You can cycle from Wimbledon in south west London to Earlsfield, entirely on quiet streets and protected cycle lanes.
The route is 4.2km long (2.6 miles) and makes use of the Wandle Trail.
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You can see a digital map of the route and download a GPS/GPX file to use on whatever device or app you want here:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1673538565?share_token=aSGdCssn7kdLIJ58m6hTon0st2qg4SumZ4Fz1EvmKzQcw8IwFW&ref=wtd
And you can find a viewer-created and maintained map of all the London Cycle Routes videos here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1h9Hxm57fPvZmcuSXajM_Wu0G0s6f_bs&ll=51.50521349609208%2C-0.1285238120117249&z=12
I also highly recommend the Safe Cycle London map for route planning, which is compiled by @SafeCycleLDN on twitter:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XlpvN9R-Wg7qZHyezO8y-eVlftr4e0WX&hl=en&ll=51.516975804561255%2C-0.21828576419061996&z=12
27 Comments
Absolutely on the trails where practicable!
Just in time for SW19 tomorrow! 🎾
Garfield Recreation Grounds is not always open. I've found that gate closed a few times.
Oh, and Merton Council are downright anti cycling. Sick of dealing g with them. I was told that they actually ripped up cycle lanes in Wimbledon, an area of London extremely hostile to bicycles. I have to cycle through it on my way to work. Worst bit of my commute (Alexandra Road).
I commute on the Wandle Trail, and wouldn't change it for any other faster route.You see the seasons changing there, and those scents in Spring… I love that! Also, it's lit in the evenings, and it's not that isolated. Of course, there are times that I probably wouldn't ride on it, lights or no lights, like Saturday or Sunday evenings.
When did you film this? I ask because there is a big diversion in the middle, as there are some works done on the path. Of course there's a "cyclists dismount" signs… I was told that those works would finish in November this year.
Always up for more paths and trails away from the road…more please Sir!
A very pleasant ride with great weather and lots of greens!
It might break protocol and/or YouTube diktat, but I just watched this, and both our host on this channel and viewers might find this very resonant:
Enter into the title bar:
"Do London's New Cycleways Actually Protect Cyclists?"
Nice ride. Don’t know if it’s scary to bike there at day. I suppose that there are more people during rush hour?
It's probably going to be a bit of a nightmare to get the Wandle Trail underneath the big railway from Wimbledon to Earlsfield. That's a four track railway and most of the places you can cross it are busy roads.
Using Durnsford Road to cross that railway is insane, as it's a big snaky bridge where you struggle to get up and big trucks thunder across in both directions. Gap Road is better than the bit you showed at Earlsfield, but still fairly busy.
I have cycled, Chelsea down the Wandle trail, it gives me a bit of a headache. Anxiety. It feels more complicated than it should be. There are some bits that are okay and some bits that aren't 😬 maybe the exit on plough lane, is a bit wonky, the path is too thin and overgrown with nettles, various gates, i don't like an obstacle course, i don't, sweating just thinking about it. Id rather go in a straight line with the traffic. A-B. I like green spaces, so why does this give me anxiety. And there is one crossing after where you stopped, Wandsworth, round cycle lane, into Earlsfield right turn possibly by the tube, that was too busy 😬😬😬 that whole route does get complicated. And Dunelm is at the other end… So i have looked at doing it, then book a delivery x
Much prefer riding on paths away from traffic. I can handle sharing with pedestrians and dogs, just hate close passes. Feel like a sitting duck. 🦆
In the past I've used Penwith Road / Strathville Road / Riverdale Drive to get back on the Wandle Trail.with only a 100m busy stretch under the railway line.
Great route, you do get traffic on South Park Road leaving the police station. Main road vs quiet streets vs off road paths is always going to depend on personality/risk tolerance but also on your reason for travel (is an extra 5 minutes each way in order to have a more pleasant route worth it for you?) For me it depends on the journey, I'm very comfortable on busier roads if in a hurry but if not then will always take the stress free route. Also I'd argue that if a short on-road section is a deal-breaker (ie Earlsfield station to cross the railway line) then you probably need more on-road practice – yes it's busy but nothing outrageous and traffic generally moves slowly, can't be constantly afraid of your own shadow.
