This is a picture of the segregated cycle lanes on Blackfriars Road as they looked on the plans. They don’t look like this now. They are full of cyclists. Safe, wide, protected cycle lanes like this one make up about 40% of the Bike Train route. About half of it is through parks.

A Bike Train is a led-ride and this one is a led-ride to work for those fed up with being at the mercy of the train operators, who want to take their commute into their own hands (or feet) (or something). Cycling makes you happy, keeps you healthy and costs nothing. A good deal.

We leave Nunhead Station at 8am, Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye stations at 8.10am. At Denmark Hill we leave from the cafe in Windsor Walk led by Liz Eden (07814 515 715). The two rides meet in Burgess Park and arrive at Blackfriars at 8.45am. The starting point at Peckham Rye is the bike stands behind McDonalds. From Blackfriars riders are taken on individually (if they want) and destinations so far include Faringdon, Kings Cross, Westminster, Mayfair and Tower Hill.

Our route takes in two parks, a traffic-calmed backstreet, the cycling-on-the-pavement lanes on the New Kent Road, the Elephant and Castle by-pass and then the new TfL segregation. It’s very quiet and enjoyable, mostly off-road (through parks) and then a backstreet. After that we are on segregation which is where there is a part of the road for bikes only, protected by about 2m of pavement. We never share the road with a bus or an HGV.

The map is here: [www.google.com]

Entirely free and all welcome. To join in Denmark Hill text Liz Eden on 07814 515 715 or for Nunhead and Peckham text me on 07842 640 207 or don’t do any of that and just turn up.