Commuting through the city, scenic/safe or speed?

christopher247

Morning

Terrible journey into work by train/tube today, many of us will know it, packed tube that you can't get on, squash when you do, delayed trains and all the rest. You think, why bother! Yet we do!

I am an infrequent commuter, about 8 miles one way, I make the return journey on the bike about once every two weeks on average.

But I decided a few weeks ago that when my annual travelcard expires next week, I'm not going to renew and instead cycle 3-5 days a week. Of course, the big £££ saving played a role, not just the unpleasant train journey. I think it'll be significantly quicker by bike too (by about 5 mins per journey maybe).

I'm looking forward to it, and spent a few mins yesterday looking at the map to work out a route. I already have a good one, but maybe I can optimise it for speed! At the moment I take a couple of roads out of familiarity and the fact that they are normally less busy than other ones I could be taking, that might be faster.

Just thought I'd try to spark a discussion if it's of interest - how do you work out your route, do you aim and go for the fastest route possible, or do you allow a bit of extra time and perhaps go for the more scenic or maybe safer route?

Chris

clarkey cat

don't ask this lot... it's all about where you will find the most fast cyclists to race - that being Embankment.

mattsaw

I tend to go for distance while trying to push myself fairly hard. My direct route to would would be around 9 miles, but I usually try to increase this to 12-15 miles to get the mileage up.

I also find I'm more influenced by how stop start a route is rather than how busy it is. Quiet doesn't equal safe and stopping and starting significantly eats into commuting time.

straas

In my personal opinion faster is safer (as long as you have the stamina for the speed!) much easier to merge with traffic and negotiate junctions, and since being kitted out in the right gear it feels like drivers know you'll be faster than your average nodder and give you more room or hold back.

I've also noticed I can tolerate work much more since not getting the tram in - having to spend 20 minutes each way with a box of dreary commuters really starts your day on a downer!

You'll still get the odd bellend, but such is life.

hatbeard

ride at whatever pace you feel comfortable.

for every racing snake in full lycra there's 100 nodders on rusty halfords bikes who pootle about oblivious to the world around them.

go at the speed you feel safest at.

if you're easing yourself into the full commute do a google streetview 'walkthrough' of the way you think you'll take, find the big junctions along that route and if you don't feel comfortable tackling them yet, find a different way around.

When I started I took a slightly altered route that avoided the faster roads and junctions as I wasn't confident enough yet, after a week or two I started to add them in, now I just take the most direct route I can. you'll soon get it.

and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that money you 'saved' on your travelcard will be spent on bike gear soon enough. you won't be better off financially but you'll at least be a bit happier about it haha

mudcow007

bit of both really (scenery and speed) if the weather is poop, its strictly speed. nice day take it easier an go on a longer ride

depending on which part of liverpool i ride through sometimes determines the speed i travel too :shock:

EKE_38BPM

hatbeard wrote:

ride at whatever pace you feel comfortable.

for every racing snake in full lycra there's 100 nodders on rusty halfords bikes who pootle about oblivious to the world around them.

go at the speed you feel safest at.

if you're easing yourself into the full commute do a google streetview 'walkthrough' of the way you think you'll take, find the big junctions along that route and if you don't feel comfortable tackling them yet, find a different way around.

When I started I took a slightly altered route that avoided the faster roads and junctions as I wasn't confident enough yet, after a week or two I started to add them in, now I just take the most direct route I can. you'll soon get it.

and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that money you 'saved' on your travelcard will be spent on bike gear soon enough. you won't be better off financially but you'll at least be a bit happier about it haha

I agree 100% with HB. Potential savings are huge. Actual savings, not so much!

With regard to route planning, I would also suggest you check out TFL's cycle route maps and use it in conjunction with Google's Streetview.

Where are you riding from/to? Someone on here may have some real world route advice.

Bassjunkieuk

Your route will probably evolve as you ride it and you gain more experience/confidence.

