16 Mile Commute Advice - Sidcup to London

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Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
Hi,

I've recently bought a 2nd hand road bike and Im looking to do a 16 mile commute. I can't see myself going the whole 9 yards straight away so Im aiming to alternate riding There or Back every couple of days to start. The facilities at work are great, showers, secure underground storage, happy to leave the bike there for a few days in between trips.

Anywho, details. I'm just wondering if anyone has some route specific advice coming from Sidcup into London. Not a full GPS route, but if there are junctions that I should try to avoid I'd like to know about them rather than make that 'the way'. I see people here complain about specific junctions so I hope this is a sensible enough question.

Cheers a lot,

Lee
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
Where in London, Lee?
 
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Scruffmonster

Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
That may have helped... Tw4t...

I'm going into Moorgate/Liverpool Street. Most routes point me over London Bridge which is fair enough. It's the section from maybe Lewisham to that point where I could probably take 20 different routes.

I rode home on Good Friday (after taking the bike into town on the train) on traffic freeish roads and it took just over an hour to Sidcup which Im happy enough with, but I was following a mate with plenty of London Driving experience, had no idea where I was until I was 2 miles from home.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Each to their own tundragumski, luck doesn't come into it. 12 miles for me and others on here is too short. This week for instance my run in to work is 20 miles (normal quick route 12 miles) and I am loving it.

tundragumski said:
IMO a daily commute of more than 12 miles is a pain, especially in winter - good luck!
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
ianrauk said:
Each to their own tundragumski, luck doesn't come into it. 12 miles for me and others on here is too short. This week for instance my run in to work is 20 miles (normal quick route 12 miles) and I am loving it.

Mine is 20 miles (40 return) and with the light evenings and warm sun, I am also really "in the zone"...although my fitness is taking longer to return than I thought

still...I struggle to commute more than 3 days a week (not like Mikey who I gather is up to around 6 out of 8 days in the last week or so....must be those new slippy legs of his!!:tongue:...how was it Mikey, was it chilly this morning?)

So tundragumski does have a point I guess
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
ianrauk said:
From Lewisham to Liverpool Street is an easy and quick flat 6 mile route that is used by many Cyclists.
Here's a Bikely route for you.

I often use the lewisham way-Old Kent road route (a little lower on the map you show ).

A lot of people dislike the old Kent road, I quite like the speed of traffic, lack of stops and amount of bus lanes.

It's genarally solid at the top end and you can fly past the traffic in the bus lane
 
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Scruffmonster

Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
Thanks again to everyone, I'll take a look at the map at some point. I dont expect to become a full time commuter just yet, I'm not looking beyond the sunny days at the moment. (Though when I rode home on Good Friday it was lashing it down and it was a doozy).

It's just that I leave home at 6:45 so I can get a lift to the train station with the wife (3 miles away, not worth getting sweaty on foot or bike in my opinion), meaning I get to work for 8am where I effectively start working for free... In theory I could be at my desk for 8.45 having showered at this end, and having exercised my way to work and still not got up no earlier. The same would be true on the way home.
I might start by only doing journeys home, anyone know what South Eastern Trains are like in the morning?
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Scruffmonster. Bikes are not allowed on Southeastern trains in the mornings. Unless you are riding/carrying a folder (Brompton etc)
 

arallsopp

Post of The Year 2009 winner
Location
Bromley, Kent
I used to nip between Sidcup and Lewisham about 3 times a week, and from Lewisham to London on the others. (Lived in Lewisham, worked in town, Grandad's care home in Sidcup).

Tying the routes together, I'd have gone:

Sidcup A211
becomes A20 (Sidcup Road)
becomes A20 (Eltham Road)
becomes A20 (Lee HIgh Road)
becomes A20 (Lewisham Way),

Right on Brookmill Road,
Straight Over to A2209
Left on A200 (Evelyn Street).
becomes A200 (Lower Road)
becomes A200 (Jamaica Road - Exit 1 at Roundabout)
Right on Tower Bridge
Head due North.

From there on, its all crazy routing along the lines of A3211, A1211, A1202 etc. Maybe 12 miles door to door.
 
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Scruffmonster

Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
arallsopp said:
Maybe 12 miles door to door.

I'm actually a bit further out than Sidcup, but see little point in naming some random village that nobody would have heard of. Hence the 16 miler heading.

I did see a weasly oik on the train with a bike this morning at 7:15, guarantee I'd get stopped if I tried to politely argue the case for letting me on though.

There's more than enough help here so far. I'll ride it in and back on alternate days by the end of the week and see how we go.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Ride in and back regular Scruffmonster then you will soon build up enough stamina to do a 5 day week commute. And I think you will surprised how quickly your stamina and fitness rises with a regular commute. Good luck, you have picked a great time of year to start your commute.
 
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