[Closed] Cycling into London

What about the Thames Path?

Not sure how how much you can cycle on and how far, but it might be a good place to start.

Yep, Thames Path is well worth a look. Or, head in via Addlestone/Weybridge/Esher/Surbiton/Richmond Park way. Quieter roads round there.

Not sure if this is any help but TfL offer free maps with recommended routes marked on;

https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/cycling/cycle-guides-request.aspx

I thought about the Thames path, but I'm going to be hauling arse! Trying to stick to a road route if I can.

Theres a cycle path all along the A4 to chiswick.

I normally get the train to work in south ken but the trains werent running one day so I cycled out on my fold-up got as far as Windsor when it went dark and made my missus's pick me up.

It was fine on a 20" folding bike obviously I could nt go too fast but it was almost empty about 6:30 - 7:00 on a week day evening.

If you use the OS map on Bing maps you can see where it starts. From Dachet there a line of green dots running along side A4/M4 thats a cycle path. leads to start of A4 cycle path.

Actually thinking about it there might be a little bit missing over the M25

I wouldn't dismiss coming in along the thames path. Its pretty flat, no traffic and quite pleasant.

ok...you could head to Winch and follow the A31 to Guildford, it's single carriageway till before Guildford. When it turns into the A3 it's dual and tri carriageway. You could avoid the A3 but you'll need to go quite far out of your way.

Try to get hold of a satnav, then put in restrictions for motorways and dual carriageways and see what comes up.

If you don't have one pop into Halfords and use theirs.

Saying that I cant find alot of it on Google Street view I dont remember it being a problem cycling that way though.

Ah heres a view of it under the M4 flyover
[url= http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.491284,-0.298519&spn=0.003798,0.00478&z=18&layer=c&cbll=51.491285,-0.298693&panoid=jqh1b2MbWLqmCABoTwmGnA&cbp=12,124.75,,0,26.92 ]Cyclepath[/url]

hmm seems to be lots of work going on, on the path wasnt there last summer.

once you're within the m25 the a30 is the quickest most direct route. The first bit is a 40mph dual carriageway but people rarely do 40mph so it can be a bit unpleasant. I usually head in via chertsey and the b375, carrying on using a road that runs parallel to the thames and aiming for richmond park.

Thames path takes ages.

Try to get hold of a satnav, then put in restrictions for motorways and dual carriageways and see what comes up.

If you don't have one pop into Halfords and use theirs.

Or just use google maps from the safety or your chair to achieve exactly the same effect ?

That link above shows a bit along the [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Mile_(Brentford) ]Golden Mile[/url], a stretch of road with some nice old Art Deco style buildings.

[img] [/img]

Such a shame it's location is ruined by an ugly great flyover. 🙁

Such a shame it's location is ruined by an ugly great flyover

Not forgetting the ace Lucozade bottle on the other side of the road!

Oh, and the frankly pronographic Audi showroom with the Stig Blomqvist era Group B monster.

I did the reverse (but started in Wimbledon) and found the A31 very busy with lots of slip roads to cross with high speed traffic.

Doing it again, I go to Basingstoke via Picket Piece, Whitchurch, Overton. A30 to Blackwater then frimley, B311 A319 to Chobham, ottershaw, Chertsey, Walton, Kingston on Thames, Twickenham, Brentford and on to Chiswick

The 'bike hub' app is very good for route planning, you can specify 'fastest/quitest/balanced' for the route type - comes in both iPhone and Android flavours 🙂

drofluf pretty much has the route I'd have said although rather than going to Kingston upon Thames then Twickenham I'd suggest instead from Chertsey through shepperton then up through Sundbury to Hampton/ Hampton hill Twickenham then Brentford/Chiswick. That should cut off a couple miles of detour and the roads aren't too bad that way.
Still going to be a mighty commute there and back.......

The bit from Chertsey/Kingston was a guess! As I'd go through Kingston to get home but thanks for the endorsement 🙂

If you can follow the A4 you'll be fine, take the path so you face the oncoming cars. From the M25 you'll be flying, don't worry.
aP's idea of Shepperton to Hampton could be a good one depending on the time of day. When I lived in Hampton I rode it a lot and it varied. See for yourself. BTW Once you're in Hampton head for the A316 which will take you directly to Chiswick with a path separate from traffic most of the way. Beware, no bike shops along that road really unless the little shop in Richmond is up and running again.

The cycle lane alongside the A4 is covered in bits of glass and small pieces of lorry, as is the one alongside the A316. Not much traffic actually on them though....

i cycle daily from brentford along the a4 route its fine up through chiswick no problems
as said once you hit the A4 its pretty easy, whilst you admire the concrete grimness of being under the m4 remember that jg burroughs wrote crash with just this urban sprawl in mind

It must've changed or I never noticed. The A316 was nicer though, and the cafe in Richmond, between the town and Sainsbury's had some quality sarnies.

Picking up any of this route will make it pleasant

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=165099

For the most direct cycle friendly route follow A30 & A315 through hounslow, which is my commute from Staines to Ealing

I ride back from Woking into the Chiswick area and have found a pretty good route - if you want the route drop me en email, I have it in Bikely. It goes from woking-weybridge-walton-east mosely-hampton court-bushey park-twickenham-st margarets-richmond - about 22miles.

I think I'd get the train and work out a route from Waterloo or an earlier station 🙂

pronographic Audi showroom

and in light of ballards work (erm not burroughs! as i said before) its quite ironic that audi and mercedes chose to build their shrines to auto erotic oppulence and the petrochemical armageddon there

use bikeroute toaster to plot a route

here is my route from woking to Victoria as an example:

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=199017

28.5 miles takes around 1:25-1:35 dependant on traffic lights (there are 54)

you could use the above and just do a route from andover to woking - Basingstoke Canal path is good - though not with 23/25 section road tyres

(ignore elevation stuff - glitch due to manual bits in the route)

thames path is good option, but some bits are terrible when wet.

London lady - we must pass on route somewhere - wave!