Finding the best places to cycle in London is easy. They are all inside the above eBook!

The new version builds upon the previous 30 rides adding 5 more routes. If you’ve been following the blog for the past week then you may have spotted the teasers I posted. There’s the Swinley Forest “thing’s are going to get muddy” mountain bike route and the gentle ride around Hampstead Heath. This takes you to some of the most beautiful parts of North London.

Inside the expanded 35 route edition there are another two rides that are great for road cyclists. Perfect if you are looking for somewhere to stretch the legs and test out the road bike. The locations are must-see. There’s a beautiful ride around the Surrey Hills on a route dotted with the best in English pubs. There’s also a ride out by Epping Forest for those who prefer the road to the muddy trails.

On the other end of the scale, for those just getting started in their cycling adventures there’s a really gentle new ride in central London. It also makes an ideal ride for a family day out.

These new London cycle routes along with the 30 other rides, some of which have been revised, are available to download instantly by clicking here.

I find the eBook format to be the best for two reasons. The first is the flexibility. The eBook can be displayed on any device that can read PDF’s and that’s pretty much all devices these days. From your Android phone to your Kindle. Secondly, it gives you the choice to follow the ride in any way you want. Print out the map, follow it on your Garmin or load it up on your phone. It’s up to you!

The rides are scattered all over London so you can simply pick the one nearest to you or pick out the one that sounds most appealing. Each cycle route contains a number of recommended pub and cafe stops as well as interesting things to see along the way. It’s a great way to discover more of London.

With 100s of downloads since the first version was released in March of last year, we’ve also built up a nice bank of positive reviews that you can see here. Version three expands on the types of routes that were most requested from feedback.

For £7.95 you can download the 35 routes now from this link.

The map below shows the location of the 35 rides

View 35 London Cycle Routes in a larger map

Note: If you’ve already paid for and downloaded the London Cycle Routes eBook then there should be an email in your inbox with instructions to download the new version.

In the busy city of London, it’s reassuring to discover peaceful retreats such as Hampstead Heath. It is an area with a distinct village feel to it. Which is all the more contrasting when you consider how near to central London you are. I was kicking myself that I didn’t include this very special ride in the first edition of the London Cycle Routes eBook. There’s so much to experience here. You’ll discover a secluded pergola, the swimming ponds of Hampstead Heath and sweeping views over London.

Riding the route

The London Overground provides bicycle friendly access to Hampstead. The ride starts just outside the station, in an area filled with small shops and excellent pubs. However, it’s best to leave any eating to the end of the ride as there’s a couple of big hills to tackle first.

After a short uphill section you reach Back Lane. Near here there are plenty of small boutiques specialising in everything from clothing to antiques. Continuing uphill you pass Hampstead Village and take a turn along back roads.

At the top of the hill you reach a small man-made pond. You really feel like you are at the top of London.

The next part of the ride takes you to the undiscovered Hampstead Pergola. You’ll find it by sneaking down Inverforth Close and keeping to the left. The garden is open until 6pm and the chances are you’ll be one of only a couple of visitors.

The Pergola started life as an private Edwardian venue for garden parties and evening strolls. It was acquired by the then London County Council in 1960 and has been open to the public since 1963.

Pickup your bike again and head downhill for a short exploration of the gorgeous houses in this expensive part of London. Pedalling back up, you reach Hampstead Lane and eventually join the cycle path.

Turning left you enter Hampstead Heath. The Heath incorporates hilly meadows, large open grassy spaces and woodland to create one of the most beautiful spots for cycling or walking in London. Cycling is permitted on a couple of designated routes through the park which are shared with walkers. The official speed limit is 8mph so make sure you keep your fingers on the brakes. After all, there’s no point speeding through such an extraordinarily beautiful area.

Follow the cycle route through the park and to the Highgate ponds. If you’ve packed your swimming costume then the men’s ponds are open for swimming on the right side of the route and the women’s are slightly further North. There’s also a mixed pond on the other side of Heath but this is only open in the summer.

