Amazing video sequence from Peter Goh

Many more photos (from the video) on Peter’s post on the Southwark Healthy Rides Facebook site, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161854370157991&set=pcb.1709400839701730

The Healthy Riders like the occasional challenge. Werner produced a new one: ride all 20 of he London Thames bridges. He worked out and checked a route. 13 of us set off at 9am from he Needle next to Londn Bridge on a cool morning with rain threatening. Rattled off Tower, London, Southwark, Blackfriars,Waterloo. Westminster, Lambeth, Vauxhall – the central 8 bridges. Next Chelsea, Albert, Battersea and , with gaps between bridges increaseing, Wandsworth and Putney and a longish coffee stop at Bishops Park, Fulham. Then Hammersmith. Oh, Hammersmith, if only all the bridges could be like this, wide pedestrian and cycle paths and no motors. Next Chiswick Bridge and on to Kew, Twickenham and Richmond. Across Richmond Park and down to Kingston before finishing at Hampton Court.

The odd shower, but nothng could damen our elation at completing the Challenge. Time for lunch in Bushy Park. Half the group opted to do their own thng, visit nearly family or train from Hampton Court or Kingston. Six headed back by the most direct route, though Kingston, wending through outer suburban territory (ncludng some nice cycle path, e.g. Beeline Way in New Malden (https://beelineway.org/?page_id=13). At Colliers Wood on to the busy A24 and a straight line route usng Cycleway 7 and then the A3 to London Bridge. Took about 2½ hours. More scenic route given in Werner’s notes below.

Here are some interesting notes from Ride Leader Werner: plus the route track, a slightly more interesting return route and detailed bridge by bridge route information.

Bridges-MordenO.gpx (link at end of section) is the route we used but with the optional excursion to Morden Hall and the scenic route along more of the Wandle instead of staying on Merton High St to pick up CS7 earlier and a final section missing the busy Elephant and Castle.

2025-05-26_Thames-Bridges.gpx (link below) is today’s recorded track, which may deviate slightly between tall buildings. You’ll see that the detour before Southwark Bridge, pretending to do Wandsworth Bridge again and overshooting the turn for the Pheasantry in Bushy Park together were carefully planned to push the total just over your magic distance of 50 miles. Total duration 08:09:20, so very close to the 8 hour estimate.

Apropos Wandsworth, 40″ in has the underpass but it may need a trigger warning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZaTEIyo8rk Riders didn’t seem to be aware of the link to the film [Clockwork Orange], otherwide it might have been difficult to get them down there.

The Bridges.pdf (once more link below) also has Tideway public spaces. I didn’t mention those today, Blackfriars is still closed off and the RHS traffic needed our attention at Chelsea, but it may be a future ride when they are all accessible. Blackfriars has been promised to be very impressive.

Interesting that so many riders weren’t aware of Bushy Park, I’m pleased I went back that way at the cost of repeating two bridges. Not the shortest route back from Kingston afterwards but the A308 up Kingston Hill wouldn’t have been popular and the A3 from Robin Hood Gate isn’t that enjoyable, esp. on a bank holiday Monday afternoon.

Apologies to wallpaper lovers, no time to point out the William Morris factory: https://wandlenews.com/william-morris-factory/

Albert Bridge needs repairs after our ride: https://www.mylondon.news/news/transport/west-london-bridge-over-thames-31682201   The iconic West London river crossing will be closed to vehicles in both directions from 7am, Tuesday, May 27, to 6am, Monday, June 2.

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