A316 - a bearable commute?

[PeteB]

Hi,

I've been commuting from Virginia Water (just outside south-west London) to central London via Staines and the arrow-straight A315 a couple of times a week for a while. It's fine but getting a bit over-familiar, so am considering instead the A316 route via Richmond to vary things a bit.

Is this sane? It looks like there's a cycle path at least some of the way (I could join at any point after it stops being the M3!).. but the internet has a fair bit of coverage about this being a classic bad cycle path. Anyone done both routes? How do their compare? Is the A316 better in one direction than the other?

 

[gary r]

I used to ride from Camberley to London bridge I found the best route to be A30 as far as Bedfont ( by the vauxhall garage on the roundabout) take 2nd exit and go through hounslow- isleworth-brentford ,cross under the elevated M4 into chiswick then hammersmith and then Kensington high st - Piccadilly - fleet st etc

Or from Virginia water- head to chertsey- lower Sunbury-Hampton ct - Richmond park- Putney- kings rd - embankment all the way to city

 

[gary r]

PS keep away from A 316 ! Awful road for cycling

 

[Ian H]

We often see the Twickenham Wheelers' peletons on the A316 heading west of an evening as we're heading out of London. Heading east, it's 40mph limit after the raised section by the waterworks. Possibly not pleasant but I've cycled on worse.

 

[Genau]

I have never ridden it but I used to drive it a lot and it didn't seem very cyclist friendly. The Sunbury to Whitton stretch can be like an extension of the M3 with the drivers either gettiing ready for motorway mode driving or not having quite calmed down after coming off the motorway. After that it has all the usual problems of a trunk road into London - congestion, inappropriate speed, inattentive road users who are just pootling to the shops and thinking about what they're going to buy not what's on the road, etc.

 

[jefmcg]

Don't do it! The road is a fast moving A road, with lots of drivers still in M3 mode. The "cycle path" is one of those practical jokes council do by labelling a foot path "shared". You couldn't travel much more than 10mph on it, and it's dangerous at many crossing, plus often has thorn bushes growing across it. There has been at least 2 fatalities leading into Richmond Circus.

 

[TwickersDave]

I join the A316 at London Road, Twickenham and leave at the South Circular (A205) crossroads to go down Lower Richmond Road and along the river to Hammersmith Bridge. I use the road all the way and don't have any real issues. Odd close pass like anywhere else, and sometimes get shouted at for not using the cycle lane, but much easier than the cycle lane. I find it helps, like most of my commute, to be assertive with my riding.

I wouldn't dream of using the A316 before Whitton for the reasons others have mentioned - it's just an extension of the M3 as far most drivers are concerned. If I'm honest, I'd include myself in that group.

 

[PeteB]

Many thanks everyone. Firstly to Gary R, that "second exit off the A30 to Hounslow" route is what I called the A315 route - I agree it is a nice route - fewer danger points than other routes into London, it seems. Perhaps I've seen you on the route!
Thanks for all the warnings about the A316 - sadly I read the responses a little too - I tried it today - on a grotty cycle path straight after the rain I had stopped - practically begging for a puncture and I got two! I agree from about Twickenham it is sensible to switch from cyclepath to road but before then it is basically a motorway.

I guess I should learn to love Hounslow a little more :-)

 

[gary r]

Try the Sunbury - Hampton - Richmond park-putney- Chelsea- embankment route ? Probably the nicest scenery