Advice on Staines commute to Westminster

HappyFrog

Hi everyone. I'm heading back to the UK in a few weeks after a stint living abroad and am looking forward to getting back into my daily London commute. I used to commute from West Wickham to Westminster via Crystal Palace and Elephant & Castle and enjoyed that route. We will now be living in Staines, so a slightly longer trip this time - but from initial research a lot less hillier I wonder how much things have changed (improved?) since 2013 when I was last cycling round London..

So, the route planners I have checked seem to suggest A30 -A4 to Hyde Park and then East-West Cycle Superhighway down to Parliament Square. The A315 seems a lot straighter. Anyone do this route or got any suggestions - including danger spots to be aware of ? I am a pretty confident rider, but that said am not too keen on riding on dual carriageways or super fast roads with lots of traffic. What's a realistic time for this distance in rush hour traffic? Thanks in advance for any advice

cjcp

Coming from Staines, I'd go Chertsey (perhaps via a lovely road along the river through Laleham), Lower Sunbury, Hampton, Kingston, Richmond Park, Priory Lane, Lower Richmond Road, over Putney Bridge, along the New Kings Road, right onto Embankment, straight along to Westminster/Parliament Square. I'd allow over an hour.

EDIT: pan flat until Richmond Park.

EDIT No. 2: the road conditions through Lower Sunbury and Staines aren't the greatest, and pot holes can open up in the winter. Riders have been known to come off after going into one. The road through Lower Sunbury isn't particularly well lit in parts, so invest in some good lights for the darker commutes. It's by no means a no-go area for bikes though, as that route is one of the main routes out to Windsor for weekend club rides, and some use it as part of the winter loop group rides out to Weybridge or Walton and back.

On the plus side, once you get to Hampton, you should see a steady stream of cyclists.