Biker Hack's Savvy Cycle Route Number 2

The smart way to cycle from Southend-on-sea to Leigh-on-sea

Welcome to my Savvy Cycle Route Number 2! 
This is the companion journey to Biker Hack's Savvy Cycle Route Number 1. So why the two routes? Well, thanks to the wonders of one-way road systems, it's not possible to simply reverse the steps detailed in Savvy Cycle Route Number 1 to go from Southend to Leigh. 
However, it only takes a few amendments for someone in the know, such as myself, to guide you without deliberately going the wrong way down one-way streets – and there is no need for decent cyclists to do that. 
There are two starting points for this route: one is at the southern end of Southend High Street and the other is at the northern end – both should be marked by green pins on the map below. 
By the way, I've created this map using Google's My Maps. I'd love to know what you think of it! If you have the time, please let me know via the contact form on this page, or the comment at the bottom of this blog. Ready to roll? Well, let's going then! 

Leaving Southend (south): Stage 1a 

The starting point for this urban bike ride, using quiet, traffic-lite backstreets, is in Southend High Street, near the entrance to the Royals shopping centre. Hopefully, you've enjoyed a coffee in the nearby Utopia coffee shop – well worth a visit! The High Street is pedestrianised. No matter how tempting it looks, please, please don't cycle on the High Street. Elderly pedestrians have been hit by speeding cyclists and killed in the past – so just don't do it! Head away from the entrance to the Royals and next to Tomassi's cafe is the pedestrian entrance to Royal Mews. Within a few metres, a road appears. It's time to ride!

Head straight on, passing between the nice mews properties on your left and (Alexandra Street) car park. The road bears to the right (you have the right of way over the traffic from you're left) before reaching a T-junction with Alexandra Street. Turn left here and head straight on.

There is a gentle uphill slope to the road here. After you pass the Alex pub on your left, a painted cycle lane appears literally in the middle of the road. On your right is bowling green and further along your should hear the sound (and perhaps feel the spray) from the fountain in Prittlewell Gardens. 

Stage 1a: The junction with Runwell Terrace, Southend

Stay alert as the road surface here is pretty rubbish, and so is the cycle lane! It is marked out to suddenly give way at the junction with Runwell Terrace (on your right) so cars can helpfully cut you up as they turn left! It's normally very quiet and no problem, but the wise cyclist keeps a look out for cars at this point. You have been warned. 

After turning right into the tree-lined Runwell Terrace, which incidentally has a contra-flow cycle lane in the opposite direction, the road bends to the left into Cambridge Road. Take the very next right into Milton Place (which has another contra-flow cycle lane). At the T-junction, you technically need to turn left then immediate right at this staggered junction. 

You're crossing a busy road where most traffic, including buses, go in and out of the town centre. Again, there is a cycle lane on the left as you cross the bridge, which you should stick to as you will turn left opposite the Cliff pub. Now you are in Hamlet Road, keep straight on over a couple of speed humps to the junction with Avenue Road. 

Leaving Southend (north): Stage 1b

If you're coming from the northern end of Southend High Street, you'll need a different route to reach this point. 

Starting from just outside the post office in Southend High Street, walk your cycle into Queen's Road, heading past the cycle racks. Once you're on the road proper, get pedalling! 

You will reach a T-junction with a road (Elmer Avenue) stretching from your left and winding in front of you before weaving off to your right. Turn left into Elmer Avenue and head straight on, passing the town's (crypitcally-titled) Forum library on your left. The route you want bears to your right as the road name changes to Gordon Place. 

Keep straight on until the next T-junction and turn left into Ashburnham Road. There shouldn't be any traffic coming from your right (the opposite direction is a one-way street heading away from you at this point). Carry on to the next T-junction and turn right into Hamlet Road. Head  straight on, pass the Cliff pub on your right, until the next T-junction with Avenue Road. 

Avenue Road to Chalkwell Park: Stage 2

After turning into Avenue Road, the route veers off to the left. Heading past an old church, it very quickly reaches another fork in the road. This time take the right fork and follow the road, which bends gently to your right. This section is usually very quiet, but the road surface can be quite patchy in places, especially at the next turning. 

