Commute Route: Ashtead - Battersea/London Bridge

monkimark

Morning all,

I've recently moved out of South London to Ashtead in surrey so my old 20 minute cycle commute has got significantly longer. I'm currently commuting by motorbike up the A3 but I'd like to start with one a day a week cycling (ideally not up the A3) and maybe build up from there.
I have cycled that way before as it was kind of on the way out to Boxhill etc but I've never done it in rush hour and I've usually taken the long way round to pick up friends (or just because I'd got lost).

Does anyone else ride into town (currently into London Bridge area but occasionally will be changing over to near Battersea power station soon) from Ashtead/leatherhead or nearby and have any tips on routes to take or roads to avoid? The obvious route is directly down the A24 but I'm not sure how good an option that is (I'm a pretty confident rider and used to riding in traffic but if there's a better option that doesn't add too much to my commute time, I'd rather avoid big dual carriageways & roundabouts etc)

This is what google maps advised - cropped to end at Clapham common where I can fork off to Battersea or London bridge. Any thoughts?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.31 ... m2!4m1!3e1


thanks,

Mark

Anonymous

Hi Mark - try posting this in Commuting Chat - probably get many responses, and possibly people who do the same. This section is a bit of a graveyard now!

Medders

Sadly I don't think there is much other option in terms of the Ashtead to Colliers Wood section. Any other route would add quite a bit of distance. There are a few options after South Wimbledon/Colliers Wood but simply taking CS7 (as suggested by google maps) is simplest. The A24 is not too bad and mostly single carriageway but it is not the most scenic....

monkimark

Thanks Coriordan, will try that.

That's sort of the conclusion I came to as well medders, I'm actually pretty au fait with the roads once I get to south Wimbledon/colliers wood as I lived in Balham/Tooting for about 8 years before the move.