeping fit and doing longer endurance rides, but without necessarily using a road racing bike, this could be an option to consider.

Canyon Roadlite WMN CF 8.0

The Canyon Roadlite women-specific bike is designed with that in mind. It has the same geometry and specifications as other women's road racing bikes in the Canyon range, except that the bike has straight handlebars.

Canyon lent me this bike to try out earlier this year, so I had the chance to ride it in different situations and different places. I wrote a review of it for the now closed Total Women's Cycling website, which you may also wish to read.

I did a ride up north in the Yorkshire Wolds, and took it around country lanes just outside Beverley and a few of the hills in that area. The hills weren't quite Nunburnolme Hill proportions but in the areas of Millington Dale, then later, South Cave and Elloughton, where I went, the hills were still steep enough. My other rides were more leisurely rides in Surrey - namely Box Hill and the areas around Epsom. Since the frame is carbon fibre, it was very light and so it was very responsive when pedalling, and really took me up the hills with relative ease.

Women's geometry and cut-away saddle for comfort

The main thing for me, was the lack of dropped handlebars. I wouldn't normally ride a bike like that when doing a serious training ride, and it felt a little bit weird just having straight bars to hold, particularly on the descents. But really, it was something that I got used to quite quickly - especially given that it's no different a sensation from doing a descent with a mountain bike.

Like a lot of road bikes now, the Roadlite has disc brakes, so you have good control when doing a steep descent.
As with other bikes from Canyon, you have a choice of spec depending on your preference and your budget. The bike is available with an aluminium frame and Shimano 105 components, rather than Ultegra or Durace.

Overall, I would recommend this bike for those who want to take the next step up from leisure bike riding, but without necessarily getting into the sharp end of cycle racing. The women-specific geometry and the saddle make it a comfortable ride over long distances, of around 50 miles - which is the longest ride I did. If joining one of the beginner groups on the local club run or a British Cycling Breeze Ride, you wouldn't look out of place on this. Also, those who are big on mountain biking and want to ride on the road without using fat tyres may also find this bike a good option.

My review of the Canyon Roadlite WMN CF 8.0 on Total Women's Cycling webiste.


Related Post
Canyon's grand ideas for women-specific bikes

Tackling the Rapha Festive 500

In recent years I have found my regular cycling mileage steadily drop to almost recreational levels. When I was in Milan my commuting miles were just 6 miles per day along pan-flat terrain, and although I made an effort to get out and ride at weekends in the lovely testing hills around Lake Como and the Oltrepo Pavese region, I was only getting out and doing this type training ride once every couple of weeks, since weekends would frequently be spent travelling to London or elsewhere.

Things didn't improve when I was in Macclesfield either.  Again, the great training terrain of the Peak District, the Goyt Valley and Macclesfield Forest were on my doorstep. However, I was returning to London every other weekend, and my commuting miles were just 3 miles, albeit over undulating terrain.


So since starting to live in London full-time, last summer I have come to realise how much fitness I have lost from my former self. It has been great to get back to doing my regular 10-mile hilly commute into Central London from Crystal Palace, as well as my weekend rides. Although regular, different significant events in my life and health matters have meant I wasn't able to spend as much time out on my bike, or ride to a high intensity.

But now, I feel it is time to get back to the good old days when I could ride 150 miles + per week through commuting and riding a decent weekend ride. It would be lovely to feel fit enough to properly ride cyclosportives to my potential, not just aiming to survive them. I would also like to have the base fitness that to do high intensity competitive cycling.

It is now time to break the old cycle [pardon the pun] and reinvigorate my bike riding. So what better way to do so than by taking part in the Rapha Festive 500. Basically, I am challenging myself to ride 500km between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

In theory, it should, be doable. This distance, 500km (or 310 miles) is roughly what people can do when on a week-long warm-weather training camp in Mallorca or Lanzarote. But that's the rub. The Rapha Festive 500 is a global challenge, so those folks in southern hemisphere countries like Australia or South America won't have trouble completing these distances during their long, warm summer days. Even the climatic conditions in Spain or the Canary Islands at this time of year are quite mild.

