London Cycling Diary

Back to Richmond Park

Despite the lack of posts on this blog, I haven't put the bike away: I've been cycling regularly, but mainly as a commuter. But today, with a free afternoon to myself, I decided to trundle my way to Richmond Park, which I haven't visited since my last post on August 9.

It was perfect cycling weather — blue sky, sunshine (about 19°C) and a light breeze.

The park was looking in fine condition and there were plenty of people out and about, mainly dog walkers and people having picnics or sunbathing. I saw one little kid — he can't have been more than three years old — on a training bike wobbling along behind his dad and an over-keen Labrador — all very sweet; you can't start cycling too early.

I suspect more people are cycling in the park — thanks to the Olympic effect — because there's a bunch of new signs at all the entrance gates warning cyclists they will be fined £50 if they cycle off designated routes. I'm certain they weren't there last time I visited.

I did my normal loop of the park, stopping once at Bishop's pond (all covered in green algae — look at that poor heron stuck in the middle of it) and then again on the hilltop overlooking Pen Ponds (top picture), before heading home.

Sadly, my bike computer seems to be going through a temperamental phase and only recorded the first 15 minutes of my journey, so I can't quote any figures here. I guestimate that I cycled about 16 miles.

First ride of August

I haven't been cycling much this past week or so — I've been too busy watching the coverage of the road and velodrome cycling at the Olympics and revelling in the achievements of the Brits and the Aussies.

I have taken this week off, thinking I'd go cycling every day, but I've been spending my mornings reading and the rest of the day/evening with bum parked firmly on the sofa. But now that the Olympic track cycling is over, I actually found time to go for a trundle today.

And where did I go? Richmond Park, of course.

It was a beautiful day. Warm and sunny. And the park was gloriously lush and filled with majestic-looking stags (see photograph above).

There were also a lot of cyclists around — and not just the lycra lads that fly around the circuit at lightning pace. Today there were cyclists of all sizes, shapes, ages and abilities — on an equally diverse range of bikes — trundling along the road. I suspect this may have been a combination of great weather, school holidays and Team GB's Olympic cycling success encouraging more people to get out on their bikes.

Whatever it is, long may it continue.

As for my cycle, it was a lot of fun. I felt very fit, thanks mainly to a month's solid cycling (which I've neglected to report here) and strong, thanks to a lot of carbs in my system (from beer, noodles and crisp consumption over the past week or so!). I also got to try out my new cycling mitts — a birthday present from T — after my 7-year-old ones began to look a little worse for wear!

Total distance: 17miles (27.4km) | Ride time: 1hr 33min | Average speed: 10.9mph | Top speed: 23.6mph

Watching the Olympic women's road cyclists fly past

I walked to Fulham this morning to watch the cyclists competing in the Olympic women's road cycling race fly along Fulham Broadway en route to Surrey.

After standing by the side of the road for almost an hour, braving the rain showers and talking to the people next to me, the excitement began to mount. The support vehicles came through, followed by the motorcycle cops and then, at about five minutes past midday, the pelaton swept into view...

And then it was all over... in about 30 seconds!

I went home and watched what turned out to be a hugely exciting race on the TV.

Congratulations to Marianne Vos of the Netherlands (gold), Britain's Lizzie Armistead (silver) and Russia's Olga Zabelinskaya (bronze).

How I accidentally ended up in the Olympic Torch Relay

With just a day to go until London 2012 begins, is it any wonder the capital has gone a bit Olympic mad today?

And somehow I accidentally got caught up in it all on my commute home this evening.

I should have known that when I hit Parliament Square and saw the entire road gridlocked with cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians that something unusual was going on.

Turns out I was about 10 minutes behind the Olympic Torch relay heading towards Hyde Park via Birdcage Walk and Buckingham Palace.

When I stopped at traffic lights I spoke to a policeman who said: "I've never seen anything like this."

"Either have I," I replied. "What's going on?"

"It's called organised chaos," he laughed.

