cycle routes/partners wanted

Anyone know any good routes, preferably traffic-free, in or near Greenwich / SE London? Anyone cycling round there want some (very slow and wobbly) company?

Bit of a long shot, I know, but if you don't ask, you don't get...

:-)

The problem with london is that there aren't any routes without traffic as you probably know. The best place, and the one that i cycle in every week is richmond park. I realise that from greenwich this is a bit of a trek, but you could ride over and then go round the park. In the summer months it can get a bit busy and you end up with cars doing stupid things everywhere, but its by far the best place in london. I think ultimately you need to drive out of london to do any kind of traffic/idiot free riding. There's a group of us going round the cotswolds this saturday if you are up for a 100 miler?

Snail,

When I lived in your neck of the woods I bought (still have) the cycle routes for the SE book. Jumped on a train out of London and did a few of these. They are rated in difficulty and keep you off main roads as much as possible.

If you've got a car then throw the bike in the back and get out of the town...Otherwsise its bombing around Blackheath / GP for you.

IronMike - thanks for the offer, but it's a new bike and I've only ridden it once - I'm not actually sure I can do 10 miles yet! Maybe by the end of the summer! Yes, Richmond Park did sound like the only possibility, but it's a real pain to get to - I'm not confident enough to cycle there, which means a crappy drive through South London, or changing trains twice... and the train journey is scheduled to take almost two hours one way!

Hi Count, how's it going? Which book was that? I've got a couple but they didn't really seem to be road bike routes, so if you've got a book you can recommend, please let me have the title! I have got a car, just no idea on where to go with it!

The OS cycling books edited by Nick Cotton are pretty good. You cant miss them in bike shops, spiral bound and about £6-10. I've never actually got lost on any of the routes and they all seem well thought out.

My view is that the cycling is London is carp, but then I ride to work during the week so there is no fun in it at the weekend.

Our bikes are going on the car for a trip to Afan Forest, S.Wales this weekend for some proper riding. Will report back as to how good it is on Tuesday (probably from a hospital bed).

I get the Central Line from Stratford out to Epping - plenty of country lanes around there.