In the third instalment of QUOC's City Guides, we turn our attention closer to home — to London, through the eyes of a rider who knows its southeast corner like the back of his hand. Benji Tuchner (@benjituch) is a born-and-bred Nunhead local, Tekkerz CC rider, and one of the hardest working young crit racers on the UK circuit. A amateur chef and a full-time cyclist living the dream — Benji takes us beyond the tourist trail and into the pubs, pizza places, and hairpin corners that shaped him.

London's got so many different cultures and communities within it that it's too narrow to fit it into one. Being a Londoner is such a unique thing, and I think everyone here can relate to that — they'll be proud to say they're from London. I wouldn't say I'm proud to be from the UK by any means, but I'm definitely proud to be from London. And Southeast in particular — it's just home. I've been going to the same places for over a decade.

My Southeast London is sort of heavily influenced by the overground line. It runs from New Cross Gate to Crystal Palace, and every stop between — I've got a good group of friends, I know the area like every single street. That's where we'd hang out instead of going into town and doing the more glamorous stuff. As a kid in Southeast London, you just stick to your neighbourhood.

I think there's so much more to London than riding a bike there. If you're trying to go on a cycling holiday, I wouldn't recommend it — I've sort of found the sweet spot of how to make riding in London work to the best of its ability, but at the same time there's so much more going on here. A bike is the best way to see the city, but you're not coming here to do your training.

You'll never catch me at one of the two parks. That's not me. I don't go Richmond and I definitely don't go Regent's. You'll catch me starting my ride out towards Feather Bed Lane or Knatts Valley in Eynsford. That's my stomping ground for when I'm trying to get out.

If it's not raining, riding your bike around London is the best way to get about. I've got a little city bike I got for twenty quid about seven years ago, still going strong. Single speed. Got me to school every day for however many years I went to school. Not everyone can appreciate riding a road bike, wearing Lycra and really cool QUOC shoes — but everyone can appreciate the ease of being able to just hop on a bike and be anywhere in the city quicker than you could on a train.

It's the park with the best race in the UK, I reckon. I first did Palace when I was eleven or twelve — 2015, 2016. The first one I ever did was meant to be in a storm, and a big tree blew down on the course so we couldn't do the top hairpin. That hairpin with the willow tree has got to be the best corner in London — probably the world, actually. The way you can throw yourself into it is incredible. Dead Man's gets all the hype because you can't see where you're going, but when I'm thinking about racing Palace, I'm thinking about rolling that hairpin.

It's one of the most honest courses. It tests everything that isn't aero or watts-based — it's all about your technical ability and how you can navigate the course. You can have the best legs there and come last. It's a weird dynamic, but that's what I've grown to really like about racing my bike — finessing it in a way that I shouldn't really be able to finesse it. I'm never going to be the strongest guy on the start line, so there's always got to be another way to try and do a good ride.

Yeah, it's just such a nice vibe. You're in the sun, plenty of places to watch in the park — it's a really, really nice Tuesday night. Kids, parents, everyone coming to watch the race. People show up from all parts of London, whether they love Palace or absolutely hate it. It's a rite of passage. You've got to come and do it.

That's where I first started riding a bike, basically. I think it was a Friday night after-school thing. Sort of progressed out the groups — I was never very good at all, never winning or doing anything outrageous, but I just really enjoyed it. There's a strong social aspect with VCL [Velo Club Londres] — there are people I knew ten years ago that I'm still battling with, or just looking up to now because they've gone to the highest point in the sport. That's really cool.

Got to big up Rat Race Cycles. That was the first bike shop I ever went to when I was ten or eleven. They've been helping me out since day dot. Still in Nunhead — you walk down, maybe cross the road to Ayres the Bakers, grab a little treat for the way home, or get some jerk from Jerkiz. Proper Nunhead spot. And Seabass in Peckham — they recently moved to a spot under the arches near Peckham Rye Station. The new shop's really cool, great mechanics.

The food scene is unbelievable. The number of spots popping up that are just so unique and interesting. The pub culture is really funny — you see every kind of person ever in these places where it's so common to link up. If you head into central, there's obviously all the touristy stuff. I was actually showing some people around the other day and realised I have no idea what's going on in central. I know how to get from A to B, but I've never really appreciated the buildings because they've always just been there. I know my area — I'll leave the rest to someone else.

Brixton, probably. O2 Academy, Electric — some really good shows there. Brixton's the heart of South London, I'd say.

Shoreditch, if you're into streetwear. I think Soho's gone a bit mainstream — I'm not trying to queue to get into Stussy/Palace. Shoreditch is where you'll find stuff you genuinely want to buy.

Four Boroughs — the cycling link-up spot in Crystal Palace. “If we're doing a ride out, we'll always meet there, grab a drink, and roll out into Kent.”

Good Cup — the Nunhead local. Nice interior with all the records, still a good cup of coffee. A welcome addition to the area.

Dinner for One Hundred (D4100) — the pizza place at the top of Telegraph Hill where Benji used to work winter training in the morning and doing kitchen shifts till eleven at night. “Really good people. The food's really good. It's for the people. It's not them being like, 'this is the best pizza in London.' I mean, it probably is — but they're not trying to be.”

Chai's Garden — the Thai kitchen tucked beneath Skehans on Nunhead Green. Benji used to go there as a kid with a ten-pound note saved up from his pocket money for chicken massaman, and the lady would sometimes just give it to him for free.

Skehans — the Irish pub on top of Nunhead Hill, with a Thai kitchen in the back. “My back garden literally goes onto the garden of Skehans.” Not the cheapest pub in London, but a proper local. As Benji puts it: “You know you're cycling in Southeast London when you've got an Irish pub with a Thai kitchen, and a kid from basically every European country going there to get a curry. That's London.”

Rat Race Cycles, Nunhead — the first bike shop Benji ever walked into, aged ten or eleven. Still going. Worth crossing the road afterwards for a treat from Ayres the Bakers or some jerk from Jerkies.

Seabass, Peckham — recently relocated and a bit hard to find, but the new shop's really cool and the mechanics are top.

Crystal Palace Criterium — Tuesday nights, six weeks of summer.

Herne Hill Velodrome — where Benji first clipped in. Home to VCL and the beating heart of South London track and youth racing.

Shoreditch — for the streetwear. “That's where I'll be able to find the clothes I'm most likely to buy.”

Brixton (O2 Academy, Electric) — for the gigs. “Brixton is the heart of South London, I'd say.”




Photography by: Oliver Brookwell