Continuing, you exit the park briefly only to re-enter at Parliament Hill fields. If the sun is shining then this part of the route will undoubtedly be busy. There are some excellent activities in this area for kids which include the paddling pool.

You then pedal back to the station and take an optional detour uphill to Parliament Hill. This is one of the highest spots in London and provides splendid views.

How to follow this ride

This ride is part of the London Cycle Routes eBook. The eBook shows you around the best of London through 35 amazing rides. To download the Hampstead Heath sample ride follow the below link:

http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hampstead-heath-cycle-route.pdf

See also:

• Swinley forest cycle route

Living in central London means the little quiet country lanes that are excellent for road cycling are often a short train ride away. Therefore, when I’m researching a good route I tend to look for easy train access. Ideally, I want the cycle route to be a good 25-40 miles so that it gives me a good workout and it’s an enjoyably long ride. This usually takes me around 2-3 hours of cycling time, depending on how much I feel like pushing myself.

Ideally, I also don’t wish to spend my whole time working out directions. Plus, it’s more fun if you are not constantly stopping at junctions. Therefore, the route should be fairly simple.

Perhaps the best part is the surroundings you cycle in. A good route will take me down roads I wouldn’t normally see if I was driving and hopefully that also means there won’t be too many cars around.

With these factors in mind, I present to you these excellent London road bike routes.

(See also: Where to go mountain biking in London?)

Chingford & Epping Forest Road Route

(North London bike route)

Epping Forest is a favourite destination for mountain bikers. However, the surrounding area is also fantastic for road cycling. Hop on the train to Chingford where rolling countryside, tiny villages and quiet country lanes await. A perfect route for road cycling.

Google map of route | GPS route download

Surrey

(South West London bike route)

Special thanks to London Cyclist reader Paul Williams for this contribution.

A pleasant and occasionally challenging 34 mile road cycling route setting off from South West London near Surrey.

Google map of route

Richmond Park

(Central West London bike route)

The London Cyclist road bike week would be incomplete without a mention of Richmond Park. A favourite retreat for London’s road cyclists. It’s hard to pick a more beautiful setting. The park offers sweeping green views intersected with the occasional deer and other wildlife. If it’s somewhere you haven’t visited yet then I strongly recommend it.

Google Map

Olympic cycling along Box Hill

(South London bike route)

If you’ve ever watched the Tour of Britain on TV and thought to yourself that looks easy, then here’s your chance to prove your worth. This is a copy of the route that will be followed by the cyclists taking part in the 2012 road race. London Cyclist Ian has a write up on the Box Hill section of the route here.

GPS route download

Bonus suggestion: High Wycombe

(Outside of London)

Here’s a bonus suggestion of an 18 mile route near High Wycombe.

GPS route download

Also from road bike week:

• 3 road bikes that perform beyond their price point
• Why a road bike?

Looking for more road cycling routes?

• 30 London Cycle Routes – the eBook by London Cyclist contains 30 amazing routes around London
• London Bike Rides iPhone app – the iPhone version helps you follow the routes using the iPhone GPS.

With good weather on the way I’m planning a little trip along London’s canals. This is the route I’ll be taking.

There’s a fantastic pub on the Thames called The Grapes. It was mentioned in the Charles Dickens novel “Our Mutual Friend” and if you get there when it isn’t too busy then it’s an excellent spot for a pint.

The great thing is, between my house and the pub you can complete the majority of the route along Regents Canal.

It’s a route steeped in industrial history with fantastic pub and cafe stops and a non-stop green setting.

I’ll be joining it from near Regent’s Park. Pedalling towards Camden and through King’s Cross I won’t encounter a single car. Then, if we’ve set off early enough, it’s breakfast in Angel along the Camden Passage which has the Breakfast Club.

With a full stomach, it will be back to the gentle pace of the canal path. We’ll pass The Narrowboat and Towpath. Which are two amazing spots to stop for a drink and food.

