Decaying Orbits of London: 600km bike ride

Had the idea to do this ride for good while. Seemed an interesting challenge. The first 310km was a ride round the perimeter of the M25. Out and back to Chatham. Never done the loop before. Given that London is surrounded by the Green Belt much of it was a lot more scenic than you might think and followed country lanes.

Got a few hours sleep at home before setting off for a clockwise spiral into Trafalgar Square. This part of the route touches every one of the 32 London Boroughs on the way. I rode this route once before back in 2015.

It's not for everyone but I love riding in London. The buildings, the bustle, the diversity... all of that. What I like most is keeping up with and weaving through the traffic through the inner city. So much fun. Rode the final loop with a friend who I met up with in Euston. From there we had a mad one flowing between cars, buses and lorries into Trafalgar Square then over to and up the Camberwell Road before parting ways at Blackheath.

From Blackheath back to Kent and a bit of an indirect route to Chatham to make the 600km.

This was the final ride I needed to get the Audax UK Super Randonneur award for 2021. The award is given for riding a 200, 300, 400 and 600km audax in the same Randonneur year. There is no point to it other than the physical challenge and love of riding a bike. Get on your bike!