London Drive

slowbike
slowbike Posts: 8,498
edited July 2016 in Commuting chat
Longshot ...

I've got my place for the RL100 - just trying to work out logistics of getting there (straford) for 5am ...
I could drive up on the morning - but I'd've hardly gone to bed ...
I could find a hotel/b&b for the night - but I'd rather not ..
I have got a campervan I could sleep in - if I can find somewhere safe to park it - preferably on a private drive/off road parking somewhere around 5 miles out on the southern side of the thames ...
Has anyone got off road parking they would be willing to allow a southern softie to park on for the night?

tia :)

Comments

  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    I live in Balham which is in your sarf of the river zone. The road is fairly quiet and im sure (though I need to check the signs) you dont need a permit at the weekends so you can rock up at your leisure and park on the road outside my block of flats.
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    Slowbike wrote:
    Longshot ...

    I've got my place for the RL100 - just trying to work out logistics of getting there (straford) for 5am ...
    I could drive up on the morning - but I'd've hardly gone to bed ...
    I could find a hotel/b&b for the night - but I'd rather not ..
    I have got a campervan I could sleep in - if I can find somewhere safe to park it - preferably on a private drive/off road parking somewhere around 5 miles out on the southern side of the thames ...
    Has anyone got off road parking they would be willing to allow a southern softie to park on for the night?

    tia :)

    Unless you are dead keen staying sarf of the river - lee valley has some campsites which are not burning riot zones all the time. You could easily get to Wanstead / Woodford area which is not bad at all and I seem to remember there is a scout camp in woodford that you maybe able to get into, or park up on flats / forest (beware doggers).

    ps I am really not joking about the doggers
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Smokey Bacon wrote:
    I live in Balham which is in your sarf of the river zone. The road is fairly quiet and im sure (though I need to check the signs) you dont need a permit at the weekends so you can rock up at your leisure and park on the road outside my block of flats.

    ta :) I had considered on road - wife isn't too keen - but she's not going to be with me ... !
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    imatfaal wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    Longshot ...

    I've got my place for the RL100 - just trying to work out logistics of getting there (straford) for 5am ...
    I could drive up on the morning - but I'd've hardly gone to bed ...
    I could find a hotel/b&b for the night - but I'd rather not ..
    I have got a campervan I could sleep in - if I can find somewhere safe to park it - preferably on a private drive/off road parking somewhere around 5 miles out on the southern side of the thames ...
    Has anyone got off road parking they would be willing to allow a southern softie to park on for the night?

    tia :)

    Unless you are dead keen staying sarf of the river - lee valley has some campsites which are not burning riot zones all the time. You could easily get to Wanstead / Woodford area which is not bad at all and I seem to remember there is a scout camp in woodford that you maybe able to get into, or park up on flats / forest (beware doggers).

    ps I am really not joking about the doggers

    Needs to be Saaf of the river really - coming up from Portsmouth area - loads of road closures to avoid and getting over the river will be tricky without going all the way to Dartford (and paying their new fangled toll system)
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    I'm not sure you need off street parking. Why not just a quiet residential street?
    Pick a road to park in Blackheath or Greenwich. You don't need a permit for the weekend and there are lots of quiet roads around. Then on the morning they close the Blackwall Tunnel approach to cars so you get a really easy ride in.

    Somewhere like Azof Street or Mauritius Road in SE10 (used to live on both) don't get any through traffic. Or Beaconsfield Road, Mycenae Road sort of area.
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  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Excellent - thanks :)
    I'd looked further out - around Clapham Common - wasn't sure if residents would appreciate a "white van" parked outside for the day ... but I guess they're used to it
  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    if you plan on driving home afterwards bear in mind the traffic chaos the road closures create - the pros will be riding through later in the day. The route goes over the A3 at Putney but that becomes a real bottleneck to traffic in/out of central London as it is the only open route from South Wimbledon to Shephards Bush.

    You could park on a street in West Putney, no payment required after 1800 on a Saturday (or Friday if closer to Putney Heath, or even at all on Wildcroft Road). After the event you can get back by bike by crossing the course and coming south of the river back to Putney and crossing the route again to the van. Then escape to the A3 via Medfield Street and the A306. Smooth sailing home then.

