London Cycling Diary

Clouds, sunshine, imminent rain — and little loops

I am at risk of turning into Ms Lardy, so after seven days of sitting on my bum inside I dragged out the bike for a potter to my usual Richmond Park haunt late this morning.

It was a little chilly and slightly windy, but it's hard to find excuses not to cycle when the sun is shining and the sky is blue.

Of course, by the time I got to the park the clouds had moved in and dark grey ones were scudding along the horizon. There was the threat of imminent rain. Then the grey clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Then it turned dark again and there were black clouds overhead. Then the sun reappeared. Then the clouds returned. You get the picture.

The endlessly changing weather made for some interesting cycling conditions. And because I was scared of being caught in the rain on the wrong side of the park, I kept my options open and did about six miles of little loops in and around the Roehampton Gate area.

I wasn't the only one doing this. I kept seeing the same faces, doing similar kinds of loops, and one older gentleman waved out and said hello as if we'd suddenly become friends! 

Total distance: 16.57miles (26.6km) | Ride time: 1hr 34min and 56sec | Average speed: 10.4mph | Top speed: 21.8mph

How the Dutch got their cycle paths

A brilliant and inspiring look at how The Netherlands put the bicycle at the heart of transport planning.

"The Netherlands' problems were, and are, not unique. Their solutions shouldn't be that either."

(Hat tip @armenotti)

A short loop via Hammersmith Bridge and Putney Bridge

One of the benefits of living so close to the Thames is that I don't have to travel far to find a car-free cycle route.

This morning, after I waited for the rain to stop, I thought I'd go for a very quick trundle, avoiding my usual haunts, and did a small-ish loop taking in both sides of the river on the eastern side of Hammersmith Bridge.

Castlenau Road (also known as the A306) was the busiest part of my journey, but once I turned off it and cycled past the London Wetland Centre I had the whole of the Thames tow path (see above) to myself.

I then dashed past Craven Cottage, home of Fulham Football Club...

...then onwards to Putney Pier...

...before braving the horrendous potholes on Putney Bridge, to make my way home through the back streets of Fulham. 

The route from the London Wetlands to Putney Bridge is part of National Cycle Route 4, so well sign-posted and with provision, near the bridge, for cycling on a dedicated lane. The rest of the route, on the Fulham side of the bridge, is also very well signposted for cyclists — just follow the blue signs and you'll get to Hammersmith in no time!

Total distance: 6.41miles (10.3km) | Ride time: 34min and 38sec | Average speed: 11.1mph | Top speed: 17.8mph

Start the week as you mean to go on

When you look out the window and are greeted by beautiful blue skies and glorious sunshine, it's hard to believe it's winter. But step outside and you'll soon know it.

This morning, conscious that the predicted top was going to be a mere 6°C, I made sure I rugged up well for my planned cycle to Richmond Park: a long-sleeved wicking t-shirt, a fleece and cycling jacket, a pair of longs and TWO pairs of socks. I had all my hair lopped off last week, so I had to make sure all my collars — three of them — were zipped up to the very top to protect the back of my now-exposed neck.

Once on the road, shortly before 11am, I was glad of all those layers. Every breath I sucked in was so cold it hurt my lungs. But it didn't take long to warm up. And once I was in the park, which is a five-mile cycle away, I was perfectly toasty inside all my clothes!

I was glad to have taken my proper camera, because the entire park looked spectacular under its blue winter sky. Here's a few snaps to admire.

I can't help thinking that the light dusting of frost on the ground looks like someone's spilled a giant packet of icing sugar.

And maybe they spilled two packets here!

Bishop's Pond looked like an ice-rink.

Funnily enough, the deer I usually see at Ham Cross Plantation, were not around. I cycled a bit further and there they were, all huddled together in the sunshine on top of a hill, taking shelter from the colder ground lower down. Who said deer were stupid?

Total distance: 15.55miles (25.1km) | Ride time: 1hr 27min and 39sec | Average speed: 10.6mph | Top speed: 20mph

First ride of the year

The first (much delayed) ride of 2012 yesterday and it was glorious.

While the blue sky quickly vanished before I'd even cycled a mile, it was still pleasant being in the great outdoors. And cycling by the river, its mercurial surface lit up like diamonds, was such a treat, especially with the smell of warm malt from Fuller's Brewery in the air.

The only downside was the maniacal vehicular traffic through Barnes town centre — it was lunch-time after all — as cars pulled in and out of parking bays, or made turns without using indicators, but once in Richmond Park it was all behind me.

