Considering cycling from N london to MK and wondered what the A5 was like to cycle along. Dangerously fast/busy? Any suitable alternative options?

cheers

I wouldn’t say it’s horrendously dangerous (apart from the dual carriageway bit round M.K with bike killing slip roads), but it would be pretty unpleasant if you were planning a regular basis.

It’ll just be one-off journey.

I assume you want to do this journey fairly quickly? Another option if you want something a little more leisurely could be the Grand Union canal?

Get the maps out, there are far nicer roads on a parallel. Riding the A5 is asking to be KIA.

yeah, use the Grand Union Canal.

I’m aiming to do it in around 3 hours Friday morning on a road bike so GU canal not really an option. Thanks anyway 🙂

its a long straight single carriageway road undulating up and down with blind crests. friday morning it will be full lorries, with the drivers dozing off and veering onto the white lines. People will be getting impatient and overtaking at 70mph+. no-one will be expecting to see a bicycle. do you have a death wish?

I’ve done Bletchley to North London.
From MK along A5 then turn onto the new bypass and head towards Leighton Buzzard, Get on the A4146 towards Hemel Hempstead. You can then follow the A41.
You can cut a section of Hemel out by Heading towards StAlbans and going through Leavesden that’ll put you on the A41 near Watford.
Of course you can come off the A41 anytime it depends what part of London you want to get to.

I used to commute from Leighton Buzzard to North London (Staples Corner) every day, think it was about 36 miles each way.

Doh that’s the wrong way round, what part of London will you be riding from?

Oldgit – St John’s Wood

Bearing in mind mine was a commute, so no time for any nice detours.
I’d head towards Hendon and follow the A41 right through Mill Hill, Watford and turn off the A41 just before the Hunton Bridge roundabout and go through Leavesden (half decent route) and Kings Langley and into Hemel. From there it’s the A4146 to Leighton Buzzard. As you hit Leighton turn left and follow the bypass to Bletchley and MK. the bypass is safer and quicker than the A5.

I would stay away from the A41, death trap with loads of accidents and high speeds(80 plus)

Cheers Oldgit

I’ll give that a go

Not the prettiest route, but it’s a fair distance. You could make it nicer, but you’d be zig-zaging all over the place and you’d add a lot of miles.

I find the A5 too fast and narrow.