Routes, bike hire, parking, repairs and everything in between.
Waterloo is one of the best-connected cycling destinations in London – and we’re working to make it better. In 2025, working with Lambeth Council and the South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours Forum, we transformed Hercules Road: out with the car parking, in with green space, trees and cycle stands, as part of the South Bank and Waterloo Net Zero 2030 Strategy.
The area sits at the junction of several major TfL Cycleways and the start of London’s first Quietway network, with the South Bank riverside path – one of the capital’s most-used cycling corridors – running right through it. Whether you commute by bike every day or you’re thinking about trying it for the first time, here’s everything you need.
Routes into Waterloo
- South Bank Riverside Path: The most scenic and most-used cycling corridor in London. Running along the Thames from London Bridge through Waterloo and beyond, it’s largely traffic-free and flat. It passes Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, the BFI, the National Theatre and the London Eye. Pick it up from Blackfriars or London Bridge heading west, or from Waterloo Bridge heading east.
- Cycleway 7: One of London’s original segregated Cycle Superhighways runs north–south directly through the Waterloo area via Kennington Road, connecting protected lanes all the way to Streatham, Tooting, Balham, Stockwell and Oval. If you live south of the river, this is the most direct protected route in.
- Quietway 1 (Waterloo to Greenwich): London’s first Quietway begins here. It heads east through quiet backstreets – via Cornwall Road, Webber Street, Great Suffolk Street and Trinity Street – connecting to Borough, Bermondsey and all the way to Greenwich. It links with Cycleway 6 at Blackfriars Road and Cycleway 7 at Southwark Bridge Road, giving access to the City of London without touching a major road. Signed with purple markers throughout.
- Quietway 5 (Waterloo to Norbury) : A Lambeth Council project running south from Waterloo through Lambeth North, Vauxhall and Clapham towards Norbury on lower-traffic residential streets. Around 60% of the route is now complete, with the remaining sections in active delivery. Ideal for anyone commuting from south London.
- Cycleway 6 (Blackfriars Road): Running along Blackfriars Road just to the east of the BID area, Cycleway 6 connects Waterloo directly to the City and Farringdon. Combined with Quietway 1, it forms a continuous, largely protected route across central London.
Santander Cycles – no bike needed
You don’t need to own a bike to cycle in Waterloo. Santander Cycles docking stations are spread throughout the area, with the Waterloo Station docks staffed on weekday mornings and evenings to keep bikes available during peak hours. And 1 in 6 Santander bikes is now an e-bike – useful if you’re covering distance or tackling a hill.
Docking stations near you:
- Waterloo Station 1, 2 & 3
- Waterloo Road, South Bank
- Lower Marsh, Waterloo
- Baylis Road, Waterloo
- Lambeth Palace Road, Waterloo
- Lambeth North Station, Waterloo
- King Edward Walk, Waterloo
- Stamford Street, South Bank
- Chicheley Street, South Bank
- Concert Hall Approach 1 & 2, South Bank
- Belvedere Road 1 & 2, South Bank
- Sea Containers, South Bank
- Milroy Walk, South Bank
A Day Pass costs £3.50 for unlimited one-hour rides within a 24-hour period. Single rides start from £1.65 for up to 30 minutes. Download the Santander Cycles app to check live availability before you set off.
Cycle parking in Waterloo
Short-stay Sheffield stands are dotted throughout the neighbourhood. You’ll find them on and around Hercules Road, Lower Marsh, The Cut, Waterloo Road, Cornwall Road, Roupell Street, Coin Street / Upper Ground, Belvedere Road and Concert Hall Approach.
For a live map of all on-street cycle parking in the area, use the TfL cycle parking finder or the OpenStreetMap cycle parking layer – both are kept up to date and show exact stand locations.
Secure storage at Waterloo Station
If you need longer-stay, weather-protected storage, Waterloo Station has secure cycle parking facilities managed by Network Rail – ideal if you want to leave your bike all day without worrying about it.
Residential cycle hangars
If you live near Waterloo and don’t have space to store a bike at home, cycle hangars are available across Lambeth. These are secure on-street pods holding up to six bikes, bookable through Lambeth Council’s cycle hangar scheme. Demand is high and new hangars are being installed as part of Lambeth’s active travel programme.
What’s being built
South Bank Spine Route: Lambeth Council has proposed an £8 million investment to redesign streets across the Waterloo and South Bank area, prioritising pedestrians and cyclists, adding green space and improving the public realm – part of Lambeth’s wider active travel and net zero agenda.
Quietway 5 – completion: The remaining 40% of Quietway 5 is in active delivery, extending the quiet back-street connection south from Waterloo towards Clapham and beyond.
Your cycling community in Waterloo
You don’t need to go far for a bike, a repair or a bit of support.
XO Bikes – 172 Blackfriars Road, SE1
A social enterprise with a difference. XO is the first venture from the charity Onwards & Upwards, which trains prison leavers as bike mechanics. All bikes are donated, refurbished in-house and sold at accessible prices. XO also runs our monthly Dr Bike sessions.
Swapfiets – 192 Hercules Road, SE1
Subscription bikes and e-bikes from a community hub in one of Waterloo’s railway arches. Pay a monthly fee, get a fully maintained bike – if anything goes wrong, they fix or swap it within 48 hours. BID members get an exclusive £30 discount on a subscription.
Balfe’s Bikes – 69-71 The Cut, SE1
A full-service bike shop stocking Trek, Specialized, Giant, Brompton and more, with a fully equipped workshop for servicing and repairs. Cycle to Work scheme vouchers accepted.
Dr Bike – free monthly bike maintenance
Our free Dr Bike sessions run monthly across the neighbourhood, hosted by BID businesses. Quick safety checks, brake and gear adjustments, tyre inflation and small on-the-spot fixes – sign up here (or drop by!)
Next session: Thursday 18 June, 11-2pm at Emma Cons Gardens, as part of the Sustains Us Garden Party. Hosted by XO Bikes.
Useful links
- TfL Cycle Map – plan your route and find docking stations
- Santander Cycles app – live bike availability
- Quietway 1 route details – full description via SE1 News
- Quietway 5 project page – Lambeth Council
- Free cycle training – TfL offers free on-road training for all Londoners
About WeAreWaterloo and active travel
WeAreWaterloo BID is committed to making Waterloo a greener, more walkable and more cycleable neighbourhood. We actively support cycling as a sustainable, healthy and practical way to reach and move around the area – through infrastructure investment, community partnerships and practical support for businesses and residents.
Got ideas, feedback or questions? Get in touch here.
