The best cycling streets in London (Part 3)

Next on my list of amazing London cycling streets is Spring Hill, in Hackney. Granted, it's a bit out of the way for a lot of you as you have to go to Stoke Newington and beyond, but I think it is worth it. You pass through the rather lovely streets of Stokey and keep heading north east, coming to the edges of Stamford Hill. Spring Hill is a long sloping gateway to greenery, lying on the edge of Walthamstow Marshes. At the top the world around you is pretty urban, although the many Orthodox Jewish families who populate the area do add a certain 'Little House on the Prairie' edge. Once you've dodged the pedestrians in their black hats and ringlets to reach the brow of the hill it stretches away from you all the way down to a canal at the bottom. And it is steep, the steepest road for miles around (though it has nothing on Crouch or Muswell Hill over my way). All the way along the right hand edge runs Springfield Park, adding to the anticipation of open space. The freewheel down is a giggle-inducing joy, made all the better, for me at least,  by the inducement of a very lovely friend who lives on a very lovely boat on the water at the bottom. There is a little colony of houseboats, and the peace of the place hits you immediately as you screech to a stop. Rowers, canoeists and swans all pass and a fresh green breeze from the marshes changes the flavour of the air. Spring Hill, for me, acts as a kind of air lock between city and (almost) country, providing an entry point to the green spaces I need to keep me sane. And even if you don't know anyone to feed you vegan feasts  in a tiny, swaying, galley kitchen, take a picnic and explore. Goodness lies here.