A long but gentle day out west: about 121 km with only around 540 m of climbing, following the Thames valley out to Windsor Great Park and back. If you're building up to your first 100 km ride, this is a good one to pick, because the distance is the challenge rather than the hills.
Where it goes
From Highbury you head down to the river and west along the Embankment, through Chelsea and Fulham to Putney Bridge, then into Richmond Park at Roehampton Gate and across its eastern side to Kingston Gate. From Kingston the route follows the river upstream past Hampton Court, Sunbury, Shepperton and Chertsey, then turns west to Virginia Water and into Windsor Great Park. Inside the park you climb gently to the highest point of the day, only about 75 m, before dropping down towards Windsor.
The return loops past Windsor Castle and through Windsor and Datchet, then back along the Thames past Runnymede and Egham to Staines Bridge, rejoining the outward roads at Chertsey and retracing them through Shepperton, Sunbury, Kingston and Richmond Park back into town.
The hard bits
There aren't many. The rises in Richmond Park on the way out and back are short, and the climb into the Great Park from Virginia Water gains roughly 55 m over 10 km. The real challenges are:
- Distance: 121 km is a long time in the saddle, and on flat roads you rarely get a break from pedalling.
- Traffic: roughly the first and last 20 km are London streets, and some of the main roads through the Thames-side towns can be busy.
- Richmond Park: popular with riders, walkers and drivers at weekends, with deer that sometimes wander across the road.
Planning
Kingston, Shepperton, Chertsey, Windsor and Staines all have shops and cafés, so food and water are easy. The route uses the surfaced lakeside path at Virginia Water and the estate roads through the park. Cycling is allowed on these at the time of writing, but the Crown Estate's rules can change, so check its current guidance before you go. This is a ride for any time of year, and the flat roads make it a good winter long ride.
Weather: the Thames meadows around Runnymede and Datchet are open and flat, so here the wind matters more than the hills. A stiff westerly can make the outward leg a long grind, while the return is usually quicker. After prolonged heavy rain, some of the low riverside roads on this stretch of the Thames can flood.