Local rides

5 and 10 miles from home

Local riding ain't so bad!   Over the past week or two I've been heading out in random directions from home to discover what's hidden in the suburbs.   Typically I've tried to choose roads I've never been along before, and there's quite a wealth of different rides available.    Tree-lined avenues (in full blossom), parks with plenty of space, fast straight roads, enviable houses, decent hills (if not quite Barhatch Road), woodland areas with bluebells, a few gorgeous views: and everywhere, parents out with their kids, on foot or on bikes, all happy to wave and say hello.  I've typically avoided towpaths or other places where there are lots of people in a confined space.

The roads are quiet: on alternate days I've been out with Liz, who prefers shorter rides and less traffic, and she's had no qualms in riding up to Ealing or round Acton.   We don't go far from home, so if an un-fixable mechanical happened, we could walk home, either with or without the bikes.  And, although I've pushed myself on Richmond Hill a few times with its various gradients, from Church Lane to the mini White Down of Nightingale Lane, generally it's at pootling speed, admiring the view.

As a guide to how far I can reasonably go, I drew a 5 mile and 10 mile circle on my Garmin.   A 2-3 hour walk home, if necessary.   So far I don't think I've been outside the 5 mile line, and there's so much variety, I may not need to.   Yesterday, I did a circuit of Richmond Park, just outside the park boundary - it was lovely, and a first for me.  Around 18 miles while staying within 5 miles from home.