Thames Path Greenwich to Woolwich

Saturday loomed up quickly and, needing to get out, I headed for the computator to knock up a route. I've fancied going east from Central London to meet NCN Route 1 at Vicotria Park to follow it eastwards.  I spent a while faffing about with Google maps then strava to get a route for my fancy navigation device. Google maps are easier to use but won't let you get much further than the cornershop before the dreaded 'route cannot be modified any futher'. So, switch to Strava. Strava would let you navigate to Irkutsk from Barking but has irritating habits that can take you along a fox run or along a dual carriageway unless you painstakingly edge along your chosen route a mile at a time.

Greenwich foot tunnel

Emirates Line

Park tools snappage

I packed everything that I could possibly need short of a spare bicycle. This was all neatly stored in my new and rather good Ortleib bar bag.

This fits 'snugly' between my gear cables and bar levers. Due to some sentimental reason I continue to devote precious space on my handlebars to the absolutely useless BBB Easy-fit Clear and Loud Bell. Its ping is barely audible but it looks nice.

The Thames Path, once you have found it just east of Greenwich, is not a pretty sight but it is great for views on the Thames and for derelict industrial installations and empty tower blocks. There are great views of Canary Wharf, the Emirates Line, the Thames Barrier, the Tate and Lyle factory and many other landmarks.

My great plans of a 50-mile ride to include Gravesend and a cut back to Swanley, on the Oyster perimeter came to a hissing end at Woolwich, the town that everyone forgot. The puncture wasn't the problem it was my toolage.  My Park tyre levers were not match for the Continental beading and snapped. Miles from the nearest anything I got back to Vicotria and limped around to the Evans branch on Neathouse Place. I was impressed with the operative's customer service as, when I asked him for tyre levers, he enquired 'to borrow or to buy.' So impressed with this, I bought some - as used by their mechanics: some sturdy Bontrager levers in Tomato Red.

click here to view/buy at Evans Cycles