Route Recommendations - Paddington to Liverpool Street

OldSkoolKona

Having properly scalped the Waterloo to Liverpool Street route (a la http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12681381 - Blackfriars Bridge - Bank came out as the preferred route) Mrs OSK is now going further afield as we leave London, sob sob

Anyone from the great Commuting (Chat) world have recommendations for Paddington to Liverpool Street? Hyde Park or not Hyde Park?

Cyclestreets have a few suggestions:
http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/369245/

Pufftmw

This would be the simplest but its uninspiring to say the least & I imagine Oxford Street can be a bit full of buses, but the rest should be pretty straightforward and as its inside the congestion charge zone, reasonably traffic easy. About the shortest using main roads.

Praed to Edgware Road, to Marble Arch, Oxford Street, New Oxford Street, Bloomsbury Way, Theobalds Road, Clerkenwell Road, Old Street Roundabout turn right, City Road/Moorgate to Eldon Street, turn left and follow through to Liverpool Street...

MonkeyMonster

Do not go near oxford circus/street bar for a laugh of how evil roads can be.

Its really not worth it. Stick north of it and then come down an intersecting road nearer to clerkenwell I'd suggest.

_Brun_

Marylebone/Euston Road and then through Kings X, Angel and Old Street will be fast, but probably not pleasant.

Unfortunately picking a way along quieter roads doesn't look particularly easy, best I can suggest is Seymour/Wigmore St, then doing a quick left/right across Tottenham Ct Rd and down Bedford Sq onto Bloomsbury Way and High Holborn. Something like this.

Definitely avoid Oxford St, it's horrible by bike.

jamesco

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Do not go near oxford circus/street bar for a laugh of how evil roads can be.

Its really not worth it. Stick north of it and then come down an intersecting road nearer to clerkenwell I'd suggest.

+1

Definitely avoid Oxford St., and Marylebone/Euston can be a nightmare, too. The most practical route is between the two.

OldSkoolKona

Definitely wouldn't wish Oxford Street on anyone..

Looking at Google Streetview, there seems to be a fairly decent segregated cycle lane from Torrington Street (where it joins Tottenham Court Road), then onto Tavistock Square though finishes at Hunter Street with a funny segregated switch over.

(Interesting ped action in this streetview link:-s)

As ever I suppose the problem is what you do either end of the route (ie from Paddington to TCR and from Hunter Street to Liv St)

Part of me thinks that via Hyde Park then the Embankment is simplest if not shortest, though Trafalgar Sq can be 'interesting'

cjcp

[quote="OldSkoolKona"

Part of me thinks that via Hyde Park then the Embankment is simplest if not shortest, though Trafalgar Sq can be 'interesting'[/quote]

Rode to Paddington recently from Embankment. I'm not a fan of Oxford St, Trafalgar Sq, Strand etc, etc.

lost_in_thought

I have to say, the only really awful part of Oxford Street is the bit from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch - or vice versa.

What you can do to avoid that bit is go into the park, head along North Carriage Drive, but don't leave the park at Speaker's Corner, follow the bike path around until you get to the cycle path exit that crosses Park Lane. It's the first cycle exit once you're heading south, and comes up quite quickly, really just after the corner.

Use said exit - there's a monument to the animals at war next to it - and it pops you onto Upper Brook Street. Go in a straight line until you get to Hanover Square - it's just after you cross Bond Street - then go left onto Harewood Place around the square, and keep to the right hand side of the exit.

Then hop off your bike and push it for a few yards, or make an illegal right turn, and you're onto Oxford Street and past 90% of the sh*te!

Follow your nose all the way along oxford street, new oxford street, high holborn, until holborn circus where the sainsbury's offices are, when you want to bear left (not turn left) onto Charterhouse St, into Smithfield, go right around the market, then left, under the beech street tunnel, chiswell street, then pick your method to get into Liv St.

I go Christopher St, Wilson St, Earl St, Appold St, Primrose St, and down the ramp into the station, cause it makes me feel cool.

This used to be my commute. Can you tell?

OldSkoolKona

Hi LiT, thanks for that. We're going to do a dummy run of it next weekend. The route into LivSt is spot on as that takes her right to her office. Any particular 'hot spots' to heighten up the spidey senses on?

waddlie

Circle Line.

Or if closed for engineering work, Bakerloo to Oxford Circus, Central Line to Liverpool Street.

Simple.s.

OldSkoolKona

Waddlie wrote:

Circle Line.

Or if closed for engineering work, Bakerloo to Oxford Circus, Central Line to Liverpool Street.

Simple.s.

You'd be quicker walking than circle lining it from Pad to Liv St in the morning

markshaw77

lost_in_thought wrote:

I have to say, the only really awful part of Oxford Street is the bit from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch - or vice versa.

What you can do to avoid that bit is go into the park, head along North Carriage Drive, but don't leave the park at Speaker's Corner, follow the bike path around until you get to the cycle path exit that crosses Park Lane. It's the first cycle exit once you're heading south, and comes up quite quickly, really just after the corner.

Use said exit - there's a monument to the animals at war next to it - and it pops you onto Upper Brook Street. Go in a straight line until you get to Hanover Square - it's just after you cross Bond Street - then go left onto Harewood Place around the square, and keep to the right hand side of the exit.

Then hop off your bike and push it for a few yards, or make an illegal right turn, and you're onto Oxford Street and past 90% of the sh*te!

Follow your nose all the way along oxford street, new oxford street, high holborn, until holborn circus where the sainsbury's offices are, when you want to bear left (not turn left) onto Charterhouse St, into Smithfield, go right around the market, then left, under the beech street tunnel, chiswell street, then pick your method to get into Liv St.

I go Christopher St, Wilson St, Earl St, Appold St, Primrose St, and down the ramp into the station, cause it makes me feel cool.

This used to be my commute. Can you tell?

+1 to this - did a spookily similar route last week having gotten fed up with Marylebone/Euston route and it was pretty effective

lost_in_thought

OldSkoolKona wrote:

Hi LiT, thanks for that. We're going to do a dummy run of it next weekend. The route into LivSt is spot on as that takes her right to her office. Any particular 'hot spots' to heighten up the spidey senses on?

Be very careful around Holborn Circus. Traffic does unexpected things there, and it's one of the least traffic-light-y roundabouts in Central London.

Also beware of beepy taxis around Smithfield. Just ignore them, and keep primary, but remember to bear left once you've turned right. You'll see what I mean when you get there.

In the little one way warren coming up to the station, just be aware of construction traffic.

Oh and somewhere on High Holborn, there are LH Turn only lanes with bike lanes up the inside. Careful!

And that's about it really!

soundninjauk

lost_in_thought wrote:

I have to say, the only really awful part of Oxford Street is the bit from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch - or vice versa.

What you can do to avoid that bit is go into the park, head along North Carriage Drive, but don't leave the park at Speaker's Corner, follow the bike path around until you get to the cycle path exit that crosses Park Lane. It's the first cycle exit once you're heading south, and comes up quite quickly, really just after the corner.

Use said exit - there's a monument to the animals at war next to it - and it pops you onto Upper Brook Street. Go in a straight line until you get to Hanover Square - it's just after you cross Bond Street - then go left onto Harewood Place around the square, and keep to the right hand side of the exit.

This used to be my commute. Can you tell?

This bit is part of mine! Brings back memories of this morning...

OldSkoolKona

LiT, really appreciate all the feedback, can't thank you enough. Snow permitting we're going to do it this Saturday :-)