Anyone recommend a nice quite pootle route that I can do on Thursday evening? Or is it suicide?

What sort of riding, road or offroad? Or maybe cycle paths?

There is stuff you can put together. I live part way along the route and used to commute to WGC, now I commute to central London

Living in London with parents in WGC, I’d be interested to see what people come up with.

Never really found anything out to St Albans that wasn’t crazy complicated or had bits on some roads I wasn’t prepared to risk.

I can. Road or off road?
shame I’m babysitting thurs or I would show you.

eg…
Sustrans route…Lea valley canal to Hertford , Hertford to Welyn on old railway line or you can use cycle route 12 from Lea valley canal/enfield/monken hadley.
Even the a1000 is fine tbh.

HAve a look at this – the latter part reversed would be ideal, I ride those roads and that area a lot and they are fine for riding on. You could / might want to change the bit from Central London to join up with that route, but a lot of it is decent: https://www.strava.com/routes/1326550?hl=en-GB

edit – just having another look at it, I would be inclined to head via Crouch End, Bounds Green, Enfield and then intersecting and following the route I’ve linked to, nicer route and obviously that route above wouldn’t actually start that central. At the end, head via Little Berk, Letty Green, Cole Green and then Welwyn.

There are loads of options, but it really depends on what bike, what you like, and how far you want to ride

As an example, look on strava for the Rapha Hell of the North route, which is a CXable route that will go via WGC. I didn’t do it but did a S24O bikepacking trip from my WGC office and passed many of the route signs, it goes on some nice sections

The canal path option all the way through the Lee Valley will be nice, but it’s a bit longer than a direct route

I’d second the Lee Valley canal if you are on a CX’er or MTB.

We ride out that way a lot (with the club) and there are a lot of routes out of town through Whetstone and Potters Bar. The main drag out will be busy but you and about 500 other cyclists will be doing the same thing and you can easily ride it without dying.
I’d help more but I’m travelling.. But loads of gpx routes on Strava will help you because we log ours on there..

Edgeware rd out to Elstree is fast and safeish (mostly bus lanes), then Borehamwood, Shenley, London Colney and St Albans – peel across to WGC from there.

Its a nice ride and one half of my commute from Hitchin to central London.

(ahem, hasn’t happened for a while)

Where do you guys live?

bikebuoy, you just named where I live. It’s a major thoroughfare for roadies, one of the brightest lines on the strava heatmap runs right near my house (which incidentally I use for commuting into central london on)

I’m round the corner from Hornsey train station, near Turnpike Lane. I tend to head north / north east / north west when out on rides, for obvious reasons!

I’m in East Finchley. On the high road ,it’s chocabloc with cycles during commuter times and weekend mornings.

Keep it simple: Lea Valley towpath to Hertford, Cole Green Way from Hertford to Welwyn GC.
I wouldn’t mess around with North West London.
You could also leave the towpath and go west at Broxbourne instead, linking up the woods and approaching WGC via Bayford.

Keep it simple: Lea Valley towpath to Hertford, Cole Green Way from Hertford to Welwyn GC.
I wouldn’t mess around with North West London.
You could also leave the towpath and go west at Broxbourne instead, linking up the woods and approaching WGC via Bayford.

I’ll be on a hybrid with Schwalbe Marathon 1.25s and panniers. I could be doing it in the middle of the day if necessary. Don’t mind if the route is a bit longer than direct, but canal towpaths can be awfully slow if they are narrow and busy, can’t they?

Don’t mind if the route is a bit longer than direct, but canal towpaths can be awfully slow if they are narrow and busy, can’t they?

The Lea towpath gets busy on weekends, but thursday daytime should be ok.

It gets narrow in a couple of spots near Hoddesdon and Ware but only for half a mile.

The canal is the best option then ,for a relaxing pedal. Depending on start point I’d join it at Stamford hill.
Only busy at weekends.it hasn’t rained since last week so it’ll be nice and dry.gravel surface for 99%.

Ok, sounds good then – ta 🙂

Yup hybrid is perfect for this route, you’ll enjoy it. It’s fast going really just s couple of tight sections but nothing to worry about. It’ll be quiet too.
I use it a lot to get to Epping on the CXer and you can really go flat chat in some sections.
Other than that, should you choose the road routes t’other side of Hertford are really quiet and we use a mix of B roads and lanes and even on busy Sunday’s it’s easily really sable and enjoyable.

theflatboy – i live just the other side of turnpike lane – do you ever go out on MTB? I occasionally get up to Epping or quick loop round Ally pally.

Apologies for hijacking thread.

urf – sorry, meant to reply to this. I don’t get out much at all these days on MTB sadly – two kids means I only seem to manage to find time for road mainly due to location. I would like to dabble a bit more, though – could well be up for a trip to Epping to see if I can still ride off road, maybe in the new year.

theflatboy and urflying, let me know too if you head out. I’m in Crouch End, but like tfb, two kids has restricted my riding time.

I’ve also got two kids – must be something in the water. Got a stooge recently with justification that I’d get out more but not happening.

Ciron let me know if want to go for a ride one weekend – much more fun when not by yourself!

Can you take bikes on the train? Not cycling now, too busy.

Depends on the time:

Reservations not available.
Restrictions apply Monday to Friday (except public holidays):
a) At any time between Drayton Park and Moorgate.
b) On trains south of Stevenage or Hertford North timed to arrive in London between 07:00 and 09:30.
c) On trains timed to depart from London between 16:00 and 19:00.
d) On trains scheduled to depart Ely or Waterbeach towards Cambridge between 07:45 and 08:45.
You can take a bike with you at any time between Stevenage and Hertford North.

The canal route is good, though longer.

Rather than get off at WGC, go one stop further to Welwyn North and float above the Miram Valley on the viaduct 100 ft up and there is a pub within sight of platform number 2! Parents can pour you into the car after you have all eaten in the pub.

I did it on a ss cx bike. Not from central London though.
https://www.strava.com/activities/123431329

Edit:
More traffic on this one I guess.I started very early on a mtb this time.
https://www.strava.com/activities/224920499%5D