After dark | Retail therapy | Riverside City | Ten bridges | Battersea power East to west
Rags-to-riches ride
Go up in the world on two wheels, from the grit of London Fields to the boho chic of Portobello
Distance: 9 miles.
Route: From London Fields through Hackney, De Beauvoir Town, Canonbury, Highbury, Islington, Camden, Maida Vale, Portobello.
Difficulty: Medium – a couple of sweaty climbs as you reach the foothills of Mount Camden.
Highlights: London Zoo and the Notting Hill section of the canal.
I start in London Fields, weaving Blue Steel (my fancy bike) through groups of media types drinking rosé. Cruising past the lido (1), I head up Middleton Road to De Beauvoir Town, where the imposing period terraces border a nice little square. After a spot of competitive behaviour on Southgate Road from a ‘serious cyclist’ in a hat reminiscent of Marvin the Martian’s, I join St Paul’s Road, which has enough of an incline to make me regret my super-padded helmet.
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Taking a left into Canonbury Park (2), I’m shocked to discover that some Londoners have gardens the size of my street. This is like Bel Air! It is also infested with perfect families cycling tediously slowly. The toddler in front of me has a more expensive bike than I do: I huffily overtake. From here, it’s over Upper Street through leafy Barnsbury (3) and down to the Camden cycle lanes.
Whizzing round Regent’s Park (4), I have the honour of almost flattening Julian Clary’s yappy little dog. I come out on to St John’s Wood Road and shoulder through swarms of stripy-blazered old boys loitering outside Lord’s (5) and reach the first real downhill stretch of the journey, to Maida Vale. I scoot round swish Sutherland Avenue, which gets top marks for the smoothest Tarmac in London, and stop at posh Gordon Ramsay pub The Warrington for a half-pint of Organic Honey Dew beer and some prawns. Refreshed, I wheeze up the road and along the foliage-shaded canal to Portobello (6), where I park Blue Steel up against a couple of socialites. Katie Dailey
See a Google map of this route
After dark | Retail therapy | Riverside City | Ten bridges | Battersea power East to west
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9 comments
The map link is wrong
Great bike rides.. but are there and 5 to10 mile loop rides for purely entertainment
Faithful steeds been done
Mmm yes I remember my bike rides through London very well. WIth my student budget, my faithful steed provided a cheap alternative to public transport, but soon also turned into a wonderful way to explore this glorious town (ignoring the traffic's exhaust fumes, that is...). The City is indeed eerily quiet during the weekend, and St Paul's at night is simply stunning.
can u take bike on tuge or bus etc?
Next time I'm back in London I'll have to keep these bikes rides in mind.
You can go on the TFL website - click on the bike option only - and put your departure point and destination in for each part of the journey. It will show you a route map.
I would love to see maps for these routes. It would be a great help for all us London fans out there who are not fortunate enough to live in the worlds capital.
I love bikes!