Then, it’s onwards, past Victoria Park and Mile End Park. Eventually, after the Limehouse Link it will time for a pint.

Easily one of the most pleasant cycle routes in London.

Of course, it’s in the London Cycle Routes eBook.

Are you planning any cycling this weekend?

See also:

• London cycle routes eBook

This is a 250km route or 156 mile route that starts off and ends at The Mall. London Cyclist blog reader Iain has already covered the Box Hill section of the route. This is where most people will want to spectate as the male cyclists do a total of nine loops and the female cyclists go round twice.

Other good viewing spots for the Olympic Road Race

If you don’t fancy the Trek over to Box Hill then the route has plenty more interesting sections from which to view the action. Not least of which is at the Mall where, fingers crossed, team Great Britain will be clocking in some medals. However, this is likely to be very packed.

From there the Olympic cycling route heads past Buckingham Palace which will no doubt be an ideal spot for an iconic picture. This is one of the spots where you can watch all the cyclists riding off, go grab some food and then watch their return later in the day. While they are destroying calories at a rate never seen before you can enjoy a good pub lunch. No pain, no pain!

From there on the A308 goes through Knightsbridge and Chelsea providing plenty of opportunities to watch and yet not strafe too far away from central London. This is also a good place for shopping.

Once over the Thames the Olympic cycling route makes its way to Richmond Park. Again this is a good viewing spot, especially for the hill climbs. Although, as anyone who has ridden in Richmond Park will tell you, these are far from the most challenging.

From there things continue into West London and the next big park with a good viewing position is Bushy Park. While you are there Hampton Court Palace with it’s fountains, gardens and famous maze is a must see.

After Bushy Park, if you are making the effort to head so far out of London you’ll probably most want to catch the action along the A25. This road intersects plenty of nice village pubs and coffee shops which you can step out of view the action as the cyclists speed past. The villages of Sphere, Gomshall, Abinger Hammer, Wotton and Westcott are likely to be popular.

From then on the route continues to Box Hill. Where the main action will happen such as key breakaways.

The route then works its way through picturesque little South London parks which make for excellent picnic spots. Although, if that is your tactic for the day then you may as well catch the action going and coming back from Richmond Park.

To review the entire ride you can check it out here.

If you are visiting London then you’ll also be looking for a place to stay

Hotels are likely to be packed and expensive during the Olympic events in London. Another option is to use Roomorama. This allows you to rent rooms, apartments and homes. If you are making a break from London during the Olympics it’s also worth noting as a good website to list your apartment for rental.

Roomorama provides good rates, secure payment and is also partnered up with various travel service providers to provide cool perks such as discounted mobile internet access.

Most of the apartments are aimed at mid to high-end working professionals and families. Although, there’s something in there for budget travellers too.

You can take a look at the accommodations available for the London Olympic Games.

“But what would mamma say if I risk life and death to cycle in San Francisco – Andreas you are crazy, I won’t do this!”

I reassured my Italian friend, who unfortunately doesn’t use the word Mamma or have a strong Italian accent.

“It will be perfectly safe and we won’t be cycling with traffic – trust me!”

The second part was a little white lie. Part of our route was to involve cycling on the road. However, as I was about to discover, in San Francisco drivers give you more than enough room.

On our second day in San Francisco I took a quick glance at my Lonely Planet and plotted our route. I then located a nearby bike rental from Avenue Cyclery, rented a couple of Trek bikes for around $40, grabbed a quick holiday snap and off we went!

Fortunately, my friend Rob, who hadn’t cycled in over 10 years, took to cycling like a duck to water. Truly a skill you never forget. On the first section of the route we were pedalling through Golden Gate Park on the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Despite being a fast and downhill ride through Golden Gate Park it took longer than expected proving my complete inability to estimate distances! What I realise now is that Golden Gate Park is actually 20% larger than Central Park at over 3 miles long. Of course, pedalling quickly through the park isn’t something you’ll want to do. It truly is a gorgeous green expanse that you can see why it was the scene of much of the hippie revolution during the Summer of Love.

