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It would be lovely to be able to cycle along the riverside throughout London. But since the Thames frontage is all too often claimed by busy roads, it can sometimes be safer to venture ‘inland’. This route is a good demonstration of that.
National Cycle Network route 4 follows the Chelsea Embankment on a shared-use path before heading into Pimlico along Lupus Street. Take care when crossing Lambeth Bridge, and especially, at the junction by Lambeth North tube station. Once you’ve passed that, though, Baylis Road has reasonable cycle lanes, which lead into the traffic-calmed The Cut. The attractive, narrow Union Street takes you towards Borough and London Bridge.
Cycling along the periphery of London’s Royal Parks can be a good way to avoid traffic. In this route from Waterloo to Paddington, crossing the Thames on Westminster Bridge is inevitably busy; but once you’ve got past Parliament Square, the cycling is quiet and easy.
It follows Horse Guards Road along the edge of St James’s Park, before continuing alongside the Mall and Constitution Hill at the edge of Green Park. Toucan crossings take you safely across Hyde Park Corner via the central island, and from there it’s a pleasant ride along the always-popular track past Speakers’ Corner.
Hackney’s policy of closing through passage to cars, thereby creating more bike-friendly streets, creates this useful route to the City. It’s not all plain sailing, especially as you continue towards Liverpool Street, but it’s a good alternative to the Kingsland Road or the Old Street roundabout. It passes right through the heart of fashionable Hoxton and Shoreditch, and the Cyclelab Juice Bar is en route should you need a pick-me-up.
Most cyclists leap at the opportunity to avoid the Euston Road, the A road that marks the northern boundary of the Congestion Charge and as such is always busy. Fortunately, there are alternatives on quiet streets.
This westbound route runs parallel without too many turns to remember. It benefits from a few well-chosen cycle paths: the excellent track along Tavistock Place and Torrington Place, and the cut-throughs south of St Pancras. It’s a justly popular route, especially as it runs straight past several UCL buildings.
One-way streets mean that it doesn’t quite work in reverse, but this variation will get you safely from west to east.
With over 10,000 members, the London Cycling Campaign is easily Britain's biggest. It has the ear of Transport for London (TfL) and the London boroughs, and has recently started campaigning for Dutch-style segregated bike lanes. Perhaps its greatest strength is its local groups, whose terrier-like tenacity ensures that no highway development goes through without the cyclist's voice being heard. Member benefits include an excellent professional monthly magazine, discounts at bike shops, and free legal advice.
Nowhere has more; from large, well-respected chains to back-street mechanics who've been servicing local bikes for 30 years. The larger groups all stock a range of big-name brands and the usual accessories. Some also have their own bike brands, such as Evans Cycles’ Pinnacle.
Even if your needs are fulfilled by one of these, do explore the capital’s quirkier independent retailers, if only for the experience. There are specialists in vintage bikes, in Japanese-style fixed wheel bikes, in classic Dutch bikes, in recumbents, and so on. The smaller retailers generally tend to be located in Zone 2 and further out, while the big chains have branches everywhere.
Check out our full listings to find your nearest.
cycle.travel, of course! Online, also take a look at our friends at CycleStreets and OpenCycleMap.
In print, TfL produces a series of free area maps. You can pick them up from local bike shops or libraries, or order online (maximum six maps per order).
We believe that the streets of London should be made safe enough for anyone to ride without training. Until that happy day, cycle training is worth considering if your ride to work regularly takes you along busy roads. Courses are also available in bike maintenance, if you’re not confident in replacing an inner tube or adjusting your brakes but would like to learn.
Most London boroughs organise free or subsidised training. You can find out what’s available in your area via the TfL website. You can also book your own training through commercial providers and bike co-ops; check out the listings on the TfL site and in your local bike shop.
London probably has more blogging cyclists than the rest of Britain put together: informative, campaigning and angry in equal measure. We couldn’t begin to list them all here, but I Bike London and Cyclists in the City are two excellent starting points; check their sidebars for more links. The London Cyclist blog is another good, regularly-updated roundup of all things cycling in the city. For the dedicated fixie rider, the LFGSS forum is a lively virtual café.
Made in the Cotswolds. Published by Éditions Système D Ltd.
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