Personally, I couldn't think of a better description, because when I turned down Great George Street either side of the road was lined with flag-waving crowds which extended the entire length of Birdcage Walk, which is about half-a-mile.

The entire width of the road was taken up with cyclists — there were literally hundreds of us in all sizes, shapes and descriptions — like one giant very slow-moving pelaton.

We cycled behind a line of police officers on foot and an ambulance which were effectively separating us from the torch bearers much further down the road. There was lots of stop-starting and standing around waiting for the police to let us move another 100 yards or so.

Any other time and I would have been pissed off. This was going to take me three times as long to get home. But there was a jovial atmosphere and it was hard not to see the funny side with the crowds cheering and clapping us along.

"We're just trying to get home," quipped one cyclist to the crowd. "We're not part of the procession!"

Someone from the crowd asked if Bradley Wiggins was in there somewhere. "It's like watching the Tour de France pelaton," he joked. "Except you guys aren't going anywhere!"

Eventually, when we got closer to Buckingham Palace the police forced us all into one lane so that a convoy of official vehicles could be ushered through. Unfortunately the fun element stopped then, because the police wouldn't let us make a right hand turn — which meant I couldn't follow my normal route home.

I ended up having to wing it — I followed Buckingham Palace Road all the way to Chelsea Embankment and then made my way back home via the busy but fast-moving (and dare I say it, dangerous) A320.

I got in the door almost two hours after I had set off — it would normally take 40 minutes maximum — but I'm not complaining: it gave me material for a blog post, if nothing else!

Total distance: 13.43miles (21.6km) | Ride time: 1hr 23min and 20sec | Average speed: 9.6mph | Top speed: 19.9mph

A commute to South London

I have a couple of weeks' worth of freelance shifts at my old company in South London, so with the sun shining in the sky this morning, I thought I would forgo the tube and head to work by bike — the very same journey I used to make frequently between August 2005 and October 2010, and spent most of last summer doing while I was employed on a short-term contract.

It's been very many months since I made this journey under my own steam, however (shamefully, I've been commuting by tube), and I was pleasantly surprised by improvements to the route: lots of new tarmac and changes around Hyde Park Corner which provides more room for pedestrians and bikes to cross the road. (That said, it was pretty chaotic this evening, because pedestrians and bikes can now mix freely, whereas before they were separated into different streams — I'm reserving judgement until I've cycled through here a bit more.)

This morning's cycle was ultra-quick, helped in part by catching all the green lights, but also because a good deal of the route — Constitution Hill, Buckingham Palace, Bird Cage Walk — was free of motorised traffic while workmen put crowd control barriers in place (or maybe they were taking them away — I couldn't quite work it out). It was such bliss to have the whole road reserved for bicycles only — in an ideal world it would be like this all the time!

It was the same going home this evening — and even on the roads where traffic was allowed, there seemed very few cars about. I'd like to think it will be the same tomorrow... but I won't hold my breath.

Total distance: 12.21miles (19.64km) | Ride time: 1hr 07min and 18sec | Average speed: 10.9mph | Top speed: 18.9mph

First ride of June

The weather has been so wet and miserable in recent weeks that I haven't even thought about cycling much less braved the great British outdoors. Plus, I've been extraordinarily busy — office-based freelance shifts during the day, home-based editing or social events in the evening — that I'm not sure I could have fitted in any cycling anyway. If that sounds like an excuse... well... you're probably right.

Anyway, I had a free day today and after sorting out some admin (issuing invoices and chasing others), I decided I'd go for a trundle to Richmond Park before it rained.

The weather conditions were very mixed. I wore longs and a t-shirt with my cycling jacket on top, so not exactly summer attire.

The sun would come out for a while, then disappear behind a bank of heavy grey cloud, only to re-emerge about 10 minutes later. It kept doing this for about two-thirds of my journey, before it just went dark and grey.

As soon as I hit Richmond Park, it was like entering a giant humidifier. The overly-long grass is holding so much water from a fortnight of ceaseless rain that you could practically see the steam rising off the fields as they baked in the sun. But once I got going around my usual route, it felt quite coolish in the shade of the trees.

