England : London Need a 15 mile route from Catford.

[ragun]

Hello everyone,
I'll be living in Catford for a couple of months and I'm looking for a fast route with minimal road bumps and traffic lights. I usually cycle 30 miles a day for fitness purposes so 15 miles plus the return would be really great.

Where I'm from, I don't have to worry about bumps or traffic lights so here I get annoyed when I have to stop for red lights, the bumps themselves aren't that bad.

Can anyone help with routes?

Thanks

 

[jonny jeez]

You cant ride out of catford without finding traffic lights. not sure what you mean by bumps, do you mean speed humps...or potholes.

if you want a 30 mile route that is pleasant, I'd suggest either dulwhich village via Crystal palace and back or head out to Regents park and back.

failing that if you seek fast open roads, then the a 15 mile ride out on the A21 will take you to farnborough/Kent and perhaps a bit further. Very green and leafy in those parts, super fasdt on the way back as well as its slightly down hill all the way.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Hmmm. I normally head out towards Hayes, first to Bell Green (Sainsburys) then Beckenham via Worsley Bridge Rd, then West Wickham, then up Layham's Rd and you are into pleasant lanes. Maybe go to Titsey (top of the scarp of the N Downs) then head back. That would be roughly 30 miles I think. The lanes to the South of Hayes are quite nice going, but have plenty of blind bends etc.

But lets face it, if you are riding in suburban London then there will be traffic lights everywhere, and a good smattering of speed bumps too. If you want nicer riding you could get a train to Hayes (from Catford Bridge) or Swanley (from Catford) for a better start point, but that's not really worth it for a shorter ride.

As we say in Catford, look upon our cat, ye mighty, and despair.

 

[ianrauk]

Traffic lights were invented for Catford.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Catford has had a gyratory system since Neolithic times. Woolly mammoths used to gyrate there, and sabre toothed tigers lurked on the banks of the mighty river Ravensbourne, which is how it got its name.

My alternative escape route (other than the West Wickham one) is to head to Shortlands, then a short section of A21 (Bromley Common), then Petts Wood, St Mary Cray and it gets a bit nicer after that. You can then head to Eynsford via Crockenhill. If you turn round at Eynsford and go back then it would be about 30 miles (and you'd have to go up the hill at Crockenhill Lane, lucky you).

 

[Beebo]

I would head south, stop when you hit the M25, then turn back north.
But then again, if i lived in Catford i may just keep going south.

 

[Tin Pot]

Old Bromley Road and get out of there.

Your primary problem is having to go back there.

 

[Tin Pot]

Traffic lights were invented for Catford.

The ones just outside Catford that are red. Permanently.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Old Bromley Road and get out of there.

Your primary problem is having to go back there.

You're just jealous of our giant cat.

 

[Tin Pot]

You're just jealous of our giant cat.

"Our."

Like more than one of you can post on the Internet. Sh..yeah!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Catford has had a gyratory system since Neolithic times. Woolly mammoths used to gyrate there, and sabre toothed tigers lurked on the banks of the mighty river Ravensbourne, which is how it got its name.

My alternative escape route (other than the West Wickham one) is to head to Shortlands, then a short section of A21 (Bromley Common), then Petts Wood, St Mary Cray and it gets a bit nicer after that. You can then head to Eynsford via Crockenhill. If you turn round at Eynsford and go back then it would be about 30 miles (and you'd have to go up the hill at Crockenhill Lane, lucky you).

I wasn't around in neolithic times but I used to have a friend over in Shortlands and I used to cycle round that gyratory around 1965, and that was well before anyone had even heard of a gyratory. (Mind, even my spellchecker doesn't know what one of those is even now.) Eynsford must be more than 15 miles away. I don't think I've ever got there in under 20 using a pretty straight route from Deptford via Sidcup. Deptford to Catford is only about 3 miles.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I just checked - 25.5km to Eynsford, via my slightly wiggly route. That's about 16 miles, so I wasn't far off. You could trim a mile off by going more directly through Bromley.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I just checked - 25.5km to Eynsford, via my slightly wiggly route. That's about 16 miles, so I wasn't far off. You could trim a mile off by going more directly through Bromley.

! I'll investigate. I do like that corner of the world even though there's an uphill if you want to get back home.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Two possible escape routes. A bolder rider with more liking for main roads would be more direct.

http://www.gpxeditor.co.uk/routes2/users/Beetroot/CatfordEscapes

 

[Brains]

Catford train station will take out to the wilds of Kent within 15 mins