Longer commutes

1235»

Comments

  • ThatBikeGuy
    ThatBikeGuy Posts: 394
    I'd like to try commuting into London for a week. See what its like with the hustle and bustle, I'm lucky to see another cyclist on my whole commute to and from work!

    I guess most of you southerners would happily trade your urban commutes for a rural one?
    Cannondale SS Evo Team
    Kona Jake CX
    Cervelo P5
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    ThatBikeGuy wrote:
    I'd like to try commuting into London for a week. See what its like with the hustle and bustle, I'm lucky to see another cyclist on my whole commute to and from work!

    I guess most of you southerners would happily trade your urban commutes for a rural one?

    Depends on where in London and I guess what time, my commute is just under 12 miles, at the moment there are bikes about, though not that many, and it reduces quickly once the summer I see over, to point that seeing another cyclist is a event, last time I was in work few days back hit my highest numbers of 70, it’s normally even on a good day less than one a mile. Since I work nr Heathrow so folks like to,sit in traffic jams... so the bikes I see are at the start/end nr home in the royal parks.
  • pastryboy
    pastryboy Posts: 1,385
    ThatBikeGuy wrote:
    I'd like to try commuting into London for a week. See what its like with the hustle and bustle, I'm lucky to see another cyclist on my whole commute to and from work!

    I guess most of you southerners would happily trade your urban commutes for a rural one?

    The hustle and bustle is fine once you've attained a certain level of skill. The problem with London is the revolting air and stop/start nature of riding there - even the superhighways have loads of lights. It's unpleasant in the extreme, especially in this weather.

    I'm not sure about a rural commute - in many ways busy roads are safer but cyclists are expected and there's lots of cameras around. More likely to be hit by a speeding car on a quiet lane somewhere.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Also you can ride in London all year round regardless of the weather. In rural lanes, roads are less likely to be gritted and lower volumes of traffic don’t melt snow and ice.

    My commute took me from central Cambridge to central London and I can tell to which part I preferred. Rural is ace. City is rubbish.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Yeah I prefer rural commuting on balance, but don't mind the London commute really. It's a necessary evil given it's where most of the jobs are.
  • kingdav
    kingdav Posts: 417
    I did the whole distance today https://www.strava.com/activities/1707993181/
    Normally I only do the London bit, it's less hilly less dark in the back half of the year and although there are fewer vehicles the roads are narrow and driven fast by those that are on them which sometimes feels less safe.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Kudos from me (when you wonder who the random kudoser is)! Lovely morning for it today.

    That's not the nicest route into London is it? Shame - we're spoilt from the south west with the parks, you can stay off the really urban bits until the last few miles.
  • frogonabike
    frogonabike Posts: 157
    I did the 2/3rds cycle vs 1/3rd drive today https://www.strava.com/activities/1707925561

    (one day I will go via Richy P as well)

    I have found 15 miles each way (or about 1 hour) is my happy point as I don't need to fuel during the ride and I can push it reasonably hard all the way. But when the days are long and the sun is shining it is nice to get up a bit earlier some times :D
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Ha, drove through Ockley on the way to Leatherhead this morning to ride from there. Clicky. Feeling lazy now! Was going to go over Box Hill, but couldn't be bothered to get up early enough!
  • frogonabike
    frogonabike Posts: 157
    I did consider adding box hill but as I made it to work at 8:58 I think that would've been a hill too many! Probably not much further really though and I like the descent to Ashtead (or whatever the school is called, Freemans?)

    I may pinch your route from Richmond Park to the river, I've not tried it yet!
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Steal away - it's immeasurably nicer! I've not done the A24/CS7 since discovering the RP/Embankment route. You don't have to go right around the edge of the park, you can cut through the middle, saves about 0.8 miles I think.

    I park in Mickleham if I do Box Hill, this was my route last week, I drop down straight into Epsom by the hospital and then across to Chessington from there.

    Remind me, you're coming from Billingshust aren't you?
  • frogonabike
    frogonabike Posts: 157
    I am indeed, did the full cycle there and back once and hitting the A29 at 5:30am wasn't so bad but on the way home at >8pm it was a fair bit busier/pretty fast moving which I'm not a fan of

    Thanks for the recommendation, I'll give Richmond a try soon I think. Went there for a lap the other day for the first time in a while and had forgotten how nice it is, certainly compared to Tooting :lol:
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Yeah, I've only done there and back in a day once! I don't mind the A29 really, it's a bit of a slog on the way back though, that last bit up through Slinfold is so depressing. At least from Five Oaks it's all downhill!
  • frogonabike
    frogonabike Posts: 157
    Yeah it is quite satisfyingly speedy. I just wince when I hear a car going for it from behind. Prefer it when I can ride at a similar speed to the cars!

Categories