At the end of the ride we reached the Pacific Ocean.

This is another beautiful spot to pose for a picture. However, we needed to return the bikes by six and was unsure of how long it would take to ride so we got moving. This time uphill towards Golden Gate Bridge.

To get there we followed the coast as much as we could and took routes using the El Camino del Mar trail. At points we had to dismount the bikes and carry them up stairs but we were rewarded with picturesque teasing views of Golden Gate Bridge along the way. 

Needless to say the coast line here is incredible. Whilst I saw the Grand Canyon and, to be honest, wasn’t overly enthused, I can easily say the coast on this side of San Francisco as well as along route 1 was something I couldn’t stop taking pictures of.

After we made our way through Lincoln Park we continued to pedal upwards, much to the dissatisfaction of my travelling buddy. This part of San Francisco must be one of the richest if the house fronts are anything to go by and the views the area provides. Pedalling here was a real pleasure.

Finally, we reached Golden Gate Bridge. Here, we had our first and fortunately only brush with the law during our trip. We tried to pedal on the side meant for pedestrians only and were promptly stopped by a police officer. She explained we were on the wrong side and using our heaviest of English accents we apologised and walked back to get to the left side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Remember, our American cousins enjoy driving on the right side of the road so you’ll probably want to do the same when cycling.

The Golden Gate Bridge is an awe inspiring steel structure. Pedalling across it required a little cautiousness, as cyclists could often appear at high speeds. Just remember, if they shout “left” it means they are overtaking you on your left.

Reaching the other side you can then coast down a steep hill to head towards Sausalito. We took it in turns to overtake each other providing a Tour De France style commentary.

After a short ride we stopped off for food somewhere with a view of Angel Island and Alcatraz. Of course, the portions were huge and we were quickly getting used to reaching half way through a meal and being completely full.

If you’ve rented your bike from other vendors then there is the option of taking the ferry to return. However, our bike rental was on the other side of San Francisco so the ferry didn’t suit us. This is a personal preference as to which ride you want to try but I preferred choosing a route that starts off at Golden Gate Park.

After a short call to check in with the family. “Hey mom I’m in San Francisco! Yes, the weather is nice” and a long call by my Italian friend to his family (Italians love their families) we set off on the slow pedal back.

Unfortunately, this involved following largely the same ride we took before but we cut across 25th Avenue to get back a little faster. We didn’t really mind as the route was so beautiful.

We returned our bikes and I congratulated my mate on his pedalling skills, teased him at being scared of riding in traffic and grabbed a bus back to our hotel. This was easily one of my highlights of the 2 week trip.

If you’d like to do the same trip

• Tons of bike rental places in San Francisco but we used Avenue Cyclery
• I’ve posted up a rough map of our route below
• For flight comparison my secret weapon is momondo.com which always beats the price of Expedia etc
• We found the Best Western Hotels offer good value for money
• Temperatures in San Francisco vary wildly so pack a warm top

View Golden Gate Park over Golden Gate Bridge by Bike in a larger map

May I take this opportunity to also say thank you to the people who emailed me with local tips and advice on San Francisco and the west coast in general. It is hugely appreciated and you made a big difference to my trip!

If you don’t fancy travelling 5500 miles for this bike ride then why not try one of my 30 London bike rides in London.

See also:

• 30 London bike rides to try this weekend
• 10 lessons learnt from cycle commuting for a year
• East London bike ride
• Bicycle rental in London

When I first started living here I mixed things up and chose between the different rides. However, as it became clear the fastest route was the first one down the A-road I’ve been using it almost exclusively.

It would be the same thing if I was commuting to Canary Wharf. From where I live you could actually do 70% of the ride traffic-free. You’d simply hop on the canal at the nearest opportunity and follow it all the way down to the Limehouse Basin.

The question is: What do you prefer? The most direct and often busiest route or the quietest route? Or do you balance the two?

I’m going to hazard a guess here and say most people opt for the most direct route that tends to be the fastest.

