Epping to London
guinea
Posts: 1,177
I'm thinking about moving to Epping and am wondering what the commute is like.
On the weekend there seems to be a lot of riders on the road, so the local are probably used to cyclists, but there are long stretches without any cycle paths through the forest that look like it could be a little dicey in the dark. Is it safe for riding in rush hour?
I've seen a few routes online which detour around the Walthamstow reservoirs rather than take on Lea Bridge Rd. I know the road, but didn't think it was that bad? Is it better to add a few miles to avoid it? This could get onerous given the routs is 16 miles at its shortest.
On the weekend there seems to be a lot of riders on the road, so the local are probably used to cyclists, but there are long stretches without any cycle paths through the forest that look like it could be a little dicey in the dark. Is it safe for riding in rush hour?
I've seen a few routes online which detour around the Walthamstow reservoirs rather than take on Lea Bridge Rd. I know the road, but didn't think it was that bad? Is it better to add a few miles to avoid it? This could get onerous given the routs is 16 miles at its shortest.
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Where abouts are you moving to? Where cycling too? It affects route. A few people including myself come from that direction (I'm only by crooked billet roundabout though.)
Some people go down to Bow which is an okay route if it isn't a diversion for you. I do the reservoirs in the morning, it's a bus lane but has the disadvantage of having a traffic jam just before the a10.
I've tried Lea bridge road once or twice and the problem with it is it has a large traffic jam in the morning. So you're forced onto the cycle lane that then moves from pavement to road and is a bit dodgy.
Alternatively there's a canal you can head down?FCN 9 || FCN 50 -
The route would be from Epping town centre to Angel tube station.
The fastest route is exactly 16m. Down Epping New Road, Whipp's Cross, Lea Bridge Road then Balls Pond Road into Islington.0 -
That probably is your best route. Epping New road isn't too bad, but I'd want some bright lights for winter. There is a nod to a cycle lane there but I ride outside of it normally as it fills with cack.FCN 9 || FCN 50
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I commute Chigwell to Hampstead most days, and often add in an extra loop up to Epping and Theydon Bois.
My route is up on to Epping New Road, either via Buckhurst Hill or Woodford Green, and then over Waterworks Roundabout and down Forest Road all the way to Tottenham Hale. A few back roads to avoid much of the gyratory then up Seven Sisters Road and across Finsbury Park. Most of this route is bus lane or cycle lane and other than the amount of traffic lights, it isn't too bad.
You could easily carry on at Manor House and then brave 1/2 a mile of Holloway Road before cutting down Liverpool Road. Not sure exactly how bike friendly it is on this section so you may want to experiment0
