Commuting to Marble Arch

[PK99]

D1 is about to start bike commuting from Balham to Seymour street just north of Marble Arch.

4 years cycling around Oxford means she is pretty road savvy.

Suggestions as to best route?

So far, this looks best option > http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7687183

Any comments?

 

[ianrauk]

That's pretty much the route I would do. She'll be used to lot's of other cyclists then as there are hundreds in the rush hour going through Clapham Common.

 

[Sittingduck]

Quite a nice looking commute imho. Kensington always seems like a lot of stop/start and plenty of traffic lights and one way streets but at least it'll be pretty!

 

[ianrauk]

Actually looking at the route again. Are you sure that is a cycle route through Hyde Park. You had best check. A lot of it is 'no cycling'
I think once you enter the park you have to turn right into Rotten Row follow it round and join the cycle path at the Corner.

See the blue cycling line

I may be wrong.

 

[RedRider]

I think Ian's right about the route through Hyde Park. Otherwise, looks ok. I'd just give the usual advice of trying it out during the weekend first thus preventing some of the dithering and doubt about which lane to be in at junctions etc which could be a bit stressful during rush hour on Monday morning.

 

[PK99]

I think Ian's right about the route through Hyde Park. Otherwise, looks ok. I'd just give the usual advice of trying it out during the weekend first thus preventing some of the dithering and doubt about which lane to be in at junctions etc which could be a bit stressful during rush hour on Monday morning.

Thanks both for the heads up on that, will check it out. And yes she will be doing a dry run!

 

[mjr]

I'm 90% sure @ianrauk is right about Hyde Park. Exiting Hyde Park, there are toucans crossings which let you cut across by the arch and out onto Oxford Street, then first left towards Seymour Street. No need to mix it with the circulating motors unless you prefer it. That last time I was there (die in), I was on foot and I can't remember whether you can ride through the arch into Great Cumberland Place or if the timing of the lights hinders that. Anyone know?

If you don't have time to ride the route, it might be worth a Streetview trip of key junctions - such as the north end of Chelsea Bridge which was a pig's ear when I last saw it - but things are changing fast in London, often for the better for bikes.

 

[Origamist]

I used to live a few hundred metres from where your daughter is setting off from. Balham is a nice area with good bars and restaurants.

As to the route, it's pretty much what I would opt for. Bedford Hill is a bit narrow, but OK. When you get to the A24/aka CS7, suddenly there will be a glut of cyclists to contend with. You have to watch out for pedestrians along this stretch as it's the high street. There are a few junctions/side streets to be wary of. Coming up to Clapham South and the common is pretty easy - nice bus lane. When you get to the cycle path on the common it's fine (just watch out on the Avenue when turning) - not as many cyclists as CS7 but a few. Cedars Road is pretty wide, and you can get some speed up as it's a gentle downhill. Queenstown Road is a bit meh, but nothing to worry about as long as your vigilant. The RaB before Chelsea Bridge needs a bit of assertive riding. Chelsea Bridge has a cycle and a bus lane, I think - but it might have changed since I last rode it. There are traffic lights at the end of the bridge. I don't recall the roads around Belgravia, but Ian is right, you need to use the cycle lane at the far east of Hyde Park. This path can be congested with cyclists, walkers, rollerbladers and dogs and I'd go slow...

Hope she likes the commute!

 

[RedRider]

Thanks both for the heads up on that, will check it out. And yes she will be doing a dry run!

As I just had a couple of free hours and had a bit of shopping to do I just rode your course from Clapham Common to the end. I have a couple of heads up and a little tweak exiting Hyde Park for you which it makes it a better route IMO.
Heads up...
(i) You do need to be quite assertive making the right turn from Chelsea Bridge Rd into Ebury Bridge Rd.
(ii) There's building works along the whiole left hand length of Ebury Bridge Rd with a barrier meaning you can't get onto the pavement if you needed to. I imagine this won't be too much of a problem but I'd say your daughter needs to be confident enough to ride in primary along here if necessary.
(iii) The segregated cycle lane leading from Ebury Bridge Rd to Avery Farm Rd is easy to miss, particularly when there's a white van parked in front of it's entrance as there was today.
(iv) As suspected, there's no cycle route across Hyde Park. You can still enter the park (via a nice bit of filtered permeability heralded by the flags of the French and Kuwaiti embassies) along the route you posted but then you do indeed need to follow the path around the east side of the park until just after Speakers' Corner.

From there your daughter will be close to her destination but there's a little tweak which is better, and quicker/safer than the route you posted. Have a look at the image below. Your route had her going through or around the Marble Arch roundabout. Going around from Hyde Park would be unsafe and probably illegal because as soon as the trffic from the right is stopped by a red then the traffic from the left gets a green. Going through means being held up for 10 minutes by dint of having to wait for four or five light-controlled pedestrian crossings.
Instead follow the park cycle path around for another 100 metres and take this route....

Although Seymour Street is one-way for motorised traffic it's not for bicycles and it all felt very safe.

One thing I didn't do was cycle back via the same route as I was heading off somewhere else. I suspect that a few bits of the route can't simply be reversed but I wasn't really taking note.

 

[PK99]

As I just had a couple of free hours and had a bit of shopping to do I just rode your course from Clapham Common to the end. I have a couple of heads up and a little tweak exiting Hyde Park for you which it makes it a better route IMO.
Heads up...

Although Seymour Street is one-way for motorised traffic it's not for bicycles and it all felt very safe.

One thing I didn't do was cycle back via the same route as I was heading off somewhere else. I suspect that quite a few bits of the route can't simply be reversed but I wasn't really taking note.

Wow.that is awesome! Many many thanks, I owe you a pint!

 

[RedRider]

Wow.that is awesome! Many many thanks, I owe you a pint!

Haha, no worries... gave me a bit of a purpose on a day off!