Big City Breeze

This is a longer ride (30 miles) but mostly flat and at a leisurely pace, with lots of time to see the sights. We will be riding all the way from Ealing into Central London, going as far as the Barbican before we turn back. We will see how recent developments in cycling infrastructure have made cycling in Central London an enjoyable experience.

We will make a prompt start to enjoy quiet roads through Turnham Green, skirting around Shepherd’s Bush and making a brief pause in Holland Park where we will need to walk our bikes through the Park.

From there, it is a short distance to Kensington Gardens and the lovely ride through the Royal Parks using the segregated Cycleways down to Hyde Park Corner, continuing on down the Mall to Trafalgar Square. Here we pause again to admire the curious sculpture on the famous Fourth Plinth https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-and-culture/current-culture-projects/fourth-plinth-trafalgar-square/whats-fourth-plinth-now and then continue down Whitehall to rejoin the East-West Cycleway along the Embankment.
We will cross Westminster Bridge and make our way along the South Bank, using quiet roads away from the crowds, crossing back over the river at Blackfriars Bridge.

We have a short ride north on Cycleway 6 alongside Farringdon Road, before turning onto the Quietway up to the Barbican. Depending on the facilities available, we will stop here for refreshments.

Our return ride takes us through the City back to the river and the East-West Cycleway, which we follow across Parliament Square, past Buckingham Palace, and across the Royal Parks on a different route, leaving Kensington Gardens to follow quiet roads through Bayswater and towards Portobello. We connect with another Quietway which takes us through North Kensington and across the extensive green space of Wormwood Scrubs, then brings us to the new Cycleway alongside the A40 which we will use from Savoy Circus to North Acton, before turning down through residential roads for the return to Ealing.

30 miles ride from Ealing into Central London and back, across the City as far as the Barbican.

Quieter side roads, traffic free Cycleways.

Brief pause in Holland Park; pause in Trafalgar Square; refreshment stop at the Barbican, depending on facilities available.

Hand sanitiser & wipes. Face mask in case we are unable to maintain social distancing. Plenty of water, snack/lunch. Money (probably card is better). Locks for bikes.