Route help: East Grinstead (east of Gatwick) to Wandsworth

richVSrich

My turn for some hive mind assistance please!

I'm moving offices in a few weeks...out of London down to near Gatwick.

It'll be around 30 miles each way, so whilst there's no way I would be able to realistically do a round trip, I'm hoping to be able to cycle home a couple of times a week.

Thing is, I'm really not sure of the roads down there

I was thinking of heading up the A22, then around Oxted, then B269 - >A235 - > A23

This will be heading in to Autumn (probably late september the earliest I'll start cycling), and I'm not sure the roads will be cycle safe, especially when it starts getting dark. Would country lanes be a good idea?

I'm really going to miss my London commute!

Any route suggestions please? thank you!

clarkey cat

Did part of this route on Sunday - you could get a train to East Croydon from Clapham Junction and cycle the rest of the way: the bit through London wouldn't be nice riding anyway.

I went: B269 to Limpsfield, straight ahead at the A25 junction (signposted Hurst Green and Lingfield) through Hurst Green and Lingfield and then through the village of Felcourt down to East Grinstead. It was a lovely ride.

richVSrich

Cheers Clarkey!

is this what you mean:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=2 ... 7,0.196037

I would probably ride home from EG, need to get some good lights!

oh and i'm still riding flats ...hehehe

clarkey cat

I wouldn't go via Edenbridge - when you come out of Limpsfield there is a little road straight ahead, just to the right that - called "Wolf's Road" that takes you up to a hamlet called Hurst Green - and then you can follow quiet (and very fast) roads to Lingfield.

I should point out that on the way back you might not want to go down the B269 into Limpsfield. It is very steep. I topped 48mph on Sunday going down it!

richVSrich

this way?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=2 ... 4,0.392075

uhm...this botley hill looks pretty steep! going down is surely better than going up it!!?? (but i will be going up it )

clarkey cat

It is pretty steep.

fidbod

Titsey hill is the real ramp heading back into london. Steep and fairly long for SE UK. once you get up Titsey hill, Botley is a bit flatter I would avoid coming back up the two after a long commute.

Stuart

richVSrich

i think i meant titsey hill road to the top of botsley hill... i'd only be commuting back home to london a couple of times a week i think (hopefully) so the hill i'd try to think of as training

iainmoss

I used to commute from Hurst Green to Croydon, up and down Titsey Hill each day. Most days I enjoyed the challenge, especially in snow! However, I really wouldn't recommend starting to ride it on the way home, after a long day, in the cold and dark. In fact, worse than the hill is the long, flattish stretch along the top- it is so very exposed.

If I were you, I'd ride both ways every now and again, that way you will appreciate the 50mph decent now and then rather than slogging up hill every ride.

With regards to the roads south of Hurst Green (Red Lane), I can highly recommend them, although they did not form part of my daily commute. The surface may be a bit rough in places but they will otherwise make a great commute, IMHO.

Iain.

asprilla

...and on the third month it shall rise again......

iainmoss

Hallelujah!
:twisted:

richVSrich

haha cheers!

ive actually only recently moved. still sorting stuff out, but will hopefully start doing halfway (wandworth - woldingham) then get the train perhaps soon...hmmm..