Here in the UK it's another matter. With sunrise being after 8am, and darkness falling by 4pm a long bike-ride, on country lanes gets harder to fit in. Of course there's also the weather to consider. People in Northern England and Scotland are experiencing two sets of strong storms, and down here in London it has been very windy. No, these short, grim, cold days don't inpsire people to get out on a bike. So achieving 500km this week will be an achievement for me - not just because I will have endured the inclement conditions, but also because I will be able to say I have given a very healthy boost to my cycling fitness.

You can get in the 500km any which way - as bite size 70km stages, or as a couple of ultra-long rides if that's the way you want to do it. My friend, Annaleena Piel Linna did Paris-Roubaix-London last year. I considered doing London-Paris and back. But in the end I have chosen to stay home and do My Tour de Londres.

The plan is to ride from London to the home counties surrounding London tracing routes as near as possible in the shape of the spokes of a bicycle wheel - maybe with a hub and a bit of the rim! Stages will be between 50 and 100km, depending on the day, given that I will also be juggling these rides with a few running events and a cyclocross race.


It'll be a long road, but I will give it my best shot. So keep an eye out for my posts on how I've been getting on.

Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 2

If you're looking for new wheels for next year here are a few ideas based on bikes I have tried and bikes I just like:

Raleigh Mustang Sport

I have tested out the Raleigh Mustang Sport gravel  bike quite a lot this year and it's been good to me.  Some people have been a little sceptical about the point of this style of bike. But I just consider it to be a great all-round bike that can be used on and off-road. Think of it as something that can work well on slightly more rugged terrain than a forest trail, but without the chunkiness of a mountain bike.


It is also great for carrying bits and pieces if you are carrying your provisions for multi-terrain cycle touring, or just commuting. And of course if you are just going to be riding on tarmac you can always put on thick slick tyres. There are other bikes available in the Mustang range if you are looking for something harder core or lighter.

The Trott range of bikes from Laura Trott Kenny have been gradually making their presence known on the streets and lanes around the country. I have been testing out the RD2, and have found this good value for money. It's a decent entry level bike if you are making the step up to cycling as a sport. I found it nice and light on the hills and you can pick up a decent speed on the flat.

My old favourite is the Boardman Team Carbon women's bike. I have ridden different incarnations of this bike since when they were first publicly on sale around 2010, and they have never failed to disappoint.  The latest version still has the same basic geometry, though with small tweaks to give comfort when riding long distances such as in a cyclosportive event or a long training ride. These are perfectly good bikes to race with as well.

Visually I like how this bike doesn't have any pink or flowers or anything girly about it, but everything in the form is female specific. Boardman have also managed to keep the cost well within the £1,000 mark (In fact it is currently retailing at £799, down from £999) so it can be purchased on the Cycle to Work scheme, meaning you only end up paying £400 for the bike. Now that's good value.

Liv Fluorish FS

Finally, I wanted to add in the Liv Flourish FS hybrid. I am always on the look-out for a nice sit-up-and-beg hybrid for when running errands or going on picnics. These bikes really make cycle riding a pleasure and I feel I can take life easy, and enjoy the environment around me.



What I particularly like about the Flourish FS is that although it looks like an old fashioned "Call the Midwife" bike, it has got a bit of performance, as city bikes go.


The frame is made from lightweight aluminium, there's a triple chain ring giving a choice of gears from the 21 speeds available, and the fork even has suspension, with 40mm of travel. Get you! Liv as a brand is not so well known in the UK, but just think Giant and that should give you a better idea of them. Liv is the women-specific arm of this well established name in bike gear, so you can't go wrong on quality. I look forward to seeing more of their gear in 2017.


Related Posts
Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 1

Bike Review: Raleigh Mustang Sport Gravel Bike

Bike Review: Trott RD2 road bike

Bike Review: Boardman Team Carbon women's bike