Finding New Routes

meanredspider

I've been a bit lazy, I've realised, in hunting out new routes for my commute. I found the most efficient route and stuck with it. But the lovely weather has made me want to explore a bit more and I'm glad I have as there's some really great alternatives - one that allows me to get close to 21mph average over the first 15 miles and a few more scenic ones like this one last night that skirts the Beauly Firth for 5 or 6 miles and is like this photo for much of it (along with fields, trees, cottages)



The moral of the story is be more adventurous

Gallywomack

Indeed. I've been going up the Old Kent Road recently rather than through Deptford and Bermondsey. It looks like this most of the way:



Adventurous commuting story FAIL

meanredspider

I have serious respect for London commuters after my London to Edinburgh and London to Cambridge adventures - I hated riding in London with a passion. I suppose, like everything, you get used to it but it's those experiences, partly, that have helped push me to explore more of where I live.

Gallywomack

Actually, I had a bit of an adventurous Saturday in London. I was watching the Rugby in Covent Garden so cycled up early for that. Then once the game was over I was due in Greenwich for some quasar type thing as part of a stag do, so I took CS3 across town to the new cable car across the Thames, which dropped me v close to the quasar place. First time I've used one of the cycling superhighways and I was kind of impressed, it was grand for a weekend pootle (if confusing in places) but I'm not sure I'd want to commute on it every day. As for the cable car, that was great fun and being a cyclist, I got a cabin all to myself as they put the seats down on one side to accomodate my bike. Only £3.20 on the Oyster card, although I can't say it's that likely I'll need to use it again. Anyway, here's the view:

Ride hard

@ Gallywomack. That picture made me smile. So I take it you don't appreciate the glorious sight of endless kebab shops and KFC stylee eateries? Shame on you!

I sympathise with you though as I have the same dilemma every day. I love my commute through either Blackheath or Greenwich, but then it gets dull (Deptford onto Bermondsey) or even duller (Deptford onto Old Kent Road) depending on what route I take.

Ughhh.

@MRS - That's a very tidy average you're doing there.

meanredspider

Ride hard wrote:

@MRS - That's a very tidy average you're doing there.

Yup - it's net descent over the 15 miles of about 200ft so it's not all down to awesome power

But they are fantastic roads - not many junctions - one large roundabout that I approach at nearly 30mph. The only slow bits are an underpass and crossing the bridge. It would be hard to conceive of a much quicker route in the real world.

Ride hard

I think you meant to say 'net ascent' (remember, embellishment sells books)

It's probably been done before, but the picture of your commute would make a good thread about the most scenic or soul destroying commute images.

meanredspider

Ride hard wrote:

It's probably been done before, but the picture of your commute would make a good thread about the most scenic or soul destroying commute images.

You've done it now

walkingbootweather

meanredspider wrote:

Ride hard wrote:

It's probably been done before, but the picture of your commute would make a good thread about the most scenic or soul destroying commute images.

You've done it now

Yeah but the beer is rubbish in Scotland
the main reason I don't mind travelling south of Watford is that there is at least a chance of a decent pint

meanredspider

walkingbootweather wrote:

Yeah but the beer is rubbish in Scotland
the main reason I don't mind travelling south of Watford is that there is at least a chance of a decent pint

Ah - possibly true - except, living on the Black Isle, I cycle past



which is a very very satisfactory pint.

daviesee

walkingbootweather wrote:

Yeah but the beer is rubbish in Scotland
the main reason I don't mind travelling south of Watford is that there is at least a chance of a decent pint

You are quite correct, Tennents is **** water. There are however, a lot more choices of decent beer.
Having tried the beer south of Watford, I would say the chances are equal if you know what you are asking for.

Nice pics MRS but please explain that these are the exceptions as we like the quiet roads as they are.

Kieran_Burns

All I can p*ss people off with is:

msmancunia

Kieran_Burns wrote:

All I can p*ss people off with is:

Like the way you've stealthily hidden the massive chimneys of (Willington?) power station behind the trees in the top one....

(I went to college at Kedleston Road...)

meanredspider

msmancunia wrote:

Like the way you've stealthily hidden the massive chimneys of (Willington?) power station behind the trees in the top one....

(I went to college at Kedleston Road...)

Does that "Private" sign actually warn people that it's a contaminated power station cooling pond? :shock:

meanredspider

daviesee wrote:

Nice pics MRS but please explain that these are the exceptions as we like the quiet roads as they are.

Admission: I pinched those off Google Images and these are the only pics I managed to take before I was mugged and my phone was nicked... It's rough in the Highlands

daviesee

Kieran_Burns

meanredspider wrote:

msmancunia wrote:

Like the way you've stealthily hidden the massive chimneys of (Willington?) power station behind the trees in the top one....

(I went to college at Kedleston Road...)

Does that "Private" sign actually warn people that it's a contaminated power station cooling pond? :shock:

Radcliffe on Soar power station - and that's the Trent in the photo with the No Fishing sign

Feltup

Cycled from Henley-on-Thames to Nottingham yesterday and was amazed at how quiet the roads were in general. Apart from Thame, a short section of the A45 and Nottingham itself the rest of the roads were generally really nice and car free. I was surprised how hilly it was though, negligible flat, in fact 7,500ft in total. Near Silverstone and Naseby were particularly nice.

daviesee

A few from my commute tonight....







Mostly notable for being able to see the road now that the snow and ice have cleared.

Initialised

With all this sunshine and heat I long for the torrential floods last year when my commute looked like this:



or maybe this year's endless winter:

First.Aspect

Why would I want to find a new route?
Okay, so I took a circuitous route home today as well.

rjsterry

Just to show that you don't have to live in rural Scotland to have beautiful views on your commute

daviesee

Just for clarity, I was focussing on the route rather than the scenery.
And my 3rd photo is only 5 miles from Aberdeen airport. Rural for London but urban for up here.

bobbygloss

rjsterry wrote:

Just to show that you don't have to live in rural Scotland to have beautiful views on your commute

Agreed, this is the last km of my commute home:


and these are on the extended commute:

roger_merriman

that's my normal commute, on the edge of London but London still, are other routes but I like going though Bushy Park.

UndercoverElephant

Ah go on, I'll play too. My commute, though Scottish, is less rural than some:

daveski12

Kieran_Burns wrote:

All I can p*ss people off with is:

Just down the road from my house. Some lovely views even with the power station

meanredspider

It's great to see some lovely scenery and photos from people's commutes. It's too easy to see commuting by bike as a battle with buses & traffic lights in miserable wet weather, but there's some very different perspectives in these pics.

stu-bim

Stole pics from google maps but this was my extended route this morning

daveski12

Must have been awful Stu-bim

stu-bim

Bit of a tropical depression yesterday and was p1ssing down. Couldn't see 10 yards in front of windscreen, yesterday would have been awful to cycle. Didn't fancy driving but it passed quickly.