The park was very quiet — and devoid of colour. The trees have all finally lost their leaves and all the lush, green bracken fern has died off into withered clumps of brown or sepia-toned detritus. This makes the Tamsin trail feel more open, more exposed.

The highlight of my trundle was seeing a huge herd of deer, some of which were engaged in antler-to-antler combat, gathered near Martin's Pond. I witnessed one stag chase a female deer across the road and when others looked to follow suit I made my escape as quickly as I could, lest I get flattened. They are absolutely beautiful creatures, but you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of one, as it were.

Total distance: 15.47miles (24.87km) | Ride time: 1hr 29min and 49sec | Average speed: 10.3mph | Top speed: 19.6mph

London to Moscow: a year's worth of cycle trips

Back in June I waxed lyrical about notching up 687 miles (just over 1,000km) in five months, meaning I was on target to cycle at least 1,500 miles in a year.

Well, I've just added up my mileage between January 1 and December 31 and I'm pleased to say I cycled the grand total of 1,593.1 miles (2,563.3km) in 2011.

That's roughly the equivalent of cycling the distance between London and Moscow.

According to my records, the number of miles I cycled every month was far from consistent. In April, when I spent a lot of time abroad (Ireland and then the UAE), I notched up a miserable 54 miles. By contrast, in September, when I was commuting regularly to a freelance job in South London I cycled a grand total of 233.8 miles.

I'm sure if I was more dedicated, I could have easily added an ADDITIONAL 1,000 miles to my existing total — but I'm blaming my lazy gene (and my age) for not having done so!

Here's a neat little graphic showing the fluctuations in my mileage month by month.

For the record, my monthly totals were as follows:

January 162.8 miles | February 134.4 | March 124.4 | April 54 | May 142.3 | June 114.3 | July 155.2 | August 112 | September 233.8 | October 150.7 | November 89.5 | December 119.7

Let's see if I can achieve the same — or greater — in 2012!

A round-trip to the Wimbledon Tea Rooms

After a couple of days slobbing around, eating and drinking, sleeping in and watching TV and DVDs, it was time to venture into the great outdoors for a bit of fresh air and exercise. So, with bikes at the ready, we headed to the Wimbledon Tea Rooms, via Richmond Park, for a late lunch.

The getting to Richmond Park bit was fine — I swear I could do it in my sleep, although it might not be wise on the back of a bicycle — but the finding the tea rooms was a little more tricky. In the past, I've gone cross-country, via Wimbledon Common, but with mixed success: the paths here are too rough and ready unless you're on a proper mountain bike.

Today we opted to cycle along the A3. There's a shared pedestrian/cycle path completely separate from the motor traffic, but the noise of the road didn't make for a pleasant, nor peaceful experience.

As soon as we could, we crossed over to the common via a subway near Putney Vale Cemetery. Unfortunately, we had to walk the bikes for a mile or more, because cycling is prohibited along the paths in this section of the park. Not that it mattered — even if we could have cycled it would have been too wet and muddy for my bike to handle.

Eventually we reached Queensmere, which is an attractive man-made pond just a stone's throw — or quite a steep climb away — from the tea rooms. (We didn't know this at the time — it was kind of a fluke. To be honest, the common is so massive and so forest-like, it would not take much to get totally lost.)

According to the Wimbledon and Putney Commons website, before the pond was created, the area "acted as the focal point on the Commons for a number of duels until, in 1838, a man was shot dead and thereafter duelling was prohibited". The things you learn!

Anyway, after our delicious lunch of baguettes and chips, we made our return journey via main roads and suburban back streets in a race against the dying light. Typically, I hadn't bothered bringing any lights with me and I was worried it would get dark before we got home. But we needn't have worried: we were back in the door just before 3pm, a little over two-and-a-half hours since we had set off. It was a fine way to spend an afternoon on a dry — and mild — winter's afternoon in December.

Total distance: 13.76miles (22.47km) | Ride time: 1hr 24min and 08sec | Average speed: 9.8mph | Top speed: 20.2mph

A mission in the rain for 'Hamlet' tickets, breakfast, elevenses, books and take-out sushi

Dull, grey, drizzly. Oh yes, let's go for a cycle!

Oh, and while you're at it, do it during morning rush hour — and head for Waterloo, so that you have to negotiate all the traffic along Kensington High Street, Parliament Square and Blackfriars Road.

But there was method to my madness. Or a reward in mind, at least.

I wanted to be in line for tickets to see Hamlet at the Young Vic when doors opened. That's because tickets to this production are all sold out, but each day the theatre releases up to 20 "gallery only" tickets for £10 a pop. The only catch is you have to buy the tickets on the day you want to attend, and the seats, which have a spectacular view, are just stools, no backs.

