Inaugurated the 20-mile total bike commute this morning, following the purchase of the new wonder-machine. Need to scrub off some time though, so I’m going to hazard the Elephant and Castle traffic system this evening.

What are my chances of survival, I wonder? 😯

I did E&C roundabout once, never again, too many buses and risk takers, I use The Cut and Kennington Road.

A whole new slew of Strava segments open up before you 😉

Weren’t you going to get one of those go-cycles?

TurnerGuy – Member

Weren’t you going to get one of those go-cycles?

Yeah, but I decided to accept the challenge and MTFU about it…

rewski – Member

I did E&C roundabout once, never again, too many buses and risk takers, I use The Cut and Kennington Road.

I use The Cut and then weave across to Southwark Bridge now, then along Upper Thames.

Tower Bridge to E&C then A3/A24 and back might save some time…

E&C is fine, I used it for years and years before all the new bus lanes went in and even then it was fine – it’s better now they have contraflow bus lanes and better visibility, traffic lights etc coming onto it.

The only problem I’ve ever had there was being pulled by the police for jumping 2 sets of red lights – I hadn’t noticed the police car just behind me. 😳
They let me off with a warning.

Yeah, but I decided to accept the challenge and MTFU about it…

good commuting colors!

Ta. It is pretty stand-out noticeable. I was actually going for the next one down in the range in black and grey @ £800, but this was in a sale reduced from £1k to £720.

It was an offer I couldn’t refuse…

I was thinking about how dirty the white is going to get – I made that mistake with white mavic wheels on my Genesis, and then doubled it up with a white lezyne saddle bag…

yours looks good though, whilst it is clean…

Oh. Yeah. The nice white handlebar tape is already grubby… 😆

I’ve done the E&C in a car a few times, I’ve yet to run anyone over on a bike..

Can’t say that area has any redeeming qualities about it..

Would avoid it if poss..

Took the E&C last night and this morning. Easy peasy. Traffic well behaved, no problems.

Going home, it puts me on Boris’s CS7 route which takes me all the way to Colliers Wood before turning onto the A24 to Merton. Sweet.

Coming in via Tooley Street tomorrow though – the road up to Tower Bridge was almost impassable…

@ Mr W – off topic but have you ever done the wandle way? Was thinking of trying it Thames Path to Wandsworth to Croydon just for something different, bit bored of A23 to Purley.

BTW – Southwark Bridge is now cycle friendlier, dedicated lane and box.

Just need a bit of divine help, you’ll be fine……

40 miles a day?
that’s good going.
going to be fun on your red and white grey bike in the winter.

It’ll only get mucky the same way any coloured bike does. I have had a white Croix for 2 and some years now and its still white 😉

The brown bar tape helps I guess.

😀

There is a safer cycle route which bypasses the roundabouts; goes round through south Bank University campus, then a couple of back streets and through a churchyard to rejoin with Kennington Lane, but it needs ‘learning’.

Roughly, you turn right off Newington Causeway onto Keyworth st, then trun left onto Ontario st, across to Princess st, then across to Oswin st which leads you to Churchyard Row. It may take longer but is a lot safer than the roundabout, although the whole junction has been made a lot safer in recent years.

rewski – Member

@ Mr W – off topic but have you ever done the wandle way?

Nope. The road machine is strictly for the fastest possible commute at the moment.

I am considering the UK end2end for next year for a challenge…

brakes – Member

40 miles a day?
that’s good going.
going to be fun on your red and white grey bike in the winter.

Ho ho ho.

I have discovered cadence! I’ll cope.

I have discovered cadence! I’ll cope.

it’s good, isn’t it 🙂

Good, but weird. “Common sense” seemed to dictate that if you push hard to go faster up a gradient and want to expend less effort, you should drop a gear and put up with a reduction in speed.

Instead, I’ve found that shifting UP allows slower turning, but easier action for the same speed.

Odd, but very groovy. (Can we still say “groovy”? I’m a bit out of touch…).