What makes a good road cycling 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.
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.
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.
Bonus suggestion: High Wycombe
(Outside of London)
Here’s a bonus suggestion of an 18 mile route near High Wycombe.
Also from road bike week:
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.
When I am in London as I am coming only on business now and staying at the hilton on paddington I usually do a ~120K (74miles) ride to oxford which is a fantastic route and take the train that takes me straight back to paddington in London, here is my route :
http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=256619
I did a lot of long rides around London when I was living there and that’s one of the best IMHO it goes really by nice and quiet roads.
I used to live in Twickenham and loved the fact I could just start riding south and venturing through the Surrey Hills and sometimes down to Brighton and catch the train back.
My favourite loop was to go out west towards Ascot then down through Woking towards Box Hill and then back home, made for a good training ride.
Hop on the Met Line to Rickmansworth and hey presto you’r in the countryside. Here’s one of my routes http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Circular-Day-Ride-from-Rickmansworth
Liam
Great post, I look forward to trying some of the routes in the future. I’d suggest that you needn’t get the train out to Richmond though. I commute through E1 to Teddington via Richmond Park everyday and really like my route. I’ve set up a map at http://bit.ly/citytorichpark, which you might like to try.
John
These are the main routes I use – http://teddington-cycle-rides.map-blogs.com/ – although I have ventured out as far as Worthing on some of my longer rides. The Peaslake route – http://teddington-cycle-rides.map-blogs.com/love-hills/ has one particularly lovely cake stop and one particularly hilly hill in it 🙂
I am new in the city (but the first thing I did when I arrived was to buy my bike hehe) and I just discovered your blog! This is very useful guide, thanks for sharing it! I’ll check out one of your routes this weekend (if weather allows me) 😉
Thanks so much for the Essex route Andreas – I regularly cycle in and around epping forest but never thought of venturing out into the countryside. I took 3 friends with me on sunday to do the route – they’d only ever used their bikes for commuting – and they absolutely loved it, as did I. We went to The Owl pub on Lippits Hill inside the forest for celebratory food & drinks afterwards too, was a great day out 🙂
I especially loved the second half of the route, was so quiet! I did a training ride this morning from hackney and used the second half of the loop (adding a bit extra near toot hill) along with my usual route, loved it! Was 55 miles in total. Heres the links…
Google maps – http://j.mp/oIuHx3
garmin – http://connect.garmin.com/activity/114035234
Thanks again Andreas
Pleased to hear the route was thoroughly enjoyed and thanks for the extra tips such as the pub stop.
I like it whenever people get together and share ideas.
Great blog, keep it up!
Hey Andreas, great list out there.
What are your thoughts on the iconic Herne Hill Velodrome? We have found the facilities there to be simply magnificent. – MA.
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How far is the Epping Forest route? Looks great