STRAP on your helmet and reach for the lycra because the Tour de France is back on Saturday, June 29.

You could just sit in front of the TV and watch Chris Froome ride to glory, or you could make the most of the summer and get on your bike too.

Vibe asked Dulwich Paragon Cycling Club’s general secretary David Joss Buckley to share his favourite route.

Tell us your favourite route in the comments or tweet @JimNewsShopper.

News Shopper:

It's surprising how quickly the south London suburbs give way to the countryside.

Within 30 minutes of the urban sprawl cyclists can be riding through unspoiled villages on quiet country roads.  

A personal favourite is a loop from my home by Eltham Park, out through Sidcup, Orpington and over Polhill to Shoreham.

If it's a Sunday or a bank holiday, there's a chance to grab a quick cuppa at the delightfully quirky Battle of Britain museum in the village.

Then it's back to business, cycling through Otford and onto the Pilgrim's Way. If the legs are feeling up to it, I'll take a left shortly after and tackle the steep climb up Row Dow, then through the maze of lanes at the top and back down along Knatts Valley.

The sense of space and serenity here belies the fact that it's only a few miles from the edge of Greater London. 

That will bring me out at Farningham, where I cut across the busy A20 onto Eglantine Lane and head through Horton Kirby.

A mile or so later, I'll turn left by the railway viaduct and reluctantly swap the lanes for the main roads. 

The trade-off for the peace and quiet is the opportunity to do some serious training along the flat main road to Dartford, perhaps doing some hard flat-out intervals, or trying to maintain an average speed of 25-30mph.

I skirt the edge of Dartford and turn west crossing the A2 and down into Bexley village. 

Then it's back through Blackfen, past Avery Hill Park and home.

It's about 40 miles in total, taking me a couple of hours, or thereabouts, depending on how energetic I'm feeling.

I see lots of riders on this route, making sure as I pass them, to observe the old courtesies and raise a hand in acknowledgement of a fellow cyclist making the most of the wonderful Kent countryside we have at our disposal. 

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