Some things to note:

• Lots of birdlife around today, including the heron pictured above

• Lots of skittish bambi-like deer near Cycle Route 4

• Saw a cute little puppy while I was having a rest by a pond — he bounded up to me, sniffed my bike wheels and let me have a little pat. His owner kept calling him in a rather high-pitched voice. The dog's name was Ozzie.

• Nearly got squished by a London bus, driven by an impatient arrogant driver, as I cycled back over Hammersmith Bridge. Cycling over that bridge is dangerous at the best of times, so I try to take the lane, rather than get pushed off the road onto the pillars (which is what happened to a cyclist recently), and cycle very fast (I can do 18mph when I put my all in to it). And yet this bus driver thought he could overtake me by giving me about two inches of space. It's times like these I wish I had a video camera on my helmet to record registration numbers etc.

After so much time out of the saddle, I admit that cycling felt a bit too much like hard work today — but I enjoyed getting out and about. I think my bike computer struggled with the return to work as well, because part-way through my cycle it decided to stop recording my speed or distance. The figures below are guestimates of what I think I did.

Total distance: 15.55miles (25.10km) | Ride time: 1hr 28min and 59sec | Average speed: 9.6mph | Top speed: 21.5mph

Two weeks, two cycle rides — and lots of animal life

My plan to get back into the cycling habit isn't really taking off. I've managed to go on two longish rides — one last Wednesday and one today — so I guess that's better than nothing. But I do think I need to get a bit more serious — and stop looking for excuses not to ride.

Especially when I am so lucky to live within 5 miles of Richmond Park — the best place in London, by far, for leisure cycling. My heart sings every time I trundle through Roehampton Gate and a whole vista of greenery opens up in front of me.

At the moment the place is heaving with baby deer. I spied two little ones peacefully munching on grass underneath the trees near Richmond Gate — right by the shared pedestrian/cycle path.

And prior to this, as I carefully made my way down the steep hill not that far from Bog Gate (yes, delightful name, isn't it?), I spotted a herd of adult deer, including some males with impressive-looking antlers, huddled in the shelter of some low-lying trees.

Last week I actually spied two working shire horses pulling a mower across the open fields near Sheen Gate. I was so intrigued by this blast from the past, I had to look it up online when I got home. Apparently the Royal Parks use six working horses to cut grass during the summer months and chain harrow bridleways — not just in Richmond Park, but Hyde Park and other parks — because it's more environmentally friendly — and much quieter — than using modern fuel-hungry machinery.

Cycle ride made today:

Total distance: 15.55miles (25.10km) | Ride time: 1hr 28min and 59sec | Average speed: 10.5mph | Top speed: 20.8mph

Cycle ride made on Wednesday May 23:

Total distance: 19.78miles (31.82km) | Ride time: 1hr 51min and 28sec | Average speed: 10.6mph | Top speed: 21.2mph

Oh bicycle, remember me?

It's been so long since I've gone cycling I'm surprised I remembered how to do it. The one-month absence from the bike has been a combination of many things — bad weather, laziness and a trip away to Canada — but this week I decided I couldn't let any more time slip away. The weight is piling on and I don't want to lose my cycle fitness. So, on Wednesday afternoon after I'd completed a freelance commission, I dusted off the bike and trundled my way to Richmond Park.

It was a glorious cycle. Even though it was cool enough to wear longs, a cycling jacket and gloves, the sun was out and there was little or no breeze. Perfect conditions for cycling actually.

And despite all my time away from the bike, my fitness was up to speed. In fact, for much of the cycle I felt very strong in the legs and would have done an extra loop of the park if it were not for my fear that I might overdo things and regret it the next day.

It was lovely to be out and about in the open air, too. I love seeing how Nature comes alive at this time of year. All the deciduous trees are in leaf, the bracken fern is returning to the undergrowth and the grass is a lush, deep green. And Richmond Park is alive with baby deer.