When you reach a crossroads, turn left into Avenue Terrace. There are usually cars parked on both sides of this short two-way street, so stay alert as you cycle over the very patchy surface and a speed hump. When you reach the next T-junction (Avenue Baptist church is on your right), turn right into into Milton Road, which can be busy at times. Take the very next left into St Helen's Road. 

St Helen's Road is a two-way street just at this junction. Once past the car park to the Catholic Church on your left, it becomes one-way. Head straight on. You will reach a give way junction with Preston Road on your left. I've never come across any traffic here, so you can quickly carry straight on into the last two-way section of St Helen's Road. There is a speed table as you approach the next T-junction where you need to turn right into Hamlet Court Road. This street can be quite busy as there are plenty of shops and it's one of the few roads that crosses the c2c railway line further to the south. 

Take the very next left into the nice, flat Anerley Road. Sometimes, cars seem to zip along here, but there are far fewer of them than you would encounter in the heavy traffic a few hundred metres to the north in London Road. 

At the end of Anerley, turn left into Valkyrie Road opposite a redundant church. In Savvy Cycle Route Number 1, I suggested using Finchley Road. Doing that on the return trip can leave you with an awkward right-turn into a busier road. So, this time, I'd head past Finchley and turn right at Genesta Road. There are usually plenty of cars coming uphill from the south of you and turning left into Genesta, so take care! 

Stage 2: The wonderful Imperial Avenue, Westcliff

Keep straight on, passing three side roads on your left, until you reach a wide crossroads. Crowstone St George's United Reformed Church will be opposite on your left. You need to turn right at this junction, which is one of the busier sections, so take it easy. 

Once in Crowstone Road, it heads uphill slightly and the road surface gets rather scrapy again. Keep straight on and take the next left into Imperial Avenue. The road surface is good, nice and wide, and probably the flatest section of the whole route. It's a real pleasure to pedal along here, so enjoy! 

Chalkwell Park to Leigh Road: Stage 3

Stage 3: The entrance to Chalkwell Park's car park

Imperial Avenue ends in a T-junction with Chalkwell Avenue. Despite being a busy main road, it is usually quite easy to cross into the car park of Chalkwell Park. Take it steady here because in fine weather there can be a lot of pedestrians, dog walkers, and cars. Keep straight on until the car park opens out, which is where you need to bear right. Just when it feels as if you looping round to leave, you should see a path in front of you running around the far side of a nature garden and next to a playing field. 

Can you cycle here? Well, in all the time I've cycled through here, I've never had a problem because I slow down to walking pace and go very carefully. If a pet owner's dog bounds up to me (and they do) I'm ready to stop immediately. So make sure you're going at a speed that shows respect for those walking around you. Also, the route through the park is a little patchy in places and there some rather vicious speed bumps. All of which add up to three good reasons for taking it easy here. It's not a racetrack!

Head up the path (there is usally a bollard in the middle of it to deter cars), which bends around to your left. In front of you, on the left, is a circular flowerbed outside a large house in the middle of the park. Go around the flowerbed and bear right, keeping the skatepark on your right. 

As you cycle away from the house, the path narrows under the enormous branches of a wonderful tree at this point, so keep it nice and slow. You should see what is the back of a cricket pavilion in front of you. Follow the path straight on behind the pavilion. You will dip down and pass an algae-covered pool (sorry, wildlife pond). This section is quite rough due to lots of ruts and leaf mulch in the winter. It then heads uphil and this is where to look out for those nasty speed bumps as you pass the fenced-off cricket pitch on your right. Follow the road until you reach the exit from the park at what is the very end of Old Leigh Road. Stay alert as cars will be turning down here from Leigh Road, which is where this route is heading. A little caution on the exit from the park will help you get up to the give way markings where you need to turn left into Leigh Road. 

Leigh Road to central Leigh: Stage 4a

Carry on along Leigh Road, which is the main bus route into central Leigh. You will go over a speed table quickly followed by a a hairpin turn on your left, which is the preferred route for cars between Westcliff and Leigh. Follow the road as it bends to the right just before a zebra crossing, which incorporates another speed table. Head straight on. 

