Ashtead (Epsom) to Canary Wharf

surrey_commuter

Looks like I am moving, but my biggest concern is that I maybe sentenced to riding the full length of CS7 every day. Any alternative route suggestions would be much appreciated.

keyser__soze

Richmond Park (numerous routes from Ashtead) then the usual Putney Bridge/Embankment route? Probably four or five miles further but a better ride.

roger_merriman

Keyser__Soze wrote:

Richmond Park (numerous routes from Ashtead) then the usual Putney Bridge/Embankment route? Probably four or five miles further but a better ride.

Could even CX to Esher, it's all quite tame but rather nice even so.

alansd1980

In my experience CS7 is no worse than the route down to richmond park.

Tooting and colliers wood are the worst sections but if you just accept that it a no SCR area and making it through in 1 piece is the goal then its generally fine.

If you really want to avoid it then you can take a right at tooting broadway and then a left up church lane (I think thats what its called). Once you get upto the top you can take a right onto the cycle path that cuts across tooting common. That brings you out the back of balham, up cavendish road, abbeyville road, acre lane and then left down bedford road. Thos brings you out at clapham north.

Regardless of how you get to stockwell I would really recommend heading up to vauxhall, along across westminster bridge and join embankment. The route to elephant and castle and london bridge can get really snarled up and you end up filtering through awful traffic.

MTBIdle will be along shortly and he rides from ewell to canary wharf everyday.

njee20

I do Bookham to the City, tried a few routes, but settled on going straight up the A24/CS7. It's not that bad, I find the stretch from Ewell to Merton the worst by far, CS7's fine, just too many traffic lights.

alansd1980

nice to bump into you this morning and say hello nick!

njee20

Yes, likewise! Hope Sunday goes ok, forecast's not looking too bad!

vimfuego

Likewise, I come in from Epsom every day & CS7 is generally fine (apart from the Tooting tunnel of death on the way back home). I do leave at 6am though, so probably don't see the worst of it, but usually some good SCR action and can maintain a decent average speed (and yes I stop at RLs).

I'm usually in a Harlequins cycling jersey (in case we've crossed paths).

surrey_commuter

Many thanks everybody that gives me a few different options - looks like I will need to evolve the route that best suits me. Have only been commuting 4 months and have not done CS7 since the early weeks so maybe with improved fitness it will seem better.

surrey_commuter

roger merriman wrote:

Keyser__Soze wrote:

Richmond Park (numerous routes from Ashtead) then the usual Putney Bridge/Embankment route? Probably four or five miles further but a better ride.

Could even CX to Esher, it's all quite tame but rather nice even so.

I am making this 7-8 miles longer - how are you getting from Esher to Ashtead. What sort of tyres do you need to cycle across Ashtead Common?

Medders

njee20 wrote:

I do Bookham to the City, tried a few routes, but settled on going straight up the A24/CS7. It's not that bad, I find the stretch from Ewell to Merton the worst by far, CS7's fine, just too many traffic lights.

Every day? Respect if so (and tbh even if not every day). Mission of a commute.

Lets face it - coming up from the deep south is grimmer and harder than the leafy flat SW London/CS8 ride. A commute for real men*

Any attempt to make it more pleasant seems to add relatively significant distance/time to an already long commute.

* this may be b*llsh*t

ugo.santalucia

Surrey Commuter wrote:

I am making this 7-8 miles longer - how are you getting from Esher to Ashtead. What sort of tyres do you need to cycle across Ashtead Common?

It's pretty straightforward across Esher Common, then cross the A 244 Arbrook Common, Birch Wood, Limekiln wood onto Fairoak Lane, cross the A 243 into Rushett lane, then into Epson Common/ Ashtead Common. This time of the year any 32 mm tyre will be fine, but as it gets wet you need knobblies and a shower when you get into work... nice commute though.

surrey_commuter

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

I am making this 7-8 miles longer - how are you getting from Esher to Ashtead. What sort of tyres do you need to cycle across Ashtead Common?

