cycling to Microsoft in Reading from a local railway station

[GrumpyGregry]

anyone done.doing it?

Will be rocking up by train either from Clapham or Gatwick and want to know if the last leg is do-able by bike (Brompton)

If so any route advice please? What is best station to use?

 

[vickster]

Nope, but travel instructions on their website. Reading Central closest apparently http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/about/offices/readingHQ.aspx . There is a staff shuttle bus apparently

 

[Flying Dodo]

Winnersh Triangle would be nearer (direct from Clapham) or if going from Gatwick, change at Wokingham.

 

[Matthames]

I would say Reading Central would be the best to. Although the Kings Rd Gyratory can be a bit of a nightmare at the best of times. That can all be bypassed if you take the tow path by the Kennet.

Other options would include getting off at Earley and cycle down Wokingham Rd across Palmer Park.

 

[Flying Dodo]

My mistake - I hadn't realised they'd moved from by the A329M.

 

[Norm]

I'd take the shuttle bus.

 

[Norm]

The road from Reading station to the Thames Valley park isn't one that I'd relish on a Brommie and little generally un-nerves me on the road.

I do ride round there a fair bit. The Kings Road, Cemetery Junction and the A4 that you'd be facing are very unpleasant at 4 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon and 8 o'clock on a Thursday evening. Morning / evening commute would not be fun.

The road in from Winnersh is longer and, IMO, more gruesome although not as busy.

There is a footpath along the river on the correct side for you. It's probably only a couple of miles and you'd probably get away with riding it although I haven't been down there in about 30 years.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'd take the shuttle bus.

it really is that bad then?

looking at opencyclemaps NCN5 plus NCN 4 seem to pass close by...

 

[Norm]

it really is that bad then?

Hmm...

On the subject of the road route, I would ride it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that I didn't know.

Especially because the shuttle bus was so easy.

However, NCN4 and NCN5 do seem to follow the river, which would be the recommendation for a Brommie ride who really didn't want to take the bus.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Hmm...

On the subject of the road route, I would ride it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that I didn't know.

Especially because the shuttle bus was so easy.

However, NCN4 and NCN5 do seem to follow the river, which would be the recommendation for a Brommie ride who really didn't want to take the bus.

well I need the brommie for after lunch, and unless it is sheeting it down, I feel a proper numpty getting on a bus carrying one.

I could always pray for rain!

 

[John the Monkey]

Last time my colleagues were at Oracle in Reading (near to the Microsoft Campus there, iirc) they walked in along the towpath, and seemed to think it quite pleasant.

It's ages since I was there (so long, that it was still PeopleSoft at the time) but I took the bus, and found that it was ok too, fwiw.

 

[Jezston]

[insert nerdy joke about 'crashing']

 

[007fair]

I used to cycle daily along the river from Caversham (same sort of distance as the Reading Central station) to Oracle and its a pleasant ride. Drawbacks though are the lack of lighting - there was NONE on long stretches last time I did it 8 years back - so not great if you leave late and its dark. Also there is a bridge with long low rise steps which you have to get off and push.

Have done the Main Kings road too but its very busy and narrow. Usual hit and be hit by wing mirrors. You can zig zag through the housing estates between the main Kings Road and the river but I couldn't tell you exactly how to do that. In the winter that was my route but its hazy now and has probably changed

 

[eyko]

Using the road from the station to TVP is fairly fine, as Norm said above the last stretch from Cemetery Junction to TVP is the worst bit. Just depends how comfortable you are.

But if you're not sure the NCN4 is easy enough and pops right into TVP.

 

[dellzeqq]

[insert nerdy joke about 'crashing']

(or one about using Google Maps}