The Aldbury Loop cycling route to the Chilterns heads north out of Regents Park and Hampstead and skirts south of Watford, out into the countryside and the eastern, Hertfordshire, end of the Chilterns with a loop around Aldbury Common back to London.
It’s a generally rolling route with the occasional steeper climb.
Start point: Espresso Café, Regents Park
Suggested café stop: Church Farm Café (64km), just before Aldbury
The Shere Loop cycling route into the Surrey Hills ups the elevation a bit. Rather than using Staple Lane to climb to Shere, this route takes Shere Road and Combe Lane up to the woodlands where there is then a loop with a series of climbs and descents including St. Martha’s Hill, Alderbook Road and Sandy Lane.
The Kentish Kraken winds its way across two ridges of the Downs (crossing the southern ridge four times!). Climbs include Crockham Hill, Brasted Chart (the steadier but longer north side of Toys Hill), and Ide Hill.
The London to Oxford one-way route heads out west from Kingston, shadowing the Thames, through Twyford and Henley and on into the Chilterns.
The Henry VIII gravel loop extends the Chartwell loop. Rather than heading over to Chartwell and Toys Hill, it heads further south to Hever Castle (home of the Boleyns hence the route name), Chiddingstone castle & village before a steep climb up Yorks Hill and the return leg to Surrey.
This London to Brighton one-way cycling route starts from Clapham Old Town and then follows the official London-Brighton route, ploughing straight through South London, on through the heart of Sussex before the steep climb up Ditching Beacon and very fast descent down to the coast.