[title]
Cycling in London isn’t always the easiest, but one thing that helps save Londoners on two wheels from road-raging drivers and heavily congested roads is cycle routes. Cycle lanes make it quicker, simpler and safer to bike around the capital – and in recent years new ones have been opening up all over the city.
Hold onto your handlebars, fellow cyclists, we’ve got more good news. TfL has added four brand-new routes to its ever-expanding network of protected cycling lanes, ensuring a smoother, safer and more enjoyable riding experience for the capital’s cyclists. The routes were launched in September and connect various areas across north London.
So where exactly do these routes go? Well, Enfield and Waltham Forest, including Southgate, Chobham Manor, Blackhorse Road, and Palmers Green, are all among the areas with new cycle lanes. There are four new cycleways in total: cycleways 23, 24, 26 and 58.
Cycleway 23 connects Lea Bridge Road to Woodford New Road and links up with other cycling pathways in east London. Cycleway 24 then extends from Wood Street to Whipps Cross, while cycleway 26 is the glue that holds it all together, linking up with cycleway 23, 24, and 27.
If you’re up for some scenic detours and want to take your bike on an adventure, Cycleway 58 is your ticket. Whisking you from Southgate to Palmers Green, there’s even an optional detour to cycleway 20 for those craving a bit more two-wheeled excitement.
This cycleway network includes a ten-kilometre route in Enfield which forms part of London’s longest continuous cycleway from the M25 to the City. That route is more than 20 km long and connects Enfield, Haringey, Hackney and the City of London.
In total, TfL has launched 16 new cycleways this year, and has almost quadrupled the size of the cycle highway network since 2016.
Helen Cansick, TfL’s head of healthy streets investment, said: ‘We are excited to see a network of cycleways emerging in Enfield and Waltham Forest as these are helping to unlock safer cycling for all Londoners. These high-quality cycling networks have seen a dramatic increase in people cycling, bringing a range of health and environmental benefits to local communities.’
So, fabulous news for two-wheeled Londoners! You can see a full map of TfL’s cycleway network here.
Time Out on two wheels
When it comes to getting out and exploring the many, many things there are to see and do in London, here at Time Out we know that cycling is one of the finest ways of getting around. From reporting on new bike lanes in Kensington and diving deep on why Lime bikes click-clack to our guides to the dreamiest bike rides in and around the capital, we’ve got two-wheeled London covered.
Did you see that these are London’s busiest tube stations in 2023?
Plus: Victoria station is getting a massive makeover.
Listen to Time Out’s brilliant new podcast ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’: episode nine with Fern Brady in Catford is out now.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.