Leigh Road feels narrower from this point on as more cars hunt out parking spaces and pedestrians try to cross the road at what always feels the worst possible place. It's decision time when you eventually reach Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph's Church, which has a bright-blue clockface on its tower. If you want to avoid the main shopping parade of Leigh (and the associated traffic mayhem that can accompany this at peak times), your turn-off is coming up very soon.

As you draw level with Our Lady of Lourdes, the shops peter out on your left and large blocks of flats begin to appear. As you pass the church, just before a zebra crossing, there is a road with no-entry signs. You want the next right after the crossing into unhelpfully-named Chalkwell Park Drive – it's nowhere near Chalkwell Park! 

Head straight on to the next junction and turn left into Pall Mall. There are speed bumps along this road – which slow down the cars nicely – and there is much less traffic than in the Broadway. Head all the way along to the next T-junction, which incorporates a speed table, and turn left into Elm Road. A triangular pedestrian island with zebra crossings on each side heralds you're arrival in central Leigh. If all this cycling has left you feeling hot and tired, you should be just outside my favourite ice cream parlour, Poco Gelato. 

But what if you didn't turn off and cycle down Pall Mall? Well, backtracking slightly, continue along Leigh Road. It bends sharply to the left and passes what was the Grand pub (all boarded up and looking very forlorn at the time I wrote this). You'll pick up a speed as you head downhill where the road bends sharply to the right into the Broadway, Leigh's prime shopping area.

Keep your wits about you as it can get very busy with lots of pedestrians crossing and plenty of cars. Keep straight on along here until you're at St Clement's Church. If you stop just after the zebra crossing outside the church, you will find some handy cycle racks to leave your bike before you sample an ice cream, or perhaps a more substantial lunch and cracking coffee at my favourite Leigh cafe, Barlow and Fields. 

Well done if you managed to follow my directions. As I said, this is a route I cycle all the time to reach the heart of Leigh as is bypasses almost all of the main car-clogged routes and it is practically flat apart from occasional inclines. 

I'd love to know what you think about this route. So please feel free to post a comment below or get in touch via the contact form at the top of this blog. 

Give your wellbeing a lift by cycling to work

Driving really does stunt your concentration levels

Hurray for researchers at the University of East Anglia and the University of York!
They've found ditching your car for the journey to work and cycling instead gives your sense of wellbeing a well deserved boost. 
Commuters who indulge in an active journey to work can concentrate more easily and feel under less strain than those trapped in their little boxes on wheels, according to the study carried out at Norwich Medical School and the Centre for Health Economics.
Even using public transport gives people a better psychological lift than carving your way through nose-to-bumper tailbacks in a car. 
Good news indeed. 
So, presumably we can all wake up tomorrow and discover a fantastic network of traffic-free cycle lanes for the happy commuters created overnight by our benevolent Government? Hmm. Dream on!

Even the likes of former Olympic gold medalist and British Cycling's policy adviser Chris Boardman can't seem to shame the Government into action, despite his best efforts before the transport select committee earlier this year. 

So why with such irrefutable evidence about the benefits of cycling is the Government not doing more?

Well, this study holds one tiny clue.

Choices: The transport methods used by commuters

The research was based on data from nearly 18,000 adults. From this group, they found 73% went to work by car and 3% cycled for their commute. The rest walked or used public transport. And there's the rub: 73% v 3%. 
With politicians chasing majorities lately like their very livelihoods depended upon it, it's perhaps no wonder facilities for cyclists are few and far between. 

