Summer of Cycling: an Olympic Park Tour

An adventure in the East - we ride to and back from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. This is a steady paced ride of nearly 30 miles, which might be a bit challenging to some. Surprisingly though, the route itself is fairly calm and mostly flat, with lots of segregated cycling lanes.

We leave our borough via Kilburn heading in the Northeast direction into Chalk Farm, where we find our way through quiet roads to Islington and Haggerston. We cross London Fields, Well Street Common and Victoria Park, and the bridges over the A12 and the Lee Canal Towpath. Despite the very rare segregated cycling path on this half of the route, these are fairly quiet roads which make for a pleasant ride. Once in the Olympic Park, we circle around the Velopark, Wetlands and the Olympic Stadium reaching the south of the park, where we stop for coffee/cake/brunch at the View Tube. After our break, we make our way back starting from the Greenway into Victoria Park again, and join the Regent's Canal until Mile End Road, where we ride on the segregated CS2 until Tower of London, joining CS3 to Hyde Park. From there, we use Quietway 2 to join the Grand Union Canal in Paddington, finishing our route via quiet roads of West Kilburn until we cross Chamberlayne Road.

We will have the option of buying food at the View Tube, or if you prefer you can bring your own. We will have 2 other toilet breaks – the first one in London Fields at mile 9.5, and the last one in Hyde Park at mile 23. Despite the steady pace, this is not a rushed ride so consider that a day out. We should be back at Roundwood Park by 3.30pm.

Helmets aren't compulsory but highly advisable. Despite the end of lockdown, we recommend that you continue to take care and keep social distancing and wear a mask if entering a busy indoor space like a toilet – most shops still require that you do. Because of the long distance, this ride is not suitable for young children. Places are limited and sometimes get booked up with a waiting list. If you develop Covid-19 symptoms or have been told to self-isolate before the ride, or can't make it for any other reason, please ensure to cancel your space so someone else can join. Only riders who booked themselves on the ride will be allowed to join. Unless the weather takes a nasty turn making it unsafe or unpleasant to cycle, this ride will go ahead even if it rains. Dress for the weather and bring a rain coat just in case.

First-timers welcome!