Please remember, these are intended to be ridden solo as part of your 1/day exercise. When you meet other people, keep a 2m distance.

Ride 1. Canal, River, Woodland and Docks

A short (4 mile), flat ride around the Rotherhithe Peninsula. Designed to be ridden clockwise, but works anti-clock as well. Start at Canada Water, or anywhere on the loop that suits you. Almost entirely off-road. Be nice to pedestrians, please, as you are mostly on shared paths.  Map at https://bit.ly/3aceO7A. Detailed guide attached below. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html

Ride 2. Dulwich and its Castle

5.5 mile ride around Dulwich. Some gradual uphill at the start. Mostly on quiet roads.  Map at https://bit.ly/2QJzf3Z.  If Dulwich Park is still closed, start at College Gate, opposite the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Start at Dulwich Clock Café (closed) (but hopefully the toilets are still accessible).  Warm up by doing an anticlockwise circuit of this fine park. As you will realise from the map, with this route crossing and re-crossing itself it is easy to shorten it if required. But do not miss the Castle.  It is fun, and the setting, midst a post-war estate is bizarre. Detailed route guide below. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html

Ride 3. Telegraph Hill and Nunhead Cemetery

4.5 mile loop. Mostly quiet streets and path. Steep uphill in Telegraph Park. Many will walk steepest bits – they are short though, and worth it for the views back to Central London.  Nunhead Cemetery is highly atmospheric and is one of the “Magnificent 7” early Victorian cemeteries in London. Route map at https://bit.ly/2xnVeXD. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html Detailed navigation guide below.

Ride 4. Burgess and Southwark Parks

Nearly flat 5 mile ride between the cafes in 2 of Southwark’s larger parks. The cafes are closed at present, but there are still accessible toilets. Route eastbound from Burgess to Southwark uses a long stretch of Cycleway 1 including the Sustrans bridge over Rotherhithe New Road and passing the New Den (Millwall stadium). The westbound route passes the uusually situated St Anne’s Church. Best to ride anti clockwise, but can start from anywhere on the loop. If you have time explore more of the parks. Route map at https://bit.ly/2REonoq. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html . Detailed navigation guide below.

Route 5. Canada Water to Cutty Sark

Two routes between Greenwich and Rotherhithe are combined here to make an elongated loop. One leg goes across Russia Woodland to the Thames and follows the Thames Path to the Cutty Sark. The other leg goes slightly inland using a section of Cycleway 1, the Surrey Canal Linear Park and the path around Greenland Dock. Could be ridden as a loop in either direction. Route map at   https://bit.ly/34AQn1N. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html. Detailed navigation guide below.

Route 6. Dulwich to Brixton Mill

5.6 mile ride that takes you to a working windmill. As well as the mill the ride passes Brixton Prison and goes through Brockwell Park twice. Route map at https://bit.ly/3cHZYqu. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html . Detailed navigation guide below.

Route 7. Dawsons Hill and a Golf Course on a Reservoir

This is a hilly route, but not too long (4.5 miles). Takes you to a great viewpoint – but the path down is STEEP, so make sure your brakes work!  Then we go to the Aquarius Golf Course. The ride also makes a small diversion to the Horniman Museum. Route at https://bit.ly/3ayBkXv. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html. Detailed navigation guide below.

Route 8. Burgess Park to Vauxhall Bridge

Flat 5 mile circuit, out via Imperial War Museum and Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and back via Oval Cricket Ground and Kennington Park. Enjoy the views from the bridge – downstream to the London Eye, upstream to Battersea Power Station, and of course the MI6 building. Note that as with all the routes, you can start anywhere. Recommend doing the route anti-clockwise. Route at Google maps,  https://bit.ly/3bWq5d1.  GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html Detailed navigation guide below.

Route 9. Camberwell Open Spaces

Another route starting centrally in Peckham Square next to Peckham Library.  6 miles and not quite flat.  A circular route more or less staying in Camberwell. It runs through a series of open spaces, some large like Burgess Park, some very small like Elam Street Open Space and Sceaux Gardens. In between always on quiet streets. Choose a sunny day if you can and enjoy our beautiful parks, large and small. Route map at https://bit.ly/2Ake0QZ. GPX file at http://healthyrider.weebly.com/do-it-yourself-rides.html. Detailed navigation guide below.

Back to Do it yourself Healthy Rides