I used to use a fairly directish route for my commutes but as I learned my way around I found small alterations that add a mile or so but can be so much more enjoyable. My biggest change was probably using CS7 as opposed to the A23 to get from Streatham>Stockwell but I have also experimented with avoiding sections of CS7 and riding along The Embankment more :-D

As a few others have said, don't automatically assume quieter roads are safer, sometimes a lack of traffic can lull you into a false sense of security. I have one commute that takes me out down south west towards Thames DItton and it's mostly backroad's and whilst its a change to my usual commute towards London the riding can be rather boring :-)

rhext

I'll usually go for safe/scenic/quiet at the cost of another 5 minutes or so. It's 5 minutes extra because it's a couple of miles longer (but not so stop-start: no I can't do 2 miles in 5 minutes). Sometimes I'll add another couple of miles onto the return journey to get even more quiet/scenic, although doing that also involves some rather serious climbing so costs a lot more than 5 minutes and isn't always that practical. My advice is to explore a range of routes and then you'll be able to pick and choose according to your mood. Don't just stick with the first one you try!

flimflam_machine

I've tried sticking my route into various planners and their suggestions seem insane. They insist on sending me round roughly two sides of a rectangle through really densely streeted areas where I'd hit a crossroads every fifty yards. I may try them just to see but I think doing a bit of exploring roughly around a direct route should turn up something you're happy with.

I've generally gone for scenic and safe over major roads and I've found that the difference in time is pretty negligible (5%?). Obviously effort plays a part in your journey time but not as much as I thought. Learning traffic light timings so you know when to hammer it to catch the next green and when to coast so that you've still got momentum when the next light turns green in front of you is a useful thing to do.

Smaller roads can be quieter which is more pleasant but you want to pick one which has the right of way so you're not having to stop at every junction. Routes through parks tend to be without traffic lights so you can maintain some decent speed. If you're commuting into central London you'll get enough busy streets so sticking to a nicer route when possible is my advice. Since part of the joy of cycling to work is avoiding the train/tube/bus it makes no sense to me to replace it with the stress of mixing with fast traffic unless your legs have done something to offend you and you want to get your own back.

pastryboy

Speed but no risk taking. I'll pedal as fast as possible when the opportunity comes along but if it's not safe to proceed I'm pateint. Most busy roads in town will have a 30 limit so if you're quick you can travel with the traffic most of the time.

DonDaddyD

christopher247 wrote:

Morning

Terrible journey into work by train/tube today, many of us will know it, packed tube that you can't get on, squash when you do, delayed trains and all the rest. You think, why bother! Yet we do!

I am an infrequent commuter, about 8 miles one way, I make the return journey on the bike about once every two weeks on average.

But I decided a few weeks ago that when my annual travelcard expires next week, I'm not going to renew and instead cycle 3-5 days a week. Of course, the big £££ saving played a role, not just the unpleasant train journey. I think it'll be significantly quicker by bike too (by about 5 mins per journey maybe).

I'm looking forward to it, and spent a few mins yesterday looking at the map to work out a route. I already have a good one, but maybe I can optimise it for speed! At the moment I take a couple of roads out of familiarity and the fact that they are normally less busy than other ones I could be taking, that might be faster.

Just thought I'd try to spark a discussion if it's of interest - how do you work out your route, do you aim and go for the fastest route possible, or do you allow a bit of extra time and perhaps go for the more scenic or maybe safer route?

Chris

First thing, first rule, first thing that always comes into my mind is be safe and choose safe options at all times whatever the speed.

What some people, I feel, don't understand is that being safe doesn't always mean riding slow. There are times where you need to ride faster than normal in order to be safe. I.e. you are always safest when travelling at ambient traffic speed. (Most cars in London very rarely get a chance to travel at 30mph - its normally 19 - 25mph).

In terms of my route - Wimbledon to Goodmayes - I choose the roads I'm familiar with, that I feel safest on but also get me to work in a reasonable time without too many junctions or having to emerge onto main roads. Most importantly its what I about what I feel comfortable with. Once all these conditions are met I think about fun/speed and riding as fast as possible.

My route changes in the Winter to accomodate lighting conditions, speed of the road, traffic volumes and the attitude of drivers. There are roads I simply won't ride in the Winter that I absolutely enjoy in the Summer and visa versa. But in general I think it comes down to what works for the individual.

nich

Where are you commuting in from?

Personally I prefer the fast routes in, and in many cases find them safer (wider roads, more use of bus lanes).