    Chartfield Avenue is very Naice and wide, with loads of space. Pick a large house with non-resident oligarchs and they won't even know you were on the road outside. Telegragh pub on the heath, or the Green Man On Putney Hill, or walk into Putney for more options, including tube and bus to the Centre.


    it is a bit further to ride to the start, but being free of the chaos when you want to go home might outweigh that. When I did RL I rode in from Putney with some friends from Kingston. A lot of people were cycling to the start from SW London.
  • hegyestomi
    hegyestomi Posts: 504
    Airbnb? Usually cheap and cheerful.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I live in Mortlake and rode the 10 or so miles to the start on totally closed roads at around 5.30am which was lovely. A few others joined and all the marshalls but one were very cheery.

    Finished around 10.30 and rode the route again back down the A4 and home.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    alan sherman wrote:
    if you plan on driving home afterwards bear in mind the traffic chaos the road closures create - the pros will be riding through later in the day. The route goes over the A3 at Putney but that becomes a real bottleneck to traffic in/out of central London as it is the only open route from South Wimbledon to Shephards Bush.

    You could park on a street in West Putney, no payment required after 1800 on a Saturday (or Friday if closer to Putney Heath, or even at all on Wildcroft Road). After the event you can get back by bike by crossing the course and coming south of the river back to Putney and crossing the route again to the van. Then escape to the A3 via Medfield Street and the A306. Smooth sailing home then.

    Chartfield Avenue is very Naice and wide, with loads of space. Pick a large house with non-resident oligarchs and they won't even know you were on the road outside. Telegragh pub on the heath, or the Green Man On Putney Hill, or walk into Putney for more options, including tube and bus to the Centre.


    it is a bit further to ride to the start, but being free of the chaos when you want to go home might outweigh that. When I did RL I rode in from Putney with some friends from Kingston. A lot of people were cycling to the start from SW London.

    Thanks - I'll look into that ... used to be at Kingston Uni - but never rode into town ...
  • Mike_L
    Mike_L Posts: 28
    edited July 2016
    alan sherman wrote:
    if you plan on driving home afterwards bear in mind the traffic chaos the road closures create - the pros will be riding through later in the day. The route goes over the A3 at Putney but that becomes a real bottleneck to traffic in/out of central London as it is the only open route from South Wimbledon to Shephards Bush.

    You could park on a street in West Putney, no payment required after 1800 on a Saturday (or Friday if closer to Putney Heath, or even at all on Wildcroft Road).

    .....
    it is a bit further to ride to the start, but being free of the chaos when you want to go home might outweigh that. ..

    Thanks Alan,

    I'm also planning on parking up around here & riding in to start.
    I did RL in 2014 & got delayed at car park (Finsbury Square) & missed my start time - but was allowed to start in later wave.

    It took me 90 minutes to drive back as far as Putney that day - as you say road closures cause chaos.
    From Tibbet's Corner roundabout south , A3 was fine as it then becomes dual carriage way.


    It's @ 13 miles to the start with no significant hills on the way there - so should not take too much out of anyone. You will also have @45 minutes waiting/recovery time at the QEOP.

    Example route from Wildcroft Road
    https://www.strava.com/routes/5547037.

    (edit - just updated route to avoid the road closures round Tower Hill & Trafalgar Square from 4am.
    Still uses New Kings Road as that does not close until 7am)
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Thanks Mike - as I said I was contemplating Clapham common - but Putney is easier to get to - 13 miles isn't anything if not pushing it - I'll just have to get up 5 minutes earlier! :)
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Slowbike wrote:
    Thanks Mike - as I said I was contemplating Clapham common - but Putney is easier to get to - 13 miles isn't anything if not pushing it - I'll just have to get up 5 minutes earlier! :)

    13 miles in 5 minutes?? Chapeau!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    keef66 wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    Thanks Mike - as I said I was contemplating Clapham common - but Putney is easier to get to - 13 miles isn't anything if not pushing it - I'll just have to get up 5 minutes earlier! :)

    13 miles in 5 minutes?? Chapeau!

    If it's 13 miles from Putney to Clapham then I'm not following you! :roll: :wink:

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