New route advice - SE London

Wrath Rob

It looks like the saga that is my house purchase may be drawing to a close which means I'll be living outside of the M25 for the first time in 15 years. My objection to handing over £500 a month to South East Failways (or whatever they're called) means that I'm going to buy a cheapo diesel car and commute using that plus the bike to get into work.

My commute will be to drive up the M20 and onto the A20 then park up somewhere (near Sidcup maybe?) around 15 miles from the City, pull the bike out the back and cycle in the rest of the way. Can anyone offer advice on a sensible route from there?

Wrath Rob

Well, this explains why I normally stick around Commuting Chat, not General!

cruff

Reason you haven't got many replies Rob, is that the two routes in from Sidcup/Bexley way are, frankly, absolutely horrendous. Parking up will probably not be too much of an issue (but check CPZs and other spiteful parking restrictions before you chance it), but the actual commute will inevitably take in either the A2 or the A20 (both brutal). I'm not even sure you can use the A20 at Sidcup because it's an NSL dual carriageway on which I think bikes are banned. Even if it isn't, you'd be suicidal to cycle down it.

That pretty much leaves the A2 - which is marginally better, but includes Shooters Hill (horrible) and the drag through the Sun In The Sands rub near Kidbrooke (lethal).

You might want to see if you can get into somewhere like Bromley or Chislehurst instead and come in via Catford and Lewisham. It still ain't pretty when you get past Bromley Hill, but probably marginally less dangerous.

mrtuk

zebulebu wrote:

Reason you haven't got many replies Rob, is that the two routes in from Sidcup/Bexley way are, frankly, absolutely horrendous. ... the actual commute will inevitably take in either the A2 or the A20 (both brutal).

The next junction after Sidcup/Chislehurst on the A20 the limit changes to 40, but would agree going on the A20 is not a nice route as the dual carriageway lanes are narrow.

I commute (not daily) from Chislehurst/Petts Wood into St Pauls, and to be honest route is not too bad (avoids A2 and A20). Will see if I can get route on google maps if interested, but basically Chislehurst Road -> Right onto Green Lane (crosses A20) -> Left onto A211 Foots Cray Road -> Left Onto Eltham High Street -> Right at traffic lights onto well hall road -> Left at next roundabout onto Rochester Way -> Right onto Kidbrooke Park Road then cut through to Blackheath, over Blackheath and then through Greenwich park, and go through one-way onto creek road/A200 (lower road, jamaica road) into Tower or London Bridge. Avoids the bigger/faster roads when out of town a bit (a lot with nominal cycle lane so you have a bit of space), but lots of bus lanes etc once you are after Greenwich.

You might want to see if you can get into somewhere like Bromley or Chislehurst instead and come in via Catford and Lewisham. It still ain't pretty when you get past Bromley Hill, but probably marginally less dangerous.

I found going via Bromley worse than the route above - a bit more direct, but more crossings of major roads and lights etc, so took as long/longer.

Probably plenty of free parking just off the A20 at Chislehurst, as it's not near to the train station etc.

Wrath Rob

Thanks guys, I'm reasonably flexible on where I'd park up so Chiselhurst is definitely an option if it gives me a nicer ride into town. My plan is to spend a couple of days over the Christmas break looking into it and then trying out the whole commute to see if it would work.

mrtuk, thanks for the route, I'll take a look.