American Looking for Route Advice from Heathrow T3 to Muswell Hill

[exSlacker]

Hello London Commuters!

I'm planning a visit to a friend in Muswell Hill this April, as well as a 2024 Summer Tour with her. In both cases, I'll (likely) be flying into T3 at Heathrow with my trusty Bike Friday Pocket Llama, Yogi. I'll be towing the hard suitcase which converts to a trailer and it will have my carry-on clothing in it. I'm looking for the safest route possible. I'm 53yo and have commuted in rush hour in Seattle, but I wasn't jetlagged, towing a trailer, riding a folder, and dealing with the reversal of traffic flow. I was also about 8 years younger. One piece of good news is that I will likely arrive just before 1pm on a weekday...so hopefully traffic won't be at it's zenith? Any recommendations will be truly appreciated. My bike has Schwalbe Marathon Plus 20" City Tyres, which are 1.75" - Smooth on the streets, but ready for gravel or dirt when it comes their way. If there are canal tow paths that keep me out of London traffic, yes please!

I will also be posting shortly in the touring section looking for route advice from Muswell Hill to the Harwich Ferry terminal. I'll be riding with a relatively inexperienced and rusty companion and I don't want to first day of our tour to have her terrified. After the ferry, it's EuroVelo 15, so it should be a breeze from there (hopefully a tailwind). If you're knowledgeable in that regard, please hop over there and add your two cents (pence?)!

Cheers,
Tim

 

[Brandane]

I'm not a London commuter - in fact very far from London, thankfully - but I would recommend https://cycle.travel/ to plan your route(s).

Edit ....
IIRC, there is only one way in or out of Heathrow terminals 1, 2, and 3, via a road tunnel in which cycling is forbidden. There used to be a pedestrian/cyclist tunnel running alongside it, but that may have been done away with, again if my memory is correct. Which means using a bus, train, or tube to escape Heathrow. And if you want to avoid the pleasures of west London traffic, why not stay on said public transport as you have a folder?

 

[MichaelW2]

Exiting Heathrow on a bicycle is not easy. The underground ststion for Muswell Hill is Highgate and the simplest underground routecis Elizebeth Line to Tottenhan Court Rd then Northern Line to Highgate.

 

[cougie uk]

Are there no airport workers using bikes to get to Heathrow? Years since I've been there so I can't really remember.

 

[vickster]

@cosmicbike works at Heathrow and can advise.
however, TFL gives no cycle routes from T1-3 as the tunnel is closed. If desperate to do the cycle, perhaps get public transport into central London and then ride, bearing in mind it’s uphill to Muswell Hill at the end
eg suggestions from Paddington
https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/results?InputFrom=Paddington&FromId=1000174&InputTo=Muswell Hill&ToId=1015187&app_id=8268063a&app_key=14f7f5ff5d64df2e88701cef2049c804&JourneyPreference=leasttime&bikeProficiency=moderate&Mode=cycle&CyclePreference=AllTheWay&JpType=cycling&iscyclehire=false&isMultipleJourneySelection=true&journeytype=Cycling&useMultiModalCall=false&isEarlierLaterAjaxCall=false

or get the tube one stop to Hatton Cross

https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/r...ce=AllTheWay&JourneyPreference=leasttime&Via=

 

[mjr]

If you really want to ride it and like canals, take the free train transfer to terminal 4. Near the Premier Inn, there's a gate through the fence out onto a Cycleway Resembling A Pavement (CRAP) alongside the A30. Follow that east and turn left (north) onto some more CRAP on the left of the A312. After three (I think: A4, M4 and another A road) roundabouts where you go straight on (north) going under the first two (try not to get disorientated!) and a signal crossing of an exit of the third, you'll cross the Grand Union Canal and a twisty ramp on the left will take you down to the towpath. Head east (continuing ahead after going under the bridge you just crossed) and almost immediately, you'll cross the Paddington branch canal. Turn left onto its towpath and follow that all the way to Paddington. From there, ride the Regents canal path to Camden.

