🚲 South east London's hidden cycle route: Abbey Wood to Plumstead

[@user-bb4yk9gc3u]

As a very nervous cyclist, your videos are so useful! I don't suppose you have / would you be able to make a video of a route between Deptford and Camberwell?

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Thank you! And yes I reckon that’s actually doable - I’ll get on it when I can!

[@paxundpeace9970]

Crazy how clam those roads look and feel.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Thank the bollards!

[@a1white]

This is a very car centric area too, for London, so it really is great what this has achieved

[@liamness]

And the few drivers he does encounter are quite courteous around pinch points

[@Londoncycleroutes]

@@liamness yeah it was a pleasant surprise!

[@katherinetiangco3585]

Thank you for this, I am new to cycling and your videos help me a lot with my route planning. I would love to see more routes from Abbey Wood particularly using ridgeway.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

I reckon I can do some! Ridgeway isn’t great for road bikes but I can show what the surface is like in the video

[@liamness]

@@Londoncycleroutes Looks like there's quite a few "A frame" barriers on access points to the ridgeway. That along with it being unsurfaced seems like it would severely limit its usefulness. Hopefully one day it will receive a similar treatment to the Greenway on the other side of the river.

[@EdgyNumber1]

3:09 Nice! Someone that likes his classic cars. 👍 Good route. There's no reason why parallel routes can't be LTN'd.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yes totally agree, an area wide solution would make sense!

[@MylesHSG]

Interesting way to get around the ULEZ

[@stephensaines7100]

Absolutely loved this! It's far from being a trek in Nature, as some routes can be, but this proved that even straight and otherwise unremarkable streets can be made safe and efficient avenues for cycling. As someone now mid Seventies, albeit still an avid distance cyclist, watching these vids is like peering into the wishing well to see how I could get along if I were back in London (I've become acclimatised to cycling on the right side of the road) and a route like that would be very simple to handle. It's not the first level of mental inversion that's the challenge, it's the complex secondary ones on top that makes for accidents in moments of reflex actions. Streets like in this vid would be excellent for rebuilding confidence and familiarisation while still being relaxing. Btw: So many of these vids have me poring over the maps to not only follow the route, but to see the surrounding area. I had no idea that Abbey Wood has such a lovely large wooded area adjacent. Gosh...'Abbey Wood'...duh! Many thanks!

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Haha funnily enough I only realised the existence of the said ‘wood’ while making this video as well! Thanks a lot as always

[@konradc12]

One of my regular cycle routes. Used it going the other way this evening. The missing bollard in Barth Road has been replaced, but is missing again after a few weeks. Some drivers are going through, but other drivers don't thinking there is a camera! I sometimes use Marmadon Road/Bracondale Road/Abbey Grove which is parallel to Brookdene/Blithdale/Abbey Wood Road. This route passing under the Eysham Drive Road Bridge that also goes over the railway line. Ridgeway is good if using gravel tyres, but not for road bike tyres!

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Good to know about the bollard - maybe they should put a camera!

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Add one vote for Plumstead to Woolwich. I grew up near Plumstead Common and can barely recognise Woolwich these days. Abbey Wood (or Thamesmead) to Bexleyheath would be both useful and I suspect quite a challenge. The ridge capped by Shooters Hill makes all cycling round thataway 'interesting'! 🙂

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Alright sounds like people want me to do the route! Will have a go

[@MylesHSG]

@@TheHoveHeretic I have seen some brave souls cycling up Knee Hill, but I think via New Road is much safer. Unless you have a gravel or mountain bike then you could go through the park and woods. There is a good cycle lane from Plumstead station to the junction with Burrage Road but then it just disappears and you are spat right into the traffic after that until you get to the Ferry where you then can share the bus lane with buses up to Charlton.