Your answers on a postcard please… (i.e. in the comments below)

See also:

• London cycle routes eBook
• Helmet cameras for safety or pleasure
• Which pedals do you recommend for commuting?

Here are the updates..

5 new routes added

The main feedback people sent me was: “Great stuff! Simply add more of the same!”. That is exactly what I’ve done with 5 exciting new London cycling routes. I’m very pleased with the new rides as they cover some beautiful parts of London.

A new ride in North London covers off some of the undiscovered parks. Then over in South-West London there is a fantastic mountain bike route. I’ve also added an easy traffic-free route along the Lea Navigation and a tough ride along the challenging hills near Biggin Hill that I’m sure roadies will appreciate.

GPS, KML and now TCX

Garmin users can rejoice as the download now includes TCX files so you can easily load them into your device.

How to use the GPS files

What sets the London Cycling Routes eBook apart from other offerings is the included GPS files. Unfortunately, a lot of people didn’t know how to use them. Which is a shame because following the route on your mobile phone makes life so much easier. Therefore I’ve added clear instructions of how to use the GPS files.

Maps are now even easier to follow

If the maps were not easy enough to follow before, they are now even easier. All the original 25 rides have had their maps updated.

Google Maps

The London Cycling Routes eBook now has a link to the route on Google Maps. As was requested by a couple of people. This makes it very easy to visualise the ride before you set off or to print off any extra maps.

Twitter and Facebook integration

Let your friends know about the great rides you’ve discovered and the one your about to head off on.

Now easier and faster to view each ride

The original PDF was 25mb in size! Making it tough for some computers to open. I’ve split it up into individual files. Not only are they faster to load but it is now far easier to pick a ride, view it and print if off!

How to download the London Cycle Routes eBook

If you want to discover some of the best places to go cycling in London then the eBook can now be instantly downloaded from this link. It costs just £6.95 until Wednesday 12pm and you can pay either using a Paypal account or a Credit Card.

Click here to download now

Look forward to hearing what people think of the new eBook…

My test ride with TfL would finally put to rest which of the two visions would become a daily reality for 1000s of London Cyclists. Would it truly be continuous lanes that provide a safe and direct route into the capital. Or would it be more of a marketing gimmick, a glorified cycle lane that is a missed opportunity for real progress.

The first two of the cycle superhighways are on track for their completion date of the 19th of July. After this we will see an incremental increase in cycle lanes with two more superhighways being added every year. These two cycle superhighway routes are pilot routes and while a lot of criticism has been coming in it’s important to note that up until the 19th of July they are still not officially finished. In fact the final thing we will see is the signage being added and the last road markings going in on busy junctions.

Smurf lanes

The main criticism of the cycle superhighways is also the most obvious: “It’s just a lick of blue paint”. This is justified as large parts of the first two routes already existed as the more traditional green cycle lanes. However, TfL were keen to stress that a lot has gone into it that we don’t see. For example, the road surface has been re-done in many areas that were suffering from potholes. There’s also been a lot of behind the scenes engineering work, planning and testing. The blue paint has been running through light box tests where they run a tyre over it many times to test it doesn’t fade. A couple of previous revisions of the paint used have been scrapped as they were found to fade far too easily.

There are three types of road surface in use for the superhighways. The surface you will see near the junctions is high-friction to prevent accidents. I raised the reports that have been coming in of slippery road surfaces. TfL told me that they’ve run extensive tests and not found the paint used to be slippery.

Talking to Nigel Hardy I was also very keen to raise the point of “why the blue?” and “why call it a superhighway?”

Branding was the short answer. Perhaps fears of a “marketing gimmick” were coming true. The hope with the branding is to make drivers aware that high volumes of cyclists will be travelling along this route. It also makes it easier for cyclists to follow the route and know where it is leading them.

Why not segregate?

Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Rio De Janeiro, Barcelona. All places I’ve seen segregated cycling infrastructure work well. It’s one of the main things cyclists request to feel safer. A small barrier between drivers and cyclists would surely make this more of a cycle “super” highway.

