trailblazer 
Martin submitted the winning design for London’s first dedicated cycle route in 1977.
Now, 46 years on, he has worked up a network of recreational rides around the capital. During development the working title was the C25, in reference to the orbital motorway, and still in use in this blog library.
But the C25 is no more: Cycle Orbital is the new title – less auto-centric and more accurate. 
Revisions continued during the lockdowns, and though access conditions are now eased rail timetables have yet to settle post-pandemic. However the website is fully operational; please visit it by clicking the logo.
The network comprises 12 Arcs, 12 Spokes, and 12 Spin-offs. That’s 890 miles of off-road and quiet cycling through varied landscapes – often beautiful, always interesting.
Please enjoy this blog library from the archive of photos taken on reconnoitre, laid out chronologically below. There is a series of lockdown posts within the capital from 2021, before ‘CyOrb’ rides were resumed later that year.
Not from the archives this week, but hot off the press after a lovely ride from Hampton on July 17 up the Thames north bank through Sunbury, Shepperton and Laleham to catch up with the Swan Uppers at Penton Hook. Swan Upping takes place on the third week of July every year, Continue reading
This lovely spinoff uses National Cycle Network 22 throughout, but here it joins the Downs Link cycle path which uses the trackbed of an old branchline from Guildford to Shoreham-by-Sea by means of a quaint cycling ‘cloverleaf’ flyover. Continue reading
The Olympic rowing course is the moment on the C25 to test your sprint capability – the venue welcomes cyclists, though racing is not permitted, and provides many km of superbly surfaced track on either side of the course. On this visit a triathlon was in progress, but fortunately Continue reading
The task in June-July 2016 was to recce the Spinoff cycle routes, and this is an intrepid moment in the journey from Dartford to Gravesend – which I had previously reached via NCN1 alongside the 8-lane A2. Not a pleasant experience and rejected as unworthy of the C25, but Continue reading
A year ago I was fine-tuning some routes. This eastbound spoke had followed a fairly busy road to Myddelton House and Turkey Street – until I tried turning west out of Crew’s Hill station to pick up a byway that requires this porterage across the railway. Continue reading
Soon after the start of Arc 1 at Hertford, you will encounter this curious building. It is the New Gauge House (1856), marking the abstraction point on the Lea Navigation where the New River begins. This is neither new (1613) nor a river… Continue reading
Tattenham Corner was the only Zone 6 terminus station unvisited until May 2017. This is the view yards from the platform – a superb panorama from over 180m above SW London. Preparations for Derby Day (first Saturday in June) Continue reading
The C25 passes through one World Heritage Site – the great institutions of Maritime Greenwich. This includes the Old Royal Naval College, and the stupendous Continue reading
This was a real Lewis and Clark moment a year ago: I had come up against some cul de sacs where a mapped road was completely amputated by a motorway, and East Lane Bedmond was deteriorating ominously Continue reading
A year ago I came across this extraordinary event – part of the Royal Windsor Horse Show. I had decided to cycle ‘off piste’ deep into the Great Park, following some new signage. An event was clearly afoot, and intriguingly, Continue reading
Here’s Crossness Southern Outfall Works again, this time featuring the wrought ironwork. Crossness and Abbey Mills (Arc 2) were known as the Cathedrals of Sewage – with good reason! Bazelgette’s investors needed proof Continue reading
A section of the C25
Ranmore Common above Denbies Vineyard