I once did a scenic ride with my mate on their commute, which basically involved using the back streets. Apart from being slower, I also found it more dangerous as there were way more junctions to deal with - generally meant lots of start and stopping which I found frustrating.

Bus lanes all the way!

snooks

I would say don't throw yourself in at the deep end in your first week, start off riding Monday Wed and Friday, the next week try Mon Tue, Thurs, Friday then on the third week try all 5 days. If you think 3 days is scary, to begin with try two days.

My route has the least junctions (i.e. it's almost 1one road), bus lanes and cycle lanes (on the road). I usually have to carry a laptop and clothes to work so I make it short. I do have a couple of extensions I do when it's a warm morning/evening to build the mileage up, but other times I'll just get home, and if it's still nice I'll go for a ride without my commuting kit.

There are loads of commuters on here and the odds are someone will do a bit of your route and be able to advise you, so where are you coming in from?

If you don't know your route, try it at the weekend on a Sunday when the roads are quieter, and +1 for using google street maps to get an idea of your route/road layouts

Enjoy it

EKE_38BPM

The OP posted at 10:37 and nothing since. He's either been sucked into the Receptionist thread, or is actually doing some work?!

itboffin

Speed over safe, I noticed this a couple of years ago when cycling with a torn ITB, terrifying experience in London, almost felt like I had a target on my back for car, lorries & taxis

London traffic has an ever decreasing tolerance factor for city pootling boris bikes, this will not last, dont believe me? try cycling one along the Euston road :shock:

Go fast, assume EVERYONE wants to KILL you - you will live longer

SmellTheGlove

When I started I took a photocopy of a couple of pages of AtoZ and drew a straight line on them with a ruler; three years later and my standard route is still a faint zigzag around that line but basically follows the crow's line of flight with the major obstacle being a subway under A41. With a few tweaks e.g. to miss out traffic lights here and there or find an easier right turn, the fastest way soon emerges.
Fast is good.
A fairly regular scenic alternative for me is take bike north by train on a Friday afternoon and find way home without a map.

cycling psychologist

I go safe personally, I don't want to fight down a dual carriageway! I've been doing my route for about 6 months and it has evolved as I've got to know the area a bit. I take cycle paths where possible (I cycle in Leicester so they are really, really great).

christopher247

Nice one, thanks for the replies, very interesting, and very excited about doing this regularly.

Yeah, I've got most of the gear already I think, winter and summer, just got to use it! Ok, I might not save £££££, but I will try and save ££?!

I'll be commuting in London from Putney (near the high street), to very close to Regents Park tube/top of Great Portland Street.

For those with local knowledge, first part of ride is easy to plan, over Putney bridge, right into New Kings Road and cycle down there for a while, then the options open up.

Anyway, maps out at the weekend (work got in the way today) and will defintely try a few variations. Maybe find some interesting new stops on the way...

Think I'll cycle the 2-3 miles to Fulham Broadway tomorrow and get the tube from there, good warm up! WIll avoid the Evans shop!!!

walkingbootweather

I get bored doing the same route each time. You do need a speed route for when you are running late or don't want to be out there any longer than necessary. I also have a more scenic route which is a couple of miles (and 20 mins) longer but avoids almost all busy roads which I ride just as often, but I like to explore so often invent variations. You may well find that due to hills, one way streets, traffic etc. that the optimum out and return routes will be different.

When I'm in geek mode, I'll log routes on GPS and analyse later, sometimes with interesting results.

Bassjunkieuk

walkingbootweather wrote:

I get bored doing the same route each time. You do need a speed route for when you are running late or don't want to be out there any longer than necessary. I also have a more scenic route which is a couple of miles (and 20 mins) longer but avoids almost all busy roads which I ride just as often, but I like to explore so often invent variations. You may well find that due to hills, one way streets, traffic etc. that the optimum out and return routes will be different.

When I'm in geek mode, I'll log routes on GPS and analyse later, sometimes with interesting results.

Also another point with sticking to the same route is it can lead to a bit of complacency and you ride in "autopilot" As for the explore option I had one of my most enjoyable weekend rides once when I just set off intending to cover a good distance and go via a certain place. I'd looked on Google and had a very rough route planned and as it happened entirely missed my spot but found some cracking roads and still have no idea how I found my way back :-)