Total distance: 15.10miles (24.29km) | Ride time: 1hr 24min and 41sec | Average speed: 10.6mph | Top speed: 21.1mph

A 20-mile cycle taking in Richmond Park — twice

The freelance life means I sometimes have weeks where I have so much to do I don't know if I am coming or going, and other weeks where I have nothing scheduled. This week I'm at a completely loose end, so what better way to make the most of a sunny morning than going on a quick cycle?

Well, I thought I was going to go on a quick cycle. But then I got to Richmond Park and on a whim I decided to exit out of Sheen Gate to see where it would take me. It took me to Mortlake, along Cycle Route 4 and a very busy high street, and then I had the option of heading back home via Barnes, or going on to Kew and Richmond along the river. I chose the latter.

This meant what could have been a fairly comfortable (and quick) 8 or 9 mile cycle turned into more than twice that!

But it was lovely out. I followed the Thames path, which is as bumpy as hell in the stretch between Kew Gardens and Richmond, and then had a hairy 100yd experience slipping and sliding through an inch of mud on cobblestones near the Richmond waterfront. I suspect there was a rather high tide last night, because the waterfront in Richmond, right through until Ham, was littered with flotsam and jetsam and in the unsurfaced parts there was plenty of sticky, slippy river mud, too.

I ended up cycling to Ham House, then heading inland to Richmond Park again  — my second time in the same morning — via Ham Gate. Then I cut right through the middle of the park and exited at Roehampton Gate, before heading home via Barnes. This meant I had effectively cycled one giant 20 mile loop!

As an aside, I was delighted to see many of the trees are in bud (see above) — it won't be long before I'm cycling through leafy green tunnels again.

Total distance: 20.75miles (33.38km) | Ride time: 1hr 59min and 56sec | Average speed: 10.3mph | Top speed: 21.1mph

I want to ‘Go with Oh' to Barcelona

One of the things I love most about cycling is the way it lets you experience a place in a way that is so completely different to any other form of transport. On the back of a bike, with the wind in your hair and the sun in your face, you get to see things you might normally miss in a car or on a bus. Everything feels more real and the adrenalin buzz, if you're fighting for road space with other vehicles, makes you feel more alive.

While this blog largely details my exploits crossing London by bike, in recent years I have had the good fortune to cycle in Australia, China, East Sussex and New York. It is the cycle trips that I remember most from my travels, probably because there's no better way to experience a new place firsthand than by pedalling the streets and seeing where you might end up.

One place I'd love to see by bike is Barcelona. I'd either hire a bike from a company for the duration of my stay or try the city's bicing scheme (along the lines of London's 'Boris bikes'). And then I'd hit the road to see landmarks associated with five of Barcelona's most famous residents:

1. The architect Antonio Gaudi's Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Casa Batlló, Crypt of the Church of Colònia Güell and his unfinished masterpiece Sagrada Familia. And, provided I could manage the hill, I'd love to see Parc Guell.

2. The architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner's two most famous designs, Hospital de Sant Pau and Palau de la Música Catalana, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

3. Museu Picasso, the museum housing the works of artist Pablo Picasso. I believe that the five adjoining medieval buildings that comprise the museum are worth a look for the architecture alone.

4. The Dali Museum, which celebrates the work of artist Salvador Dali. It's based in the coastal town of Figueres, Dali's birthplace, so I might have to catch the train there first, then cycle around, but I think my effort would be rewarded.

5. The Miró Museum, which celebrates the work of artist Joan Miró. This is located in the Parc de Montjuïc area, which would be also be fun to explore by bike.

Just writing about this stuff makes me want to pack my suitcase and fly out to Spain! Have you visited Barcelona before or gone cycling there? What attractions would you recommend?

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This post is my entry in a blogger competition being run by www.GowithOh.com to win a month's accommodation in four cities across Europe. To find out more visit the competition page. Or to win one of four fantastic prizes, like the company's Facebook competition page.