Night-time training ride - Chelsea area

RockyHopperShow

I was going to put this in the training section but as it is area-specific I thought I may get a better response here in Cake Stop. The thing is I will be doing regular nights for the next few weeks and, happily, I get a couple of hours when things get quiet which will give me time to put some miles in. I will be in Battersea but I don't really want to be riding around there in the early hours but Chelsea seems a better (and safer) bet. Does any body know a decent route I could follow to get some light training in please? Sort of like this: ride north over Chelsea Bridge - training ride - then back over Albert Bridge & return. You get the idea.

tenbar

I wouldn't mind a job like that! I hope you boss isn't reading this.

il_principe

Why not just head right along the Embankment towards Blackfriars and then head back. Ok so it's a bit boring, but Embankment is a good straight road and should be failry quiet late at night. Nice to stick by the thames as well and not too many traffic lights.

RockyHopperShow

Lol Tenbar, I know what you mean but that's just the way it is in my line of work. I have to wait while fitters etc. do their thing before I can carry on with what I do. It's just the nature of the job. I can't complain, I get well paid and, in these awful times, I have a very secure job unless I do summat stupid!

jashburnham, thanks for the heads-up. I hadn't really considered the Embankment. According to the TfL website it would only take me around an hour to do Cannon Street and back which would be a nice little workout considering I have to go back to work later. What was going through my mind was Battersea = unsafe, Chelsea = safer. But the roads in the City should be fairly quiet in the small hours. Thanks again.

drewfromrisca

Mate stay away from Battersea, I used to have to ride through there everyday to and from work and sometimes at the early hours. On several occasions people have tried having the bike away even whilst I was riding! Horrible place!!! I've had things thrown at me from the side of the road to try and knock me off. It's like sniper's alley!

Aggieboy

Cycle up to Hyde Park and use the roads inside to do traffic free circuits (others do/have). The gates will be shut but you can get in just past Hyde Park corner. You could also do laps of Regents Park which is quite at night.

Aggieboy

Cycle up to Hyde Park and use the roads inside to do traffic free circuits (others do/have). The gates will be shut but you can get in just past Hyde Park corner. You could also do laps of Regents Park which is quite quiet at night.

NWLondoner

I second the idea of riding down the embankment to Blackfriars and back.

A nice ride and i bet the Thames looks lovely all lit up

RockyHopperShow

Thanks for the replies, all good stuff.

Drew, Battersea is unavoidable I'm afraid, as this is where I'll be setting off from. Silverthorne Road to Battersea Park and then over Chelsea Bridge. I know what you mean though, Battersea is the pits. But all of Inner London is like that now - I saw it coming and got out! It greives me to see how my old stomping ground of Plumstead has turned out.

alan_sherman

I'd be more worried about drunk drivers and dodgy minicab drivers if cycling at night. Then there are the usual drunk pedestrians who can be all over the place. And of course the coke heads who think they are THE BEST.

To vary the route you could go down Battersea Park Road to Vauxhall. The bit from the dogs home is long, straight, wide and pretty free of people so you can bat along there pretty quickly. Or head along the South Circular to Richmond, if you have good lights the park is worth a lap or two, beware of the deer and culling season though!

dizzydane

I was told this weekend that Regents Park is good for training at night.

STEFANOS4784

t :P

el_presidente

dizzydane wrote:

I was told this weekend that Regents Park is good for training at night.

There is very little traffic but watch for coppers if you want to jump the lights, I have seen people stopped quite often. Also the streetlights are poor so check your lights out. Other than that very good.

sadieandjim

Hi everyone. This post couldn't have come at a better time for me as I am working in London for the week and have brought my bike to get some evening training in.

Did an hour last nite around Hyde park and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The road sections were quietish and Hyde park was eerily quiet and atmospheric.

My question is regarding Regents park. When you guys talk about laps of Regents do you mean the outer circle? I don't know the area and looking on maps this looks to be the most straightforward route. Is it the best one.

Looking forward to trying Richmond park on Sunday!

Regards