Best route through Hammersmith westbound

choirboy
choirboy Posts: 132
edited August 2009 in Commuting chat
Morning all,

Just started commuting in from Windsor to the Strand: all fine and dandy on the way in along the A4 to Chiswick, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park and the Mall. Only problem is how best to get past Hammersmith heading westbound in the evening from Kensington HS/Olympia to King St. So far I've been unable to avoid either hoards of pedestrians or getting stuck in the stationary traffic around the bus station.

Any suggestions from the gurus on this site?

Cheers,

cb

Comments

  • choirboy wrote:
    Morning all,

    Just started commuting in from Windsor to the Strand: all fine and dandy on the way in along the A4 to Chiswick, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park and the Mall. Only problem is how best to get past Hammersmith heading westbound in the evening from Kensington HS/Olympia to King St. So far I've been unable to avoid either hoards of pedestrians or getting stuck in the stationary traffic around the bus station.

    Any suggestions from the gurus on this site?

    Cheers,

    cb

    Ummmm, I did HS Ken to Chiswick quite regularly, and just went along HSK all the way to the Hammersmith roundabout on-road, it's a bit traffic-y at the moment due to the roadworks, and then went onto King Street from there...

    www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=4858

    However, it seems like that's the route you don't like!
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Flyover. HigherTFU.
  • choirboy
    choirboy Posts: 132
    choirboy wrote:
    Morning all,

    Just started commuting in from Windsor to the Strand: all fine and dandy on the way in along the A4 to Chiswick, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park and the Mall. Only problem is how best to get past Hammersmith heading westbound in the evening from Kensington HS/Olympia to King St. So far I've been unable to avoid either hoards of pedestrians or getting stuck in the stationary traffic around the bus station.

    Any suggestions from the gurus on this site?

    Cheers,

    cb

    Ummmm, I did HS Ken to Chiswick quite regularly, and just went along HSK all the way to the Hammersmith roundabout on-road, it's a bit traffic-y at the moment due to the roadworks, and then went onto King Street from there...

    www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=4858

    However, it seems like that's the route you don't like!

    The roadworks are a bit pants but OK - just wondered if there is a better route round the whole Hammersmith gyratory jam. Guess not - until Uncle Boris blasts a Superhighway through it all anway....
  • I guess it depends on how much of a detour you're willing to take to avoid it really.
    I mean, you could head down through Fulham and cross over into Putney then go to Kew and rejoin the A4, but that's a big old detour, or you could go North - Notting Hill, Shepherd's Bush, but they're just as traffic-y....
  • choirboy
    choirboy Posts: 132
    Nah, not worth the detour. Will just inch my way through the muppets. Cheers for the advice.
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Choirboy, I know I'll get mocked for this, but I sometimes (in poor weather usually) walk my bike from one side of the Hammersmith one-way system to the other. Takes under 2 minutes and means you don't get squashed. It's not ideal but it's quick, safe and direct.
  • choirboy
    choirboy Posts: 132
    biondino wrote:
    Choirboy, I know I'll get mocked for this, but I sometimes (in poor weather usually) walk my bike from one side of the Hammersmith one-way system to the other. Takes under 2 minutes and means you don't get squashed. It's not ideal but it's quick, safe and direct.

    That's what I did on Day 1 when I realised that the crossing from Kensington leads you nowhere that you can actually go on a bike. Ah well, come the revolution....