Route advice/tips - Woking to West End

cruff
cruff Posts: 1,518
edited June 2015 in Commuting general
Back dahn Saahf after an extended (and lovely) stint Oop Norf. Now inWoking and commuting to the West End. Currently going via Old Woking - West Byfleet - Byfleet - Cobham - Esher - Kingston - RP - Priory Lane/Queen's Ride & Putney Bridge

For the most part, this route is OK, but in the mornings, traffic from West Byfleet all the way to Cobham and through to Esher is pretty grim - probably due to the proximity to the M25/A3. Someone on another thread has kindly suggested that I consider maybe adding a few km and going via Weybridge and then (looking at the map) I guess it's Walton and Hampton Court?

Anyone have any other advice about maybe cutting out some of the grimmer traffic?

Thanks
Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.

Comments

  • phills
    phills Posts: 68
    Get on the towpath at Weybridge and follow it all the way to Kingston or beyond. No traffic at all then but possible a mile or 2 longer journey. You can get back on the path at Kingston and follow it all the way past Richmond and into London I think which is a lovely scenic route. Not sure what bike you are riding but it can get mildly rough at times but fine on my 700 x 32 hybrid. The route on-road from Weybridge to Kingston via Hampton Court can get busy as everyone is heading for Walton bridge or Hampton Court bridge to cross the Thames at peak times but probably safer than the Esher route. Lots and lots of cyclists on the Weybridge to Hampton Court route with pretty nice smooth roads for the most part.
  • gingaman
    gingaman Posts: 576
    When you first asked this question :wink: I responded with this:
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19572808#p19572808]gingaman[/url] wrote:
    I do Hampton Court to Woking and back most days. The route I take is as follows:

    -Woking town centre to six cross roads roundabout (big road, 50mph but cars give you room)
    -Woodham lane towards New Haw (nice wide cycle lane for half this road)
    -Head past TopGolf towards Addlestone (narrow cycle lane with dangerous sunken drains. cars not so friendly when busy)
    -Over the level crossing, towards Weybridge (separate cycle lane, side of dual carriageway)
    -Various options through Weybridge, I head down to Walton lane, alongside the river (nicer)
    -Ultimately aiming for Walton and then Hampton court.

    (They are, however, currently in the process of making the stretch through Walton as dangerous as possible for cyclists, by massively narrowing the road lanes and trying to get cyclists on the pavement. Whomever signed off the approval for this work is a tool of the highest order)

    Alternatively, from Woking you can instead head towards Byfleet and come into Weybridge from the Brooklands side, 2 lovely little hills to raise your BPM this way (towards Weybridge station), or carry on straight heading towards the A3, aiming for Cobham and Esher (narrow 50/60mph road with many impatient drivers, not really suitable during rush hour) and onwards to the Scilly isles and Portsmouth road into Kingston

    strava link for avoiding confusion with my directions:https://app.strava.com/activities/289185597

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