Route- Raynes Park to Westferry Circus

menthel

Right, due to the bloody tube strike tomorrow and a trip to the EMA that means going to Westferry circus I am now planning on cycling. Route looks like CS7 then across to London Bridge then down CS3 and under/over the limehouse link to destination. any other ideas or better routes?

talius

I'd be tempted to head up towards Embankment at some stage (maybe even to cross at Putney?) - flow north of the river is better and might be quicker than CS7 - LB. Last part is CS3 down cable street or go on the Highway. Either has its own issues, depends on my own speed as to which one I take. Head for Narrow street at the end.

Levi_501

Turn right on the upper Elephant and Castle round about.

Then filter off before the Bricklayers Roundabout flyover and go across Tower Bridge.

Once over the bridge, turn right on to The Highway, it is relatively quiet East Bound in the mornings, but beware there are lorries on the road!

I am not sure if you can go through the Limehouse link on a bike, you might have to ride along Commercial road before turning down on the IoD.

menthel

Thanks. Will spend some time with ridewithgps and play with routes later.

talius

If I'm taking the Highway, I nip over the ped crossing at the lights just before the tunnel to get to Narrow st -

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&sour ... =ls&num=10

If taking Cable St, it's a trip through a small park

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid= ... 5c1b&msa=0

keyser__soze

You can turn off at Clapham South at The Ave then cycle across the common and down Cedars Rd/Queenstown Rd to Chelsea Bridge then the Embankment if you like.

If you're going over Tower Bridge there's officially no right turn from Tower Bridge to the Highway, but you can scoot across at the ped lights to save yourself the U-turn on Mansell St, or just take CS3 along Cable St.

You can avoid Elephant and Castle by turning right at the pedestrian crossing (where CS7 goes left, big hatched lines to pull over right into before the traffic island on the ped crossing) and taking Hampton St, Steedman St, Heygate St, Rodney Place, Munton Rd, then crossing the New Kent Road at the ped lights. Can be done in reverse for the way home - there're cycle contraflows on the one-way streets. Loses you about a minute but IMHO worth it to avoid the bad junctions.

mtb-idle

Levi_501 wrote:

Turn right on the upper Elephant and Castle round about.

Then filter off before the Bricklayers Roundabout flyover and go across Tower Bridge.

Once over the bridge, turn right on to The Highway, it is relatively quiet East Bound in the mornings, but beware there are lorries on the road!

I am not sure if you can go through the Limehouse link on a bike, you might have to ride along Commercial road before turning down on the IoD.

What he says.

Limehouse link is indeed closed to bikes. No-one is likely to actually enforce this but I did it once by mistake (first day's cycle commute back in 2009) and it isn't pleasant. Fast moving vehicles in a four lane tunnel who aren't expecting bikes and you will get hooted (although I'm sure like us all you are used to this).

menthel

Thanks. Have replanned a little and also avoided Elephant and Castle. Will follow CS7 and then duck down backstreets to avoid it. I will take it relatively easy as I don't know the area well at all but looks perfectly ok. May leave a little early though!

surrey_commuter

I have ridden in from Surbiton to Cabot Square the last two weeks. Am pretty much a novice but can say that E&C is not that bad. If not confident of the route then CS3 makes life easy.

surrey_commuter

I have ridden in from Surbiton to Cabot Square the last two weeks. Am pretty much a novice but can say that E&C is not that bad. If not confident of the route then CS3 makes life easy.

mtb-idle

as Surrey Commuter says (twice) E&C rahndabaaaahht is really not that bad. I can't see that a long detour is worth it TBH

Certainly better than Tooting

menthel

Thanks all. I have what looks to be an ok route planned there and back. Will leave myself some time for mistakes etc. Will add some good kms to my April total!

keyser__soze

MTB-Idle wrote:

as Surrey Commuter says (twice) E&C rahndabaaaahht is really not that bad. I can't see that a long detour is worth it TBH

Not really that long a detour (Google maps actually reckons it's shorter), plus it's only one set of lights to get stuck at on the way back compared with two with the roundabout route, tho granted on the way in having to wait for the ped crossing to get across the NKR in can take a bit. It's a lot better compared to the standard CS7 route the other side. I did Elephant loads before discovering it and agreed it's not the worst junction out there, but I find this route helps to cut a little bit of stress from my journey for little downside.

menthel

That was probably my slowest and most unpleasant 20k ever. Traffic, cyclists and bloody CS3. CS3 was absolute hell, that pavement bit is just shite, especially with all the extra traffic. Thank goodness it is a one off.

anonymousblackfg

E&C is better with the new shared use bit to get around the lights then you just need a vehicle on your right and treat the whole thing as NFL, find a blocker and run for the end zone.

mtb-idle

menthel wrote:

That was probably my slowest and most unpleasant 20k ever. Traffic, cyclists and bloody CS3. CS3 was absolute hell, that pavement bit is just shite, especially with all the extra traffic. Thank goodness it is a one off.

welcome to my world. you get used to it...

keyser__soze

menthel wrote:

bloody CS3. CS3 was absolute hell, that pavement bit is just shite

But... but... but... it's the holy grail of London cycling: 'segregated infrastructure'

Only joking. I usually take the Highway instead. CS3 sucks.

oneiroi

MTB-Idle wrote:

Levi_501 wrote:

Turn right on the upper Elephant and Castle round about.

Then filter off before the Bricklayers Roundabout flyover and go across Tower Bridge.

Once over the bridge, turn right on to The Highway, it is relatively quiet East Bound in the mornings, but beware there are lorries on the road!

I am not sure if you can go through the Limehouse link on a bike, you might have to ride along Commercial road before turning down on the IoD.

What he says.

Limehouse link is indeed closed to bikes. No-one is likely to actually enforce this but I did it once by mistake (first day's cycle commute back in 2009) and it isn't pleasant. Fast moving vehicles in a four lane tunnel who aren't expecting bikes and you will get hooted (although I'm sure like us all you are used to this).

At least it isn't Rotherhithe tunnel. Traffic speed isn't a problem (usually held back by it as it's 20 or below depending on traffic) but the fumes :shock: . Pretty sure 1 trip through there gives you blacklung.

kurako

Keyser__Soze wrote:

menthel wrote:

bloody CS3. CS3 was absolute hell, that pavement bit is just shite

But... but... but... it's the holy grail of London cycling: 'segregated infrastructure'

Only joking. I usually take the Highway instead. CS3 sucks.

CS3 is awful. You've got all the side roads to cross, the inevitable broken glass and peds wandering around oblivious at Shadwell. I used to go up to Aldgate and along Commercial Road which was also pretty crap but I preferred it to the first 2 options.

mtb-idle

funnily enough (or not maybe) I took a detour home last night to add on some extra mileage and having ridden through your neck of the woods I named my Strava ride 'The Unbearable Shiteness of Being (in Raynes Park)'.

(I read that in a book a while ago, thought it was funny and it stuck in my mind).

menthel

MTB-Idle wrote:

funnily enough (or not maybe) I took a detour home last night to add on some extra mileage and having ridden through your neck of the woods I named my Strava ride 'The Unbearable Shiteness of Being (in Raynes Park)'.

(I read that in a book a while ago, thought it was funny and it stuck in my mind).

:P

I actually think that CS7 through Tooting is nicer than that CS3 stretch but then I don't do it every day. Hopefully my meeting will finish in time for me to escape before the rush starts.

menthel

Seriously, that daft pavement/ two way cycling section of CS3. They should be shot for that. The rest wasn't too bad on the way home as I left at about 3.45.