Segregation however, is not something that is being considered for the cycle superhighways. TfL said the routes are simply not being used frequently enough to warrant separation of traffic. It is only during peak hours that you will see many cyclists in the lanes. TfL claim that segregating the lanes would create many problems for loading vehicles. They also claim that cyclists don’t want to be treated differently to other vehicles.

TfL are more keen to address the problem of motorists in cycle lanes through police enforcement, branding and working with companies to ensure their drivers are not blocking the lanes during peak hours. The experience of cyclists will tell if this approach will have the desired effect.

Direct and continuous cycle superhighways

Cyclists have also been raising concern about how continuous the cycle lanes are. Around 80% of the route is covered by the blue lanes. The other 20% involves blue boxes with CS markings in them and crossings at junctions. The break in the continuity is meant to inform cyclists that they need to pay extra attention. It is used when a continues blue lane was deemed inappropriate.

A super experience

Riding the superhighway side-by-side with Nigel Hardy, which is barely possible along much of the route as the lanes are often just 1.5 metres wide, I wondered what he thought beginner cyclists would think of the experience.

As we stood at the final junction of our tour with Nigel pointing in various directions and explaining to me what cyclists need to do to pass this complicated junction I thought it was the right time to ask the question.

His response is perhaps the ultimate conclusion to the cycle superhighways. Without training he wouldn’t expect them to feel very happy riding along this busy A-road even with the superhighways in place.

A cycle superhighway should surely be designed to give beginners that confidence they need to tackle London’s roads. It should be a pleasure to ride along without any fear. This was my experience of the equivalent of superhighways in other countries and unfortunately it was not the same in London.

In the end the superhighways are a compromise. On one side you have organisations such as the LCC and bicycle activists calling for more to be done. On the other you have motorists. TfL and the Mayor have to try to decide how the two sides can work together. There has been a lot of obstacles to overcome in order to complete the first two routes. Whilst it remains hard to discover the “super” in the cycle superhighways they are a positive step forward in the vision to make London a cyclist friendly city.

See also:

• Two visions for the cycle superhighways
• What cyclists think of the cycle superhighways
• Barclays Cycle Hire
• What the 12 cycle superhighways will mean for London Cyclists

You may share similar aspirations. If you can get a day off work or have a free weekend then why not. Here’s how you go about getting Wimbledon tickets and getting yourself there by bike.

How to get Wimbledon Tickets

Put together with the help this great post on Londonist detailing How to queue and also the information on British Tennis website.

You generally have three options. The first is to look the night before on the Ticketmaster website at around 8.30pm to see if you can get a ticket online. The second is to queue on the day from Gate 3 and the third is to queue overnight to maximise your chances in Wimbledon Park.

• Queuing starts the night before in Wimbledon Park. The earlier you turn up the better (6-8pm). You are given a card that shows your place in the queue upon arriving.
• You can camp overnight at Wimbledon Park where you are woken up at 6am.
• You then queue up again and are given a ticket.
• One ticket per person and payment in cash.
• You will probably need to leave a bag with the left luggage (only £1 per item).

How to get to Wimbledon by bike

Two of the car parks have bicycle parking for anyone cycling to Wimbledon. This year it is car park 6 and car park 8.

I’ve contacted Wimbledon to see if people wishing to camp overnight can leave their bikes there and it doesn’t look too promising as the car parks close. Therefore, you are better off leaving your bike somewhere nearby (Making sure to lock it safely with 2 locks).

If you are looking for a nice quiet route to Wimbledon I’ve mapped one here that uses national cycle network route 37 and 20. This sets off from central London near Battersea Park and takes in part of the beautiful River Wandle which is one of the routes in the London Cycle Routes eBook.

Wimbledon Route on EveryTrail

Image via: Not enough megapixels Flickr

See also:

1. Making the move to bike panniers
2. 25 London Cycling Routes
3. Are you guilty of racing other cyclists?
4. Bike computer guide