London Commuting - is there a better route?

unscarred

Has anyone go any suggestions to improve my commute from Waterloo station to Canary Wharf?
Starting next week I'm swapping the Jubilee line for two wheels, and I want to tap the hive mind on what route is best.
I've done this a couple of times when the tube strikes were on, but there's a couple of bits I don't really like.
Previously I crossed the river on Blackfriars Bridge, then headed along Upper and Lower Thames Streets, through Tower Hill, up East Smithfield then along The Highway, peeling off just before the Limehouse tunnel to hit the Thames Path.
Any suggestions? Opportunities for a bit of SCR would be nice ;-)

il_principe

Mmm, if you want a bikefriendly route then here's one I was shown once:

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=65648

If you want SCR then try that route but head over Waterloo Bridge for Embankment - The SCR wonderland.

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Bassjunkieuk

Welcome unscarred! That route sounds fairly straight forward, I've never done the route from Waterloo - Canary Wharf but have ridden along most of the roads at one point or another.

When you say there are a couple of bits you don't like, which parts are they? We might be able to suggest alternative routes to avoid them. You seem to be taking some quite busy roads so if your wanting to avoid them I.P's route seems fairly good. I've never ridden through Wapping, might have to give that a punt if I can pull myself away from the adrenaline rush and potential scalps on The Highway :twisted:

My lowly suggestion would be following IP's route until you cross Tower Brige but then use the Cable Street cycle path that runs parallel to The Highway, there is a path through a park and a bridge that takes you over the northern side of the Rotherhithe Tunnel to re-join the Thames Path section you'd normally use off The Highway

unscarred

Thanks BJUK
I guess the main bit I dislike is coming off the Highway and getting on the Thames path - I've previously done it right before the tunnel entrance, and it's a pain waiting to cross that road, then dodging peds and cyclists squeezed into the bottleneck there. I didn't know there was a cycle path there, I'll have to try and find that, sounds like a sensible alternative.
TBH I'm not really bothered about the busy roads, I'm assertive / bloody-minded enough to hold my own in traffic, I just don't like these transitions, these seem to me to be the places where accidents are most likely to occur. Plus I dislike getting slowed down by pedestrians or having to stop.
The only thing I dislike about the Highway is the red lights and being overtaken then cut up by buses and skip-lorries. The first time I did this, one bus quite deliberately overtook me, pulled in then braked. I'm sure it was deliberate, because I saw him do the same to the girl 200 yards ahead of me. She was fast enough to hop onto the pavement though, I just had to drop the anchors.

On a different note, are there any longer and more scenic routes I can do for training purposes?

Greg T

unscarred wrote:

On a different note, are there any longer and more scenic routes I can do for training purposes?

Over Waterloo bridge - turn left - up to the House of Parliament - straight through onto the Embankment - all the way up to the end at Cheyne Walk, turn round and come all the way back. It's probably the only stretch where you can get your lungs working in central London.

The cable st bike path isn't fast, the surface is rubbish and there are multiple truning hazards. Only two sets of lights though. I prefer it to the HIghway.

If you prefer the Highway a good way to get onto narrow st is to take the left at the big junction by the cement place on the left and before the tunnel.

100 up that road is a light controlled ped crossing. Immiediately before that on your right is an entrance to a park. take that and foloow your nose over the ped bridge, down the slope and follow the bikes onto narrow st.

Cable St is just beyond that turn to the park on the left

unscarred

Cheers Greg, sounds like just the thing

Bassjunkieuk

Well done Mr. T, I have recently started hopping down here to get to Narrow Street from The Highway:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 19&iwloc=A

I'll try and filter out right to get to the ped island and then finish crossing the road from there, you can then hop over into Narrow Street using a marked cycle lane (I think.........)

If your not wanting to be slowed and don't mind mixing it with the chaps in tin boxes then avoid Cable Street, as Greg says the surface is dire and there are plenty of peds/cyclist/cars/animals to get in the way.

If you are using Narrow Street be sure to watch out for speeding trucks with their doors secured with a coat-hanger, last thing you want to do is be wiped out by having a car flung at you ;-)

unscarred

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

If you are using Narrow Street be sure to watch out for speeding trucks with their doors secured with a coat-hanger, last thing you want to do is be wiped out by having a car flung at you ;-)

That happened?!?!? :roll:

amnezia

unscarred wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

If you are using Narrow Street be sure to watch out for speeding trucks with their doors secured with a coat-hanger, last thing you want to do is be wiped out by having a car flung at you ;-)

That happened?!?!? :roll:

.. to the mayor of london

unscarred

Ah, I think I saw the video of that online, didn't realise it was there.

Is there a practical way to avoid the Thames path altogether?

tgotb

I believe you're allowed to cycle through the Rotherhithe Tunnel :?

Anyone here actually done it?

Bassjunkieuk

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

I believe you're allowed to cycle through the Rotherhithe Tunnel :?

Anyone here actually done it?

Yes and I won't recommend it. The 20mph speed limit offers some respite but the fact that the lanes are barely wide enough for the cars whoever is behind you is stuck. You can use the paths down each side assuming your quick enough to bump up a kerb to get on them as you enter!

unscarred

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll be giving them a try starting next week. Project POS is well underway, see my post in the commuting bike pics thread.
I don't think I'll be starting on Monday though, I'll still be recovering from a half-marathon the day before!

cjcp

Can you also ride around Battersea Park?