By 9.45am I had my two tickets, so then it was time for a treat  — coffee and a muffin in the Young Vic bar (very good food, service and atmosphere at that time of the morning) — before getting back on the bike and heading to the West End.

I parked up on Lower Regent Street, met my Other Half for "elevenses", then wandered up to Waterstone's on Picadilly for a browse (which turned into a book buying feast) and tried to ignore all the stares I got from fellow shoppers and tourists. So what if I was wearing my cycling kit and had helmet hair, anyone would think they'd never seen a woman in a night-vision jacket before.

Afterwards, I bought some take-out sushi from the Japan Centre and then got back on the bike for the 4.5 mile journey home.

It was a brilliant little "errand run", although I could have done without the drizzling rain. And the crazy lunch-hour drivers down Ken High doing illegal U-turns and double-parking in dangerous locations. But it would have taken twice as long if I'd done it by tube — and half a day if I'd caught the bus!

Total distance: 12.65miles (20.35km) | Ride time: 1hr, 16min and 14sec | Average speed: 9.9mph | Top speed: 19.9mph

The post in which I waffle on about swans — and showcase a few pictures featuring said birds

When I awoke this morning, a surprisingly mild December day beckoned. But by the time I'd got my act together — I faffed around on the internet, did a bit of housework and read a couple of chapters of a book — the blue sky had given way to a dull, overcast, grey sky.

It didn't matter. There was little wind, no rain and the temperature was a relatively comfortable 8°C — in other words, pretty much perfect for cycling.

Conscious of the fact we had a lot of rain yesterday, I decided to bypass the Thames tow path, which I usually follow to get to Barnes, and cycled direct to Richmond Park along the main roads instead. This meant I shaved a good 10 or so minutes off the time it usually takes me to get to Roehampton Gate, because I didn't have to take it slow through mud and giant puddles, nor give way to dog walkers and joggers.

Once in the park I followed my usual route along the Tamsin trail and stopped to check out these swans below...

I think they thought I was going to feed them, because instead of flying away, they swam straight towards me.

When they realised I had nothing for them to eat, the four babies rooted around in the reeds by the shore...

...under the watchful eye of mum.

Once they clocked I wasn't going to throw them any bread or titbits they decided to take their leave...

And the whole family, now joined by dad, went on their merry way.

Which is what I did too. I ended up cycling the whole of the Tamsin trail, in an anti-clockwise direction, but moved onto the proper road at Broomfield Hill Wood so that I didn't have to go down the steep decline on a treacherous surface (I climbed up it the other day and found it was too slippy for my tyres to get any purchase). But once at the bottom of the hill — which is an exhilarating chance to freewheel the entire length of it — I moved back onto the Tamsin trail and continued on to complete a full circuit.

And because I know you're all dying to hear about my feet, I can tell you that today I wore two pairs of socks and I didn't notice the cold seeping into my toes until the 9-mile mark. By the time I got home they were both a bit numb, but nowhere near as bad as they have been in recent weeks.

Total distance: 16.33miles (26.27km) | Ride time: 1hr, 34min and 06sec | Average speed: 10.4mph | Top speed: 21.8mph

How to keep my feet warm: is it time to invest in some overshoes?

Earlier in the week I purchased some new socks from Blacks with a view to keeping my tootsies nice and warm while out cycling. I opted for some "unisex anatomically designed walking socks" — according to the packaging they incorporate Silpure and Coolmax® technologies, whatever that means — and hoped they'd do the job.

So much for splashing the cash. My feet were toasty and warm for about half my journey. Then they started to cool down and before I knew it the toes on both feet were numb.

When I got back home I barely had any feeling in my feet at all!

The thing is, it was bloody cold out there. And I only saw a handful of cyclists during my journey indicating that everyone else had more sense than me to be out and about late on a Wednesday morning doing a loop of Richmond Park.

And yes, my face was frozen — is it acceptable to ride in a balaclava, do you think? — but the rest of my body, including my hands, was lovely and warm.

So, should I invest in some even higher grade thermal socks? Or do I bite the bullet and get some overshoes?  Note that I don't cycle in "proper" cycling shoes — I've been wearing the same pair of Puma speedcats since 2007 and find them perfect for grip and comfort on the road — so they may be part of the problem.

Advice, suggestions and recommendations on the whole how-to-keep-my-feet-warm issue are very welcome...

Total distance: 15.40miles (24.77km) | Ride time: 1hr, 28min and 30sec | Average speed: 10.4mph | Top speed: 19.9mph