Commute changing to London...gulp!

[Pip]

Well, for approximately the next 3 months I'm leaving my commute in leafy suburban Reading behined and commuting from Colliers Wood to London Bridge on a regular basis. I think I'll kinda work up to the full journey by cycling to intermediate tube stations to begin with, but any tips for dealing with Central London mayhem?!

Cheers

Pip

 

[Fab Foodie]

That's a nice ride.

Eons ago I regularly rode Morden to Elephant and Castle, effectively following the A24/Northern line with a few minor detours (like cutting-out Balham by going left at Tooting bec up to Clapham common via Nightingale lane). I hope you enjoy it. I'd love to be doing it again!

 

[tdr1nka]

Hi Pip,

You are lucky in the fact that you have pretty much a straight run thru.
It is possible to follow the Northern line of the underground map
The only place that might make you nervous is the Kennington/Walworth Rd & Elephant & Castle roundabouts which can be daunting.

It is possible to factor out these roundabouts in your route planning but I'd also be happy to meet with you and take you thru them, if you require.

 

[tdr1nka]

How long ago FabFoodie? Thats my old stomping ground.

 

[ianrauk]

Morden was my old stomping ground too.
On and off from '76 to 96'

 

[Fab Foodie]

I was based in Clapham from '82 until '84 ish, then Epsom until around '89 when I bought a flat in Sutton (Belmont). Mrs FF is a Morden Girl, we started going out in '82, her Mum's still there so we visit regularly. When it's L2B time we park at MIL's and cycle up to Clapham... reminds me of those glory days. We met at Soth Bank Poly doing Food Tech, I'd kiss her goodbye at the Elephant Tube, hop on my trusty 10 speed bike (Initially a gas-pipe Kalkoff, later a rebuilt Holdsworth) and race either to Clapham South or Morden. Nine times out of ten the bike won. Alternatively I'd get to the river after Poly, and ride the embankment to Chelseas or AWandsworth and accross one or other bridge towards Clapham common. A nice route home on a warm summers evening. What wasn't quite so much fun always was riding home from Morden often at 1 or 2 in the morning, back to Clapham was OK, but out to Epsom was little fun. Eventually I bought a Honda CB100 for the task to Epsom.
I love/d cycling in London, next time I stay the w/end in Morden I'm taking the bike to ride the route again, all the way to the river... (The Thames, not the great river Wandle... which now has trout!).

In later years I worked at BOC in Morden (Deer Park Road) and my eldest was born in St Heliers just like her mum!

 

[ianrauk]

I know St Helliers very well, unfortunately my old man passed away there in the early 90's.
Went to Chaucer Middle School then Garth High. Then moved to Colliers Wood High Street. If it wasn't for the parks in Morden, the place would be a complete dump. Lived for a while not far from the BOC, in Nelson Grove Road, just behind South Wimbledon Tube. Learned how to drive on the estate that BOC is/was on.
It's a small world....

 

[Fab Foodie]

Yep, it is a small world indeed!

My Brother in law went to Garth, probably '76 to '80 ish I'd guess, Mrs FF went to school in Streatham (on the No 18 bus?). Morden is a weird place, once a 1930's leafy suburb that became home to a massive council estate which also now boasts the biggest Mosque in the UK and as you say, some terrific parks. Morden Hall park still had cows when I first went there.

Morden... end of the line!

 

[tdr1nka]

I grew up on the West side of Clapham Common and went to Hydeburn Secondary school in Balham. I learnt to ride a bike on the common and had my wedding reception at the Windmill.

Don't know how many times, as a teenage drunk, I would wake up @ Morden having slept thru Clapham South.

 

[LondonCommuter]

Try the TfL journey planner to suggest a route and then make variations on it (it may suggest something ridiculous to avoid a small bit of busy road). Wear reflective colours, have good lights etc. and be wary and you should be OK. I've been commuting in London for 15 months and my only fall involved a very large pot hole and no other road users. That said, I've had many near misses which my anticipation and caution have avoided. I've probably had other near misses that my stupidity has nearly caused but lets not go there.

 

[ianrauk]

Yep, it is a small world indeed!

My Brother in law went to Garth, probably '76 to '80 ish I'd guess,

I was there 78 - 82

 

[rootes]

I found manchester worse than london

 

[tdr1nka]

If you don't want to go across the Elephant and Castle, take a left at Kennington Road (just past the Oval), bomb it up the bus lane (long emptyish road), then straight across Baylis Road, The Cut, Southwark Union Street and you'll hit Borough High St to London Bridge.

Did you know there were serious plans afoot to pedestrianise the silver box 'Faraday Cage' E & C roundabout? The planned intention is to send the traffic underground! A worthy idea in concept but likely to be hell on earth during the construction!

 

[tdr1nka]

You better believe it!
The decision to send the traffic underground seems to have been shelved but have a looksie here!

Has to be said that since they introduced traffic lights to the E & C roundabout it is much less of a lottery then it was previously.

 

[Pip]

Wow, thank you all for your kind advice and offers of escort through the tricky bits (frankly I find Elephant and Castle scary enough to drive a minibus through, with several tonnes of metal surrounding me, let alone a bike ;-) )

Frustratingly however, my wonderful accomodation in Colliers Wood has fallen through :-( Grr.

It looks like I may have found a place in Stratford though, so, Stratford to London Bridge anyone?!