BIKES
VICTORIA PARK TO EPPING FOREST
PUTNEY TO HAMPTON COURT ALONG THE THAMES
HYDE PARK TO CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN
LEE VALLEY MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL
BIKES
Cycling is one of the best ways to see London. Thanks to significant investment in cycling infrastructure, it’s getting easier to get from A to B by bike. Many roads have bike lanes separated with a concrete hump from the traffic, while painted blue cycle superhighways allow cyclists to zip across the capital. Be alert: try to avoid squeezing down the left-hand side of a bus or lorry, staying well clear altogether if it’s turning, and keep your eyes peeled for taxis and buses that pull in frequently. Note that you can’t take bikes on buses or the tube, but they should be fine to go on mainline train services outside of rush-hour. London’s a great city to explore on two wheels – it’s often the quickest way so strap a helmet on and enjoy the ride.
BROCKWELL PARK TO DULWICH
After a quick dip in Brockwell Lido, or a swift coffee at the formidable Lido Café, hop on your steed and exit the park by the Bullfinch Brewery. The roads between Herne Hill and Dulwich are bordered by white picket fences and feel more English village than south London. The ride between the two parks shouldn’t take longer than 25 minutes, so if you want to, extend your ride with a loop around Dulwich Park. Detour to the American rose gardens to revel in the fragrant flowers, or kick back and have an ice cream by the boating pond if it’s a real scorcher of a day. On a chillier or more overcast day, stop off in the brilliant Dulwich Picture Gallery, with its collection of early twentieth-century paintings, for a browse and refuel before riding back towards Herne Hill. This is a perfect family bike ride to get kids acclimatised to cycling on London’s backstreets.
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Distance: 2 miles one way, 4 miles round-trip
Terrain: Gentle
Getting there: 
Herne Hill
RAINHAM MARSHES
Part of the Thames Estuary, Rainham Marshes’ 411 hectares of low-lying land is managed by the RSPB and is home to plenty of birds, insects and the rare water vole. Waders and lapwings call as you peddle your bike around the marshes. If you don’t have a bike, you can rent one at the visitor centre for £10 for a full day (£8 for members), then follow one of the suggested cycling routes. The Reserve Loop is 5.3 miles long and runs along the wall of the estuary. Keep your eyes peeled for seals and listen out for the mating calls of marsh frogs. A much longer route is the Ingrebourne Hill Loop, a 12.4 mile ride which goes more off-road than the Reserve Loops and takes in tranquil ponds, woodland and a number of hills through Hornchurch Country Park, a more strenuous cycle. There’s also a 1.2 mile-mountain-biking section, so you can pump up your adrenaline in the middle of the 12.4 mile circuit.
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New Tank Hill Rd, Purfleet RM19 1SZ
Distance: Reserve Loop: 5.3 miles; Ingrebourne Hill Loop: 12.4 miles
Terrain: Reserve Loop, easy/flat; Ingrebourne Hill Loop: challenging, hilly
Opening times: 9.30am–4.30pm
Getting there: Purfleet
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/rainham-marshes/
PEASLAKE, SURREY HILLS
Mountain bikers looking for the thrill of off-roading close to London will love biking in Peaslake. On either side of Peaslake village, which sits nestled in a valley between two thickly wooded hills, perfect trails stretch out in fingers on both sides. The trails around here can host about 1,000 bikers a week in the height of summer. The drizzly rains of winter bring their own obstacles and challenges to the paths for more experienced riders. Pine needle-soft paths deaden the sound of tyres through the woods, heightening the feeling of being alone in a massive biking playground. Recommended runs include Proper Bo, a route featuring slaloming and chunky logs to bike over, and Yoghurt Pots, so-called because the route is dominated with swampy bits so thick with mud there’s a strong chance you’ll end up coated.
