London Rush Hour

NWLondoner

I have a couple of days off this week So instead of my early Saturday morning ride I am going to attempt a ride either Thursday afternoon/evening or Friday Morning.

Maybe a daft question I guess but are both morning and evening rush hours as bad as each other??

I will be going ALL around central London and the square mile so direction of traffic won't matter.

Do any of you experienced London commuters have any NO GO areas??

adamedwardsteather

I think mornings are easier in central London as in the evning there are people coming in to the theatre etc as well as people leaving.

That said, clever use of the TfL cycle maps usually means I can find ways round the worst of congestion.

Which way wil you be riding in and where to?

Hope helps

Adam

NWLondoner

this is roughly the route i am planning. http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=7848

prj45

Good route, you'll enjoy that.

I find my journey home takes 5 or 10 minutes longer than my journey in, I ride in sort of 7am to 8am, home 5.30pm to 6.45pm.

Central London is certainly not so busy in the morning; although everything is relative!

And don't do west carridge drive through hyde park, ride from Black Lion Gate entrance (near Queensway) to Hyde Park corner, worth the detour, especially if you can get there early.

NWLondoner

I did an almost similar route the other week. I felt really good after it.

Thanks for the Black Lion Gate tip

secretsam

NWLondoner wrote:

this is roughly the route i am planning. http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=7848

Dunno about the rest, but I wouldn't go that way from Marylebone way to Clerkenwell - that's my route and you're hitting a lot of big roads, better to skip round some of the back streets (but watch for one ways, there are dozens of the damn things!)

NWLondoner

SecretSam wrote:

NWLondoner wrote:

this is roughly the route i am planning. http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=7848

Dunno about the rest, but I wouldn't go that way from Marylebone way to Clerkenwell - that's my route and you're hitting a lot of big roads, better to skip round some of the back streets (but watch for one ways, there are dozens of the damn things!)

I HATE all those bloody one way streets.

prj45

NWLondoner wrote:

I HATE all those bloody one way streets.

They are ridiculous for cyclists.

Some of them have contra flow lanes for bikes, and I occasionally take a trip through, but normally end up getting so confused I try to remember not to do it again, but always forget about a month later and give it another go.

Oh for a some decent routes from east to west westminster /vice versa, there's lot's of decent bits in the routes I take, and I love them all, but it's a real dogs dinner for cyclists, the Strand is a nightmare, Embankment is OK, but more like a motorway that a road, Euston road, nightmare, Fitzrovia, very nice but lots of twists and turns, Smithfields, up Holburn and down through Covent Garden is fun, or down through haymarket and round Picaddilly.

The cycle lane that goes over the top of the euston Underpass is quite funny, in a sad lethal sort of way.

I sometimes go over London Bridge and back over Waterloo so I can get a break from filtering.

Too much choice I guess!

jokeyjon

I would avoid Vauxhall and use Lambeth bridge instrad....

il_principe

Can I just ask why? I live in central London and always make an effort to get out into the countryside where I can ride in relative peace without worrying about lights, traffic and stupid peds! Surely based where you are it'd be far nicer to head away from London? BTW the road surface within the city is generally awful, potholed and bumpy I'd avoid all together if I was you, and yeah, do Lambeth not Vauxhall bridge.

woodford2barbican

jashburnham wrote:

Can I just ask why? I live in central London and always make an effort to get out into the countryside where I can ride in relative peace without worrying about lights, traffic and stupid peds! Surely based where you are it'd be far nicer to head away from London? BTW the road surface within the city is generally awful, potholed and bumpy I'd avoid all together if I was you, and yeah, do Lambeth not Vauxhall bridge.

My thoughts entirely - but each to their own........

NWLondoner

I actually enjoy riding around the sights and sounds of London. I know that may seem mad. I find i push too hard when on country roads and end up knackering myself

NWLondoner

Well i survived

In all not too bad, some a**hole drivers (Sloane Square was a bit hairy) but I was astonished at the number of bad cyclist's I saw.

It it really nesccery to change lane in front of other motorists with no virtually no clearance and no arm signal??

Riding 4 abreast and taking up both lanes is just asking for trouble.

Going through red lights at major junctions where the crossing traffic was travelling at well over 30 MPH is pure madness.

The Chelsea embankment was full of fellow cyclists, trying NOT to tailgate others was almost impossible.

Bassjunkieuk

I really enjoy riding in central London, even to the point where I find my none London bound commute rather boring! Nothing quite like the excitement of trying to navigate a route through the bustling traffic and I'm also more likely to find someone else to try and keep up with as I have such a large choice - can be fun to push yourself sometimes!