Then you'll have to go up to street level and follow names of small streets to Muswell hill because that area is a bit lacking in cycle signs and routes still and I don't know where in Muswell hill you want, but it's 3-4 miles and most roads have 20 mph limits ( avoid the A1!).

It'll probably take three hours, based on my experience of how slow and busy the regents canal is.

 

[PK99]

https://www.heathrow.com/company/team-heathrow/commuting-to-heathrow/cycling

 

[vickster]

Although you land at 1pm, it could take a couple of hours to get through the airport after landing which will put you squarely in the afternoon rush hour in London (and many bigger roads are always busy any time)

 

[Wester]

I'm not a London commuter - in fact very far from London, thankfully - but I would recommend https://cycle.travel/ to plan your route(s).

Edit ....
IIRC, there is only one way in or out of Heathrow terminals 1, 2, and 3, via a road tunnel in which cycling is forbidden. There used to be a pedestrian/cyclist tunnel running alongside it, but that may have been done away with, again if my memory is correct. Which means using a bus, train, or tube to escape Heathrow. And if you want to avoid the pleasures of west London traffic, why not stay on said public transport as you have a folder?

On another note what happens if you are caught cycling in the road tunnel in or out of Heathrow ? i guess the chances of getting caught are very slim as the commute should only take a minute

 

[mjr]

On another note what happens if you are caught cycling in the road tunnel in or out of Heathrow ? i guess the chances of getting caught are very slim as the commute should only take a minute

I suspect that you would be taken to an office somewhere, possibly the police station at Polar Park on Bath Road. The maximum fine for disobeying the Traffic Regulation Order closing the road to cycles is probably the usual £1000 but I don't know what you'd have to do to get that. As well as the police unit, Heathrow has its own traffic officers and the tunnel's rather busy with minicabs (who aren't famous for liking cyclists) and taxis, so I wouldn't like to bet on not being noticed and caught. Even if they release you with a warning at the airport boundary, it's a crap way to start a visit, isn't it?

Until the side tunnels reopen (expected in 2024), the free trains to terminals 4 and 5 aren't awful, are they? Better than we usually get when a route's closed.

 

[exSlacker]

Thank you everyone! I think there is a chance that the tunnel will be open for my second trip (for my tour in the summer of 2024). Until then, it seems my best bet if I want to ride is to either take the free train to Terminal 4 or 5 or to get out of Heathrow via public transport and assemble Yogi elsewhere. Ride safely and often!

 

[chris667]

What a lovely adventure, @exSlacker !

I haven't ridden in London for a long time now. I like riding in London BUT riding towpaths with a trailer can be a drag (both literally and figuratively). We have barriers and depending on the trailer, you have to stop, unhitch the trailer, lift over gate.... it gets old.

I think a nicer introduction might be a train to Muswell Hill, dump the trailer then have an explore. It's a brilliant city. I love London, though it is also dreadful.

Where are you going for your tour?

 

[Brandane]

https://www.heathrow.com/company/team-heathrow/commuting-to-heathrow/cycling

There is no mention anywhere on that link about cycling, but plenty about car parking. Which probably sums up Heathrow and it's view of the importance of cycling v. the car!

 

[vickster]

There is no mention anywhere on that link about cycling, but plenty about car parking. Which probably sums up Heathrow and it's view of the importance of cycling v. the car!

That’s really odd, the link has changed since first posted, it was this page
When I try to post it, it goes to the parking page
https://www.heathrow.com/company/team-heathrow/commuting-to-heathrow/cycling

 

[DaveReading]

Which means using a bus, train, or tube to escape Heathrow. And if you want to avoid the pleasures of west London traffic, why not stay on said public transport as you have a folder?

Bear in mind that the only public transport you can take a non-folding bike on is the Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth Line (and those only outside of peak hours).