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Peaslake, Guildford GU5
Distance: See trails on site
Terrain: Challenging
Getting there: Gomshall, via Dorking from London Waterloo
www.surreyhillsmtber.co.uk; for more information about the trails: http://hurtwoodtrails.co.uk
VICTORIA PARK TO EPPING FOREST
There’s no better way to ease into hipster-filled east London than by exploring it on two wheels. This ride covers a lot of ground, but there’s enough en route to keep you interested. It’s also a simple trail to follow – no getting off and checking map apps every minute. Victoria Park (see Parks/shown here) is a busy place to start a ride, and depending on the season, could be rammed with picnicking Londoners playing music and drinking craft beer on the grass. The ride leaves the park and joins the Hertford Union Canal straight out of the park, which then turns into the River Lea towpath. Follow this for 10 miles passing the Olympic Park on your right, shortly followed by the reservoirs in Ponders End before heading into peaceful Epping Forest.
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Distance: 12 miles
Terrain: Gentle
Getting there: Cycle to Victoria Park
Getting away: Chingford
CRYSTAL PALACE TO NORTH DOWNS
A challenging, hilly bike ride, the route from Crystal Palace (see Parks/shown here) to the North Downs, a chalk ridge in south-east England, feels like a straight arrow into the countryside. The route is tough and long – at 30 miles this is a good afternoon’s ride or, if you want to take it easy, a whole day at the weekend. The Corkscrew Lane ascent is one of the tougher parts of the ride – it’s a real thigh-punisher. At the top there’s a chance for a breather and to enjoy the view over south London as the road climbs through ancient woodland past expanses of farmland and vegetation. Cyclists are rewarded by a stunning view of the North Downs, which roll onwards until they join the South Downs and then on to the sea and the English Channel. The most enjoyable part of the ride is still to come – a dip down to the village of Westerham, where you can get up to 40mph speeding downhill on your bike.
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Distance: 30 miles
Terrain: Challenging
Getting there/away: Crystal Palace
PUTNEY TO HAMPTON COURT ALONG THE THAMES
Long, flat walks make brilliant cycle paths and this one, which passes the old Harrod’s furniture storage building, through shaded woodland glens, and alongside river islands, or eyots as they’re known on the Thames, is the best of the lot. Thanks to the river-hugging railway line, you can keep cycling until your legs hurt, and then pull your wheels onto the train at Hampton Court, Barnes or even as far as Walton-on-Thames. A good 12-mile ride brings you to cross the old packhorse bridge at Kingston and peddle past the locks at Teddington, where rowers speed along in narrow-bodied sculls. Cyclists share the path with pedestrians and dogs, so it’s not a ride for speedsters. Instead, join the ambling families and relaxed walkers and drift from pub to coffee shop to ice-cream stand, as you weave your way along the easy-to-follow river path.
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Distance: 12 miles
Terrain: Fairly even
Getting there: 
Putney (District); Putney
Getting away: Hampton Court, Barnes, Walton-on-Thames
WIMBLEDON TO WALTON-ON-THAMES
A ride that takes in rural London at its best, Wimbledon to Walton-on-Thames crosses commons, parks, riverbanks and woods. Go on a quiet Saturday or Sunday morning, just as the sun has risen above the tree line. During early summer, silvery slivers of light shine through the green canopy that covers part of the riverside path from Hampton Court to Walton-on-Thames, while in winter, the chill of the Thames keeps you on your toes along the water. The route passes through Richmond Park (see Parks/shown here), following the uphill road to Pen Ponds Café for about 1km. There’s a sign pointing towards the ‘Isabella Plantation’, the extensive woodland gardens. Follow this smooth tarmacked road towards pretty Ham Common, the second largest conservation area in the Borough of Richmond, gifted by Charles I to the people until ‘the end of time’. Glimpse grand Hampton Court through the gold gates as you speed along the river path towards Walton-on-Thames.