It's pretty straightforward across Esher Common, then cross the A 244 Arbrook Common, Birch Wood, Limekiln wood onto Fairoak Lane, cross the A 243 into Rushett lane, then into Epson Common/ Ashtead Common. This time of the year any 32 mm tyre will be fine, but as it gets wet you need knobblies and a shower when you get into work... nice commute though.

Cheers for that - looking at Google maps it looks like you can cut out Esher by going up through Hinchley Wood into Claygate then over the A3 straight on across Fairoak and A243 and into Ashtead by the station. Currently live in Surbiton so may take the mtb on a recce.

It certainly seems more manly than Richmond Park and Barnes Common

ugo.santalucia

Surrey Commuter wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

I am making this 7-8 miles longer - how are you getting from Esher to Ashtead. What sort of tyres do you need to cycle across Ashtead Common?

It's pretty straightforward across Esher Common, then cross the A 244 Arbrook Common, Birch Wood, Limekiln wood onto Fairoak Lane, cross the A 243 into Rushett lane, then into Epson Common/ Ashtead Common. This time of the year any 32 mm tyre will be fine, but as it gets wet you need knobblies and a shower when you get into work... nice commute though.

Cheers for that - looking at Google maps it looks like you can cut out Esher by going up through Hinchley Wood into Claygate then over the A3 straight on across Fairoak and A243 and into Ashtead by the station. Currently live in Surbiton so may take the mtb on a recce.

It certainly seems more manly than Richmond Park and Barnes Common

I am sure you can. I normaly go through Esher as the stretch from Esher to Kingston is a good TT, meaning you normally have tail wind and can easily do 25 mph all the way. The only problem is the big roundabout outside Esher 307/309, which is a bit hairy in heavy traffic, so your plan might be sound

surrey_commuter

ahhh the Sicilly Isles - so bad car drivers take detours to avoid it.

The Surbiton/Hinchley Road/Claygate road is nice (only one set of lights) and drops you out on Copsem Lane if you ever fancy a change

roger_merriman

Surrey Commuter wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

Keyser__Soze wrote:

Richmond Park (numerous routes from Ashtead) then the usual Putney Bridge/Embankment route? Probably four or five miles further but a better ride.

Could even CX to Esher, it's all quite tame but rather nice even so.

I am making this 7-8 miles longer - how are you getting from Esher to Ashtead. What sort of tyres do you need to cycle across Ashtead Common?

In the past i've done it with 25mm MarathonPlus, if you stick to the made paths/trails even if wet its not bad, if you venture onto the grass bridleways when its wet, its fairly boggy.

surrey_commuter

Thanks for all the replies - I am now looking forwards to exploring and refining the new route

njee20

I'm usually in a Harlequins cycling jersey (in case we've crossed paths).

Not if you're leaving at 6, sod that ;-) black/yellow "Beyond Mountain Bikes" kit here, met a few people doing similar routes over the years.

Every day? Respect if so (and tbh even if not every day). Mission of a commute.

Nah, I actually live in Sussex, sometimes do door to door, but that's a 90 mile round trip saved for slow days in the office, so the compromise is drive to Bookham and ride the rest, rarely more than twice a week. Alternatively we have an office in Horsham, so I work there as much as I can! A nice leafy 9 miles each way instead!

Any attempt to make it more pleasant seems to add relatively significant distance/time to an already long commute.

That was my issue, I tried doing CS8/Richmond Park/Kingston, it was a few miles further, but added time, and wasn't nicer enough (if you know what I mean) to justify the additional time.

I've posted it before, but if you're interested, this is my route: YouTube vid

aroyalnit

I did Epsom (pretty close to Ashtead, actually) - Clerkenwell for a few years.

I started doing CS7 - and endured it for over a year. Got knocked off twice, pretty hard (both times unavoidable SMIDSY), on top of countless near misses, and cleat wear was more of an issue than you'd think it would be! (I never did learn to trackstand)

I changed my route to go via Chessington / Kingston / Richmond Park / Putney etc - and things were much better. No near misses to speak of, nowhere near as many traffic lights (it felt like I was actually doing some riding, instead of clipping in and out between lights), and being able to lap around Richmond Park on the way home was pretty nice. It was about 3-4 miles extra, but much nicer!

