NCN v Road for commutes?

[HovR]

A lot of that NCN route had a pretty poor surface.. Don't think I'd ever use it for a commute. Not sure my 23mm slicks would forgive me!

 

[sabian92]

I haven't watched the video (on a laptop with not much battery left) but unless it's a decent tarmac'd surface, I'd never use it. Like it was mentioned above, NCN routes are great on a summer's day with your kids in tow and a picnic, but useless in any other situation. I personally use the road for my commute - it's only 3 and a bit miles and it's reasonably quiet. One bit does make me laugh though, there's a bus only road that has a Runcorn Cycle Route (Part of the NCN562 I believe) that has a directional arrow telling cyclists where it is, with a dismount sign 3 inches below it. Bit daft...

It's always going to be the road for me though. I'm on 25mm tyres, they don't do mud

 

[potsy]

Been really enjoying my offroad route to work recently, makes a nice change to get away from the roads and traffic for a bit.
Used it on Thursday as I was worried about getting blown under a lorry by a sidewind, much rather get blown into the river
Main downside is the bike looks like it's been dipped into a mudbath after every ride

 

[Cubist]

I used to use the Calder Valley Greenway (Sustrans) to commute between Huddersfield and Dewsbury. It was traffic free and tarmac'd all the way, so was ideal. It also cut off a big corner and a nightmare of a roundabout and junction. The only time I wished I'd avoided it was after a hard frost, when I went barrelling down a slope out from a wooded area onto an exposed bit of path, and was just saying "Ooh how pretty" when I realised the sparkly bits were ice on the tarmac and I was flat out on overinflated knobblies. I needed to scrub off speed and dragged my back wheel about twenty yards before the front gave way and I ended up in the brambles laughing like an idiot.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

My problem would be the lack of lighting on my winter commutes and I also think the less confident would not wish to be alone and would feel vulnerable on some of the route. I sometimes wish I lived further away from work ( only 2.5 miles) so I could have a little more time on the bike but I still cannot bring myself to take a longer route than I need to just for the sake of it. So in answer to the question I don't think I would use it.