London’s 10 best cycle routes – each with a stop for refreshments
Cycling in London has never been easier, or more popular. Transport For London (TfL) opened 10 new low-traffic cycleways in 2023 alone, and 1.3 million bike trips are now made in the capital every day, an increase of 20 per cent since 2019. At peak times, cyclists represent 40 per cent of road traffic.
But these cycle superhighways need not be the domain of Lycra-clad commuters alone. Domestic and international tourists can use London’s biking infrastructure to get up close and personal with must-see attractions such as Big Ben, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace in a way that no open-top bus or black cab could ever compete with.
Better still, cycling is good for you – and the environment. So saddle up, and fasten those helmets, because the following 10 safe cycle routes in London – aimed at everyone from families to serious “Mamils” (middle-aged men in Lycra) – will get pulses racing.
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North
1. North London hills
Best for Mamils
This ride is designed for serious cyclists who enjoy climbing, as it takes on three of north London’s steepest hills: Muswell Hill, Highgate Hill and Swains Lane. Handily, however, they’re all found within five miles of each other. The first (N10) enjoys a gradient of 11 per cent. The second (N6) provides a tiny sliver of respite at 10 per cent. But the third (N6) peaks at a nasty 14 per cent.
But it’s not all about the exercise; there’s history, too. Just before you tackle the final climb, visit Highgate Cemetery (open daily, except Christmas Day) and the graves of Karl Marx, George Michael and author Douglas Adams.
South
2. Rivers and nature reserves
Best for riverside views
The Wandle Trail enjoys 12 and a half miles of car-free gravel pathways, twisting and turning beside the chalk streams of the river Wandle, known as the “hardest-working river in London,” thanks to the more than 90 mills that once lined its banks. You’ll pass a glut of 18th and 19th-century industrial landmarks, including the old William Morris factory and Carshalton Water Tower.
The trail is also great for parks and nature reserves. Watermeads, on the Morden side of the river, opened to the public in 2015, having been hidden behind locked gates for a century. The 11-acre site is now run by the National Trust and has recently been improved with new paths, bridges and a sluice, for better public access.
East
3. Thames Path ramble
Best for a weekend
The entire Thames Path stretches a whopping 185 miles, all the way to Gloucestershire; however, the 80-mile Greater London section can be completed in a couple of days. Starting at the Thames Barrier in Charlton, cycle west towards Tower Bridge, and then keep on riding via Canary Wharf and the Houses of Parliament, all the way to Hampton Court Palace.
The path then winds via Teddington, Staines and Windsor, and while there are some “pedestrians only” sections, you can easily find an alternative detour. This is a good one for the long days of summer, as the sun sets over the suburban horizon. It’s also possible to choose both north and south river routes, allowing for an even longer round trip.
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4. High Beech trails loop
Best for mountain bikers
You don’t have to travel far out of central London to find good off-road trails, ideal for mountain bikes with fat tyres and suspension. This route begins in Snaresbrook (east on the Central Line) and weaves through suburban Walthamstow, before following the gravel towpaths of the Lee Valley, Tottenham Marshes and Enfield Canal.
The biggest highlight, however, is the High Beach Bumps in Epping Forest – proper single-track riding that climbs and winds beneath a canopy of dense beech trees. Make sure you take a phone or GPS bike computer, though, as it’s easy to get lost. On your way back to Snaresbrook, you can stop off at Highams Park Lake, a hub for boaters and canoeists for more than a century.
West
5. Putney Bridge circular
Best for nature lovers
Head south-west across Putney Bridge and the river Thames, and make a beeline for Richmond Park, the largest of London’s Royal Parks. In spring this 2,500-acre expanse explodes with a sea of bluebells, but in autumn, watch on (at a safe distance) as stags rut beneath golden oak trees – some as old as 750 years.
You’ll have to do a bit of zigzagging through suburban Norbiton, but once you hit Kingston upon Thames, you can jump on the car-free Thames Path at Hampton Court, home to King Charles II’s Longwater Canal. From here you can meander back towards the city, passing the England rugby stadium at Twickenham, and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew.
6. Animals of Battersea Park
Best for families
Head to Battersea Park for this car-free, two-mile circular ride, which is perfect for parents and children alike. Start at the Battersea Park Children’s Zoo (open daily from 10am to 5.30pm) to see flying tree frogs, hissing cockroaches and red-necked wallabies. Then travel in an anticlockwise direction around this 200-acre Victorian park, via the Old English Garden and its legendary lupins.
At weekends in summer, you can stop to watch a few overs of cricket, then let off some steam at the playground. The jewel in the park’s crown, however, must be its boating lake, costing £10 per hour for adults and £6 for children.
7. Battersea to Greenwich
Best for parks, art and history
Start this ride in Battersea Park and head east, all the way to Greenwich. First stop: the Imperial War Museum, where you’ll find Second World War plane wrecks, art galleries and film screenings, such as Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old. On Fridays you can book an “early access tour” for £10 – starting at 9am, an hour before the general public.
From here, it’s a 10-minute ride to the Tate Modern, Britain’s hub for contemporary art. Then, just a two-minute ride (or walk) to Shakespeare’s Globe, where you can snap up standing tickets for as little as £5 – if you’ve got the stamina. From the South Bank it’s time to divert south-east, all the way to Greenwich and the Cutty Sark, a British clipper ship built in 1869.
Central
8. Central London loop
Best for sightseeing day-trippers
Begin this Central London loop at St Martin-in-the-Fields church, at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square. From here, practise your royal wave, as you follow The Mall all the way to Buckingham Palace. At 10.45am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (weather permitting), you can watch the changing of the guard, which lasts for about 45 minutes. And between July and October, visitors can also visit the Palace’s state rooms, but book well in advance.
Next stop: Hyde Park Corner and the convergence of six iconic London streets: Park Lane, Piccadilly, Constitution Hill, Grosvenor Place, Grosvenor Crescent and Knightsbridge. And then onto Big Ben via Westminster Abbey, the last resting place of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens.
9. Markets and towpaths
Best for boat-and-beast spotting
This slow-paced ride along the towpath of the Regent’s Canal passes over the 820ft-long Maida Hill Tunnel, Lord’s Cricket Ground at St John’s Wood, and then winds through the northern fringes of Regent’s Park. This is a good one for children with an eye and ear for the animal kingdom, as it snakes past the enclosures of London Zoo. Often, it’s possible to snatch glimpses of the tigers, warthogs and wallabies.
This ride is also a good one for narrowboat enthusiasts – barges pootle through the heart of London, day and night. At the north-east corner of the park, you’ll pop out in Camden Market, where you’ll find craft beer and street food aplenty. Cyclists using this route must, however, be particularly aware of pedestrians who share the path.
10. Ride after dark
Best for night riding
Critical Mass has become a global cycling movement since spawning in the United States more than three decades ago, and sees hundreds (sometimes thousands) of cyclists take to London’s streets on the last Friday evening of the month. Wheelchair users, rollerbladers and skateboarders join a slow-moving throng of flashing lights and music – all in a bid to promote safer cycling (and driving) in cities.
Not only are these leaderless events great fun, they’re also a good way of gaining confidence on the capital’s often intimidating roads. By outnumbering cars, bicycles – if only for a few minutes – become the dominant road user. Rides often last a few hours and take in some of central London’s most iconic landmarks.