Would still be doing that route now if I hadn't moved to Aberdeen a few months ago

mtb-idle

alansd1980 wrote:

<snip>

MTBIdle will be along shortly and he rides from ewell to canary wharf everyday.

Hey Al #waveshello

I do indeed cover Ewell to CW most days. As above, it's not so bad. Have investigated other routes but CS7 remains the constant for me. Been doing this for years, March to October 2003 and 2004 and then from March 2008 to date all year round.

Before CS7 existed it was far worse; believe me.

I tend to follow CS7 on the way in for speed and experiment on different routes homeward bound.

CS7 is busy but has the advantage that traffic is now very used to cycle commuters so it is wary and actually feels safer. I find that once i get beyond Morden the traffic becomes more dangerous (except of course the Tooting Terror as mentioned above).

got knocked off a few times but nothing serious.

Other routes tried:

via Brixton, Streatham - too busy/hilly/potholey
via Embankment, Putney Bridge, LRR & RP - only on days when i want to extend commute to 25 miles and then i find embankment a traffic-filled nightmare rather than the cycling nirvana some claim it to be. Kings Road is also a right royal PITA

Oh and it's Scilly Isles not Sicilly/Sicily

mtb-idle

njee20 wrote:

I'm usually in a Harlequins cycling jersey (in case we've crossed paths).

Not if you're leaving at 6, sod that ;-) black/yellow "Beyond Mountain Bikes" kit here, met a few people doing similar routes over the years.

<snip>

Ah, okay. I've seen you then. Keep meaning to say hello. Do you know Nick Manning who rides with BMB? Was a mad keen MTB'er who I used to ride with every week for years but got seriously into his road bikes now.

surrey_commuter

MTB-Idle wrote:

alansd1980 wrote:

<snip>


got knocked off a few times but nothing serious.

It is true... this route is for real men.

I stand corrected on the Scilly roundabout.

Many thanks everybody I am now looking forwards to experimenting with everything from the CS7 to cross countrying it Any tips on LBS in Leatherhead or Epsom?

Medders

Corridori in Epsom. Have become my go-to LBS since moving. Dan one of the senior guys in store and mechanic is a top bloke and ex-Sigma. Also got an ex pro mechanic there. Only hindrance is sometime in store choice of certain items can be low (i.e only had specialized mitts when I went in to try and few pairs). But pricing on everything reasonable.

Cycle works in leatherhead pretty good too. But prefer the traditional friendly LBS feel of Corridori.

njee20

Do you know Nick Manning who rides with BMB?

Indeed I do! Saw him at the weekend actually. I still work in the shop occasionally, so know a lot of the guys who ride with the shop.

Leatherhead Cycleworks is good, Dave the manager is a really nice guy.

mtb-idle

njee20 wrote:

Do you know Nick Manning who rides with BMB?

Indeed I do! Saw him at the weekend actually. I still work in the shop occasionally, so know a lot of the guys who ride with the shop.

Leatherhead Cycleworks is good, Dave the manager is a really nice guy.

cool!

Second here for cycleworks Leatherhead and Dave da manager

vimfuego

I always use Corridori for servicing too - they've always been straight up with me and they know what they're doing. Friendly too (as above). If you're ever out in the hills and come a cropper try Pilgrim Cycles at Westumble station too - really helpful in there.

surrey_commuter

agree Corridori sounds more like my kind of place

mtb-idle

njee20 wrote:

I've posted it before, but if you're interested, this is my route: YouTube vid

good vid but you really need to set it to music dude, jus' sayin like 8)

How come you start in what looks like a council car park?

There's Comic Book guy there too; look! On the electric bike in Tooting @ 1:50

njee20

Because I started from a Council car park ;-)

I live down in Sussex, so drive to Bookham and ride from there, that's the little car park in the centre of the village, used to be free, now isn't, so I park elsewhere!