[@MylesHSG]

I use this route as part of going from Abbey Wood to North Greenwich. I can confirm the bollard is back. Its a shame that there is a missing bit of cycle route along Plumstead high street to the station and then along the A206 past Woolwich Elizabeth line to the Woolwich Ferry roundabout. It would take minimal effort to extend C4 up to Abbey Wood with the existing pieces of infrastructure already in place now.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Useful to know about the bollard thank you! Btw there is a plan to extend C4 (if that’s what you mean) to at least Plumstead and I think there’s supposed to be some kind of link to this route in the works though not certain of the details

[@MylesHSG]

@@Londoncycleroutes yes C4 is what I meant! a mixture of fat thumbs and getting up at 4:30am on a Monday morning 🥱

[@berndbarthel6885]

Very interestimg Video....I staied at Abbey Wood campsite a coupe of years ago and Wanderer, how about visiting Lobdon by bike in the future

[@Londoncycleroutes]

It’s slowly becoming a better option!

[@fazFaz-v6q]

Apologies if you’ve been asked this before, which camera and attachment do you use? Love the videos, so helpful and perfectly put together.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Thank you! I have a GoPro Hero 11 on the newer videos - the attachment has varied as they break but I tend to use generic handlebar mounts off the internet

[@fazFaz-v6q]

@@Londoncycleroutes thank you! Keep them coming.

[@ladylove3636]

I can't cycle on bumpy roads. Just getting into my dentist opposite imperial college meant I was on crutches for 6 weeks. But I don't mind if they are covered. I have thought around WWT Barnes should be concreted but recently I did Richmond bridge to eel pie island which is concreted and I still didn't like it, all the trees still grow through the concrete and it's all wobbly. I came back on the main road. I pushed my bike half the way there same as that bit from the old deer park up via the obelisks, and south of the river from Kew to Putney. There was old ladies cycling and me pushing my bike as it absolutely terrifies my spine can't take it. It's not worth it Gary x

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Ow! Yeah I tend to avoid unsurfaced ones myself but because I’m scared of getting a puncture and getting stranded!

[@SpectreYT-s4t]

Can you make a cycle route around Kingsbury in north west London?

[@Londoncycleroutes]

I’ll have a look and see what I can come up with - from memory it’s tricky!

[@SpectreYT-s4t]

@@Londoncycleroutes ok thanks! all i know is that there is a cycle lane in kingsbury road near kingsbury tube station.

[@1Fmarcel]

Personally I like gravel paths. My tires are 35mm I think. It's only a problem for those with very thin wheels.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Sadly a problem for me! Road bikes are pretty common in London I think

[@MylesHSG]

Just thought id comment again as thr bollard was removed again! I emailed the local councillors for that ward and they have ordered a another new bollard and are considering ANPR at that location as well because scooters and motorbikes also ignore the bollard. I have suggested it is a disgruntled car brain resident with a set of fire brigade keys that keeps removing the bollard

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Oh man, I think your diagnosis is almost certainly right! Some people are very odd. Thanks for the update (genuinely)

[@a1white]

The ridgeway though not tarmaced is hard pack fine gravel that I have no problem cycling along on 25mm tyres on my Road bike. On a hybrid it’s even easier

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Hmm maybe I’ll give it a shot with a warning then! It’s a shame to me they didn’t give it a better surface (bits of it were quite overgrown when I went there but I imagine that varies!)

[@petert8263]

@@Londoncycleroutes I think it’s supposed to be ‘wild’ for bugs and critters so who ever administers it may not be anti bike but may not want it to be heavily used?

[@berndbarthel6885]

Wunder and London

[@berndbarthel6885]

wonder sorry for the automatik correction

[@EXDsxlty]

My friend lives there and there was a police chase and the police cars tire popped

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Sounds like a fun place haha

[@lordcharles7592]

you should have used the ridge way

[@Londoncycleroutes]

A lot of it isn’t surfaced!

[@InnuendoXP]

Depends what part of Abbey Wood you're in. If you're south of the tracks or anywhere near the station, this way is much faster. Ridgeway is fun though.