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Distance: 12 miles
Terrain: Gentle
Getting there: Wimbledon (District); Wimbledon
Getting away: Walton-on-Thames
HYDE PARK TO CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN
Although cycling across London can, at times, feel chaotic and stressful, the real beauty of this city is finding calm backstreets lined with trees and bike lanes. There are plenty of green areas across the city, where the traffic is lighter and you really feel as though you’re getting a ‘behind-the-scenes’ version of the city. This ride from Hyde Park to Chelsea Physic Garden is short enough to clock under 30 minutes with the TfL cycle hire scheme. The route covers the park, passing the architecturally stunning Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens, before dropping down towards the magnificent Royal Albert Hall and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Physic Garden (see Secluded Places/shown here), at the end of your ride, is one of London’s more beautiful ‘secret’ gardens so they’re worth a peek. The oldest botanical gardens in London, it’s also home to the largest fruit-giving olive tree in the country, an unexpected find in any corner of London.
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Distance: 3.5 miles
Terrain: Gentle
Getting there: Hyde Park (Piccadilly), Bayswater (Circle/District), Queensway (Central)
Getting away: Sloane Square (Circle/District)
www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles
SWINLEY FOREST BIKE TRAILS
Managed by the Windsor estate, Swinley Forest is nestled between Bracknell and Bagshot. With a thousand acres of Scottish pine trees and 24km of purpose-built mountain bike trails, there’s a route for everyone. Less experienced cyclists, or those out of practice, should take the green trails and leave the blue trails for cyclists with basic off-roading abilities. The red trails provide a more hard-core biking experience, while the more advanced slopes promise hairpin bends, gravel path descents and plenty of single tracks summiting steep hills. Bikers and birdwatchers can spot nightjars and woodlarks as they cycle, and there’s a slightly ethereal atmosphere as you pedal among the pines on a rainy, misty morning. You don’t necessarily need a fat-tyred bike to enjoy all the trails and if you’ve been looking at getting into mountain biking for a while, this is the place to start.
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Bracknell RG12 7QW
Opening times: 9am–4:30pm; Saturday, 9am–6pm
Distance: See trails
Terrain: See trails; varies according to experience
Getting there: Bracknell from London Waterloo
LEE VALLEY MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL
It’s one thing gently pedalling along London’s backstreets, and quite another gunning down a dirt track at 40mph, wind in hair, heart in mouth. Mountain biking is one of the most liberating activities you can do within the M25, and luckily, there’s a wonderful mountain bike trail just by the Olympic Park. If you’ve never mountain-biked before, Lee Valley offers introductory sessions to get you used to cycling on the grit and gravel, while beginners courses go one step further and teach you to control your bike. Sign up to a family session to get the whole family on two wheels barrelling down tracks and across grit bridges. The bike trails offer five miles of courses and it’s an urban centre – so don’t come expecting fir trees and log trails balanced across roaring rivers. This is breeze block, concrete and gravel territory. Beginners will be encouraged to wear suitable padding and there’s a good mix of gentler slopes and twisting, vertical challenges for more advanced riders.
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Distance: See site
Terrain: Manmade
Getting there: Stratford (Jubilee); Stratford
www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/london2012/velo-park/mountain-biking
THE TAMSIN TRAIL
Richmond Park (see Parks/shown here) isn’t just for deer and day ramblers; there’s also a good 7.5-mile park route known as the Tamsin Trail, which uses its well-tarmacked roads and sweeping curves to guarantee a smooth ride. You’ll be riding on a shared path with walkers, so be respectful. The path runs around Richmond Park and can be joined from any of the park’s four gated entrances. There are some short climbs near the Kingston Gate and a slow incline near Pembroke Lodge, but really, this ride is pleasurable and relaxed, punctuated by dogwalkers and the almost rural expanse of the Isabella Plantation.
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Distance: 7 miles
Terrain: Well-tarmacked roads and paths
Opening times: Pedestrian gates are open all year round; vehicle gates open at 7am–dusk (summer), 7:30am–dusk (winter)
Getting there: Richmond (District); Richmond