Just imagine what the M1 would look like if it was a typical cycle path. It's total length would be four miles, even though on paper it connects London with Leeds. The rest would be just what ever backroads and byways happened to be knocking around in the general vicinity painted a nice shade of motorway blue - which of course would disappear on certain stretches for no logical reason. There would only be one junction with some minor B-road nowhere near London or Leeds. And as for places to stop and leave your vehicle securely! Well, you get my drift. 
A motorway like that could never be allowed to exist by whichever Government was in charge because those 73% of drivers would vote for anyone else who promised to deliver a better option.  
So what do we do? 
Tempting though it is to fall back on cynicism and wail "we're all doomed", the answer has got be: do not give up. 
OK, there's a mountain to climb. (Frankly, it's more like a cliff face with several overhanging roofs!) But that's the challenge. The groundswell will only come once the 73% is woken from its slumber to the advantages of cycling as a real alternative to the daily commute. All we cyclists can do is bang on and on about it, praising the lifestyle benefits, the pleasures and, dare I say this, the sense of freedom. 
Then maybe that 73%-3% split might begin to even out a little. Now there's something that would be worth celebrating.

Resources 

Click here to watch the BBC's video report on the UEA's study 

Click here to read the UEA's press release about the study 

Or, if you are very brave, click here and read the study. Be warned, this is technical and not for the faint-hearted 

Meet the man who inspired me to cycle again

Go to the gym or cycle in the great outdoors - you decide 

A long time ago in a company far, far away, I once had the privilege of interviewing one of the founders of the cycling charity, Sustrans.
John Grimshaw is the man responsible for opening my eyes to the benefits of pedal power.
For those who want to know more about Sustrans (which has plenty of supporters and critics), check out its website - www.sustrans.org.uk 

Or see www.johngrimshawassociates.co.uk for more information about the man himself.
When I interviewed John, he immediately impressed upon me his passion for bikes.
I remember him lamenting about those poor individuals, sweating it out in a gym twice a week when they could just cycle to work and get fit. Instead of devoting a special time and place to exercise, they could turn their commute into a gym class.
As well as incorporating physical exertion into their daily routine, it would also free up three or four hours a week to do something more interesting instead. And let's be honest, there are plenty of things more interesting than pounding a treadmill.
When I started my very first job out of university, I signed up to the motor transport dream like everyone else - despite many happy hours riding a Raleigh Wayfarer around Cambridge where I studied English literature. 
I'd been getting around for years on a motorbike when I met John at Sustrans' head office in Bristol. 
So it really is thanks to him and his enthusiasm that I gave up petrol-powered transport for a Brompton - the world's finest folding bicycle (in my humble opinion!) - and I've never looked back.
My obsession with seeking out quiet routes for getting around Southend-on-sea has been inspired by the work of Sustrans - and the cycle maps produced by Transport for London. Ah, the hours spent looking at the "quieter roads" highlighted in yellow on TfL's maps! 

But what is a quiet cycle route? 
Well, more on that next time hopefully. Until then, keep those wheels turning.

Get on your bike and ride

Biker Hack's very first cycling blog

Hello and welcome to my blog. 
My name is Biker Hack and for the past 10 years I've enjoyed cycling around the wonderful Essex seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea. 
I like to think I know a thing or two about life on two wheels (some of which has been learnt the hard way).
Hopefully, a little bit of my enthusiasm for cycling will rub off and inspire you to saddle up and head out there. 
Now before I go on, I feel the need to clarify exactly what I mean by cycling. 
I'm not a Lycra-clad speed fanatic who revels in a time trail on a country road.
Neither am I mud-spattered mountain biker who delights in downhill thrills. 
I'm just a bloke who cycles to and from work in our ever-growing urban world. In my mind, that makes me an urban cyclist.
Don't misunderstand me, I've got no axe to grind with what I call racing bike enthusiasts or off-roaders. 
Southend is served admirably by cycling societies, which promote the pleasure of riding. If you want to know more about them, then see this link and this one. if I've left anyone off, sorry! It's not deliberate, honest!
What I'm more interested in is finding quiet routes away from busy roads and getting around where I live without using a car. 
It's green and good for you, and I should know. My only exercise is the cycling I do around town. I don't go to the gym and I pretty much eat and drink what I like. And I stay relatively trim - I'm working on the belly - from just a little bit of gentle exercise. 
So if you're feeling it's time to turn over a new leaf, then come and join me as I explore the ups and downs of urban cycling.