Just capital

Jonathan Manning saddles up for a fantastic cycling tour through London’s heart and history

An adult’s average walking speed is three to four miles per hour, whereas the average cycling speed is 10 to 15mph. So, armed with a couple of hours in England’s fantastic capital city, basic mathematics suggests the average human will see lots more from the saddle than on foot. But how easily can you actually travel in a metropolis that’s home to around nine million people?

Over the past decade, the length of London’s increasingly impressive Cycleway network has more than quadrupled from 90km to over 400km, with large stretches of dedicated cycle lane transforming two-wheeled transport. Add a guide into the mix to stitch together these stretches into a coherent route, and there’s surely no better way to enjoy a whistle-stop tour of London.

All of which leads me to Fat Tire Tours, underneath the arches at the back of Waterloo station, where a fleet of red sit-up-and-beg bikes stands waiting for riders. Our guide, Hugo, bounds out of one arch with a big smile, an in-depth knowledge of London’s history, and a boundless supply of Horrible Histories-style anecdotes.

Jonathan visited The Albert Memorial, Hyde Park with its Serpentine lake and the Royal Albert Hall during his ride

Of equal importance is his familiarity with back streets, royal parks and cycle lanes that mean the next couple of hours will be about sightseeing rather than survival. The itinerary promises London’s iconic places, monuments and buildings – including the Palace of Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and the Royal Albert Hall – but we’ll also pedal to spots with lesser-known claims to fame that linger just as long in the memory.

Today, there’s only one other tourist in the group: Beth, who has flown in on the overnight red-eye from Chicago. If sleep deprivation is discombobulating, imagine its magnifying effect when everyone is riding on the wrong side of the road! Many of the cycle lanes are two-way, so hugging the left lane is vital to avoid collisions.

Star attractions

Wheeling our bikes past Waterloo’s pedestrians, the London Eye peeps over the roofline of the dead-end road at the back of the old County Hall building, protected by giant bollards from the traffic streaming across Westminster Bridge towards St Thomas’s. The hospital is apparently a star location in an Indian TV series which, Hugo tells us, generated huge excitement among one tour group.

Guide Hugo on Westminster Bridge

In the shadow of a statue of Winston Churchill, standing opposite Elizabeth Tower – home of Big Ben – Hugo tells two competing stories about how the bell in the famous clock got its name. One version relates to a tall commissioner of works in Westminster, Sir Benjamin Hall, who was nicknamed ‘Big Ben’, but the more entertaining account involves a champion bare-knuckle boxer called Benjamin Caunt, who punched so hard that skulls rang as if they had been struck by a giant clanger.

From here, Hugo leads the way to Horse Guards Parade, and along one of the peculiarities of the capital’s cycle network as the dedicated bike lane crosses the line of traffic, before heading up the right (ie ‘wrong’) side of the road. Not for the first time today, a fly’s 360˚ eyesight would have been useful. It turns out that the biggest danger is other cyclists, with riders converging in the random patterns of a kaleidoscope, some barrelling along on e-bikes, others side-by-side with friends, a few talking on phones, and a handful apparently training for international competition.

A stop at Horse Guards Parade provides a chance for pulses to settle, and another superb mix of history and storytelling. Behind one of the windows was the wartime office of James Bond author Ian Fleming, whose intelligence service antics during the Second World War included taking a captured German submarine captain to a local pub, with the aim of loosening his lips. The pair were apparently arrested as spies, after locals heard them talking loudly in German about U-boats.

There’s a wide selection of international languages to be heard around the next destination, a small traffic island to the south of Trafalgar Square. This is the very centre of London, from which signs around the country measure their distance to the city, and a slightly calmer spot from which to admire Nelson’s Column, although it still requires careful positioning to take a selfie without cutting off the Royal Navy’s most famous admiral.

Returning to Horse Guards, a wide track runs alongside The Mall, allowing us to avoid the cars, vans and trucks on the approach to Buckingham Palace. The royal residence looks so familiar from jubilee and wedding celebrations, although there’s no one waving from the balcony today. As we gaze at the building, Hugo relates its history, the chain of events that led to a man breaking into Queen Elizabeth II’s bedroom, and Queen Victoria’s favourite tipple – a cocktail of red wine and whisky!

The only climb on this tour is the four metres up Constitution Hill. The road leads to Duke of Wellington Place, where a triumphal arch to Napoleon’s conqueror is joined by sobering Australia and New Zealand war memorials.

“If you want a definition of chaos, this is it,” says Hugo as we brave the crossing into Hyde Park. The green man might indicate it’s safe to proceed, but swarms of tourists, electric scooters, and cyclists make the crossing akin to scenes from a wildlife documentary, when skittish zebras and wildebeest attempt to traverse a crocodile-infested river.

Happily, Hyde Park is altogether more serene, its wide, traffic-free roads leading past The Serpentine lake to reach the Royal Albert Hall and the gleaming Albert Memorial. From here, it’s an easy ride back through Hyde Park, Green Park and St James’s Park, home to pelicans whose ancestors arrived in 1664.

Westminster Abbey is our final stop. As we gather in front of the cathedral, the cast of Netflix’s hit series Wednesday, an Addams Family spin-off, are arriving for the première of season two, bringing crowds of fans. The event serves as a timely reminder of the ever-present excitement coursing through London’s streets, and the fact that the capital frequently makes national and international headlines.

Cycling is the only way to cover so much ground and so many centuries in such a short time, and thanks to the capital’s Cycleway network it’s easier than it has ever been.

Information

The three-hour Highlights of Royal London bike tour costs £42 (including bike hire) with Fat Tire Tours.

Contact: fattiretours.com

Stay: Abbey Wood or Wyatts Covert Club Campsites

Three more bike tours to consider…

• Edinburgh

Pedal from the Port of Leith into the heart of the city, and discover Edinburgh’s historic New Town and Old Town, on this £45, three-hour tour.

Info: edinburghbiketours.co.uk, 07942 363932

Stay: Edinburgh Club Campsite

• Cardiff

Discover the sights and stories of Cardiff, taking in the likes of Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium, on a £25, three-hour guided tour.

Info: ding.wales, 07764 964142

Stay: Tredegar House Country Park Club Campsite

• York

Ride at 1,000 years an hour, as York Cycling Tours takes you through the city’s fascinating history. The £30 tour takes about 2½ hours.

Info: yorkcyclingtours.com, 07908 245439

Stay: York Rowntree Park Club Campsite