Bradford (Rooley Lane) to Leeds Uni route suggestions

[Schneil]

Hi all
I've been doing some work at Leeds university the last couple of weeks. I've been commuting on the bus from my parents house in Bradford. But the bus has been shocking. It's taken me nearly 2 hours to do the commute door to door, and it's a distance of roughly 12 miles! That's not including randomly cancelled buses.

I'll be doing some more work at Leeds uni in a few weeks, and I'm considering doing the commute on my bike. The distance doesn't bother me, but Bradford's crazy drivers and crap roads do.

Looking on the map, there's a shared use pavement all the way down Rooley Lane to the Asda. I;m not sure after. Then it could be a risky ride using Dick lane until the start of the cycle lane near Thornbury Roundabout.

Does anyone have any good route suggestions?

Cheers

 

[vickster]

@classic33 @DCLane may have some ideas?

 

[wiggydiggy]

I've done the ride in the opposite direction a few times.

Dick Lane I didn't find too bad, from the end of the Superhighway at the Odeon it's a segregated path until the junction with New Lane on the railway bridge. Its the section between there until the road becomes Cutler Heights Lane and then meets the roundabout at Tong Street/Rooley Lane/Wakefield Road that is tight but it doesn't seem to be a particularly fast road.

 

[Jameshow]

Roughly where is your parents house in Bradford?

Leeds road has a cycle path through Thornbury / Pudsey down into Leeds.

https://www.cyclecityconnect.co.uk/our-routes/bradford-leeds-cycle-superhighway/

 

[classic33]

Leeds bound, route of choice, for me, is the A58. You'd join it at Drighlinton, turning left.

As far as Dudlely Hill, on Rooley Lane, then off to your right when you get to the medical centre. Over to Rook Lane(you'll miss Dudley Hill roundabout) and onto Tong Street.
An alternate would be to head west on Rooley Lane, down to Low Moor, Oakenshaw and the A58 from Chain Bar*. Nine miles from there to Leeds city centre.
*That used to be the halfway mark cycling to work in Leeds.

 

[classic33]

Roughly where is your parents house in Bradford?

Leeds road has a cycle path through Thornbury / Pudsey down into Leeds.

https://www.cyclecityconnect.co.uk/our-routes/bradford-leeds-cycle-superhighway/

Wouldn't want to cycle on that. You're forced onto the pavement too much.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Leeds bound, route of choice, for me, is the A58. You'd join it at Drighlinton, turning left.

When I commuted to Leeds that was my choice too, joining the A58 from the south. I always found it a busy but safe road as it's very wide for the most part.

 

[DCLane]

@Schneil - you're close to the 'superhighway' route from Bradford to Leeds, so getting there is OK. Once you're onto Dick Lane the cycle path starts part-way down around Tyersal, joins the segregrated path which goes into Leeds. It takes a bit of learning, plus junctions, but is usable. The 'superhighway' drops down through Stanningley to Armley and comes out by the Armley gyratory. Left on the shared path and you can then join the (almost finished) path on Wellington Street and up to the university.

I commute to Leeds Beckett University, so nearby, and have done the route you're suggesting if I'm taking a 'longer' route home.

It depends how confident you are sharing road traffic. As @classic33 has put the Cycle Superhighway shares pavements in places and has some odd junctions.

An alternative route I've used a few times is via Tong. Rather than the A58, which can get busy, Tong Lane > Tong Road is usually quieter but does involve a climb around Beulah. It'd drop you into Armley, then the superhighway route takes you into Leeds.

All three are possibles and I've used all three if doing a few more miles.