Nice to see the Wandle Trail showcased.
Getting past Earlsfield station is a bit of a pain, but the traffic is normally very slow moving because of the two sets of traffic lights within 200 yards of each other. So getting on to the next section of the wandle trail isn't too bad, and another easy 10 minutes sees you in Wandsworth town centre.
I can't see an easy way to get over or under the mainline railway in this area.
I'd much rather have the separated, off-road route. I'm not a confident cyclist and cycling on the road can be very unsettling – I usually get off and push!
Splendid!!
As for motorists not stopping for cyclists at zebra crossing… I thought cyclists were meant to dismount and walk across 😊😊
I like off road paths until they are full of pedestrians who fail to respond to a bike bell… and then there are loose dogs with owners who think that is not a problem.
Slightly off-topic question: has anyone used the Southwark council Spine route? I can see they've installed some infra already but I can't find a proper route map and apparently there is an unfinished bit on a main road. I'm wondering if I should try it yet, as the southern part of the route will be pretty useful for getting to the shops.
Дякую за якісні ролики з цікавими коментарями!!
Обожнюю Лондон за його заплутану вуличну будову. Як вулиці з типовими британськими таунхаусами плавно, а часто й різко перетікають в вузькі провулки, промислову зону, парки або просто в глуху стіну – ніколи не знаєш, що буде за наступним поворотом!
Для мене, ця властивість міської забудови, що склалася історично (як Лондон з часом поглинав села й містечка навколо) й грамотні норми міського землекористування, роблять такі міста набагато цікавішими, ніж ті, що були побудовані за міською сіткою.
As more of a leisure cyclist instead of commuter cyclist now I prioritise park and recreation paths and always have done really. I find the sensory overload of roads and busy areas sometimes stressful and its a breath fresh air to get off them.
Maybe its because I was cycling London before dedicated lanes so being constantly switched on, anticipating vehicles, pedestrians and other cyclists and an expectation of moving at pace with the traffic flow, I have never been complacent enough in the safety of a dedicated cycle lane.
At night I have only ever encountered other commuters on the paths I cycle in East London, most are on electric scooters now so I think safety is potentially increased in the dark as it gets less used.
Dark is the tool itself that has been used to create fear in people since humanity existed.
Fantastic route, especially from the Garfield Recreation Ground onwards!
🤟🏽🤙🏽🤟🏽
I like paths in the day time for more casual, mellow rides but prefer main roads for proper commutes and night time ridin.
6:14 "using a route after dark" – my first thought 🙂 I would never effing take this one after sunset, even though it looks lovely in broad daylight.
5:57 Ooh, have the mystery works and diversion ramp now gone away?
It was only about a week and a half ago that I was last along there, and I'm sure they were still there then.
PS a rat once committed suicide under my wheels just here: 7:23
Really cool video, cheers! The Wandle Trail is an ace route and that stretch is particularly handy for lots of journeys in that area. I typically used it more in the summer and latest at dusk but other bits I've cycled at night with strong lights and it was fine. In my opinion Garratt Lane also really isnt too bad as an alternative and is quite pleasant cycling usually because its wide and the traffic is gentle/rarely that heavy. Fixing the Earlsfield missing link would be amazing. I understand it involves two developments (one of them Garratt Mills is now complete i think) plus a stretch under the railway running above the river requiring a bridge — that crucial bit is the subject of a feasibility study commissioned by Merton Council in 2023.🤞🌉🚲
Leave your bike at home. Get an EUC. Great little ride.
The River Wandle is one of my great "lesser known" spots in London. It was my absolute lifeline for running throughout the lockdown!
I frequently ride the Wandle Trail from Beddington (my area of London) and have taken it all the way to Wandsworth (with the break you mention in the middle)
It's a lovely ride, going through Morden Hall Park and past Merton Abbey Mills.
Can be a bit overgrown at times though.