London route advice?

[Dogtrousers]

Just by the by, if you're taking your bike because you just want to or it's a significant benefit at the non-London end then fair enough.

But I really doubt that it will be quicker/ easier / less faff than getting from KGX to Westminster on the tube. Just get the Victoria Line and change at Green Park for the Jubilee or at Victoria for the District. Or if it's a nice day and you have time get off at Green Park and walk.

 

[mjr]

as a veteran of roughly that commute (albeit) from Euston) rather than Embankment I'd probably as you (presumably) come down thru Seven Dials, ST MARTINS lane, do Traf Sq onto Mall and then Horseguards, Birdcage and nip through the gap into Queens Anne gate (rolling dismount for politeness if pedestrians around) and then pickup Broadway...

Some planners are showing the arch onto the Mall as closed westbound. There's been a building site there for a while.

Trafalgar Square is a bit scary for people not used to city road cycling, too.

 

[markemark]

Just by the by, if you're taking your bike because you just want to or it's a significant benefit at the non-London end then fair enough.

But I really doubt that it will be quicker/ easier / less faff than getting from KGX to Westminster on the tube. Just get the Victoria Line and change at Green Park for the Jubilee or at Victoria for the District. Or if it's a nice day and you have time get off at Green Park and walk.

Depends when it is as there’s a tube strike for much of next week.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Depends when it is as there’s a tube strike for much of next week.

You're not wrong.
https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/strikes

I didn't know that.

 

[Dadam]

Just by the by, if you're taking your bike because you just want to or it's a significant benefit at the non-London end then fair enough.

But I really doubt that it will be quicker/ easier / less faff than getting from KGX to Westminster on the tube. Just get the Victoria Line and change at Green Park for the Jubilee or at Victoria for the District. Or if it's a nice day and you have time get off at Green Park and walk.

Bike is about 20 mins. According to Google the Tube or even a taxi will be longer, 26-30. I find the tube stressful too. Getting the right line, the right platform. Seems like literally everyone else knows what they’re doing, even when that’s not the case. Then nobody makes eye contact and if you say good morning they look at you like you’ve got 3 heads! 😂

I thought the bike would be more convenient and it’s an experience.
It’s also significantly faster and more reliable than the bus to Leeds from here.

On the downside it looks very wet here first thing.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Bike is about 20 mins. According to Google the Tube or even a taxi will be longer, 26-30. I find the tube stressful too. Getting the right line, the right platform. Seems like literally everyone else knows what they’re doing, even when that’s not the case. Then nobody makes eye contact and if you say good morning they look at you like you’ve got 3 heads! 😂

I thought the bike would be more convenient and it’s an experience.
It’s also significantly faster and more reliable than the bus to Leeds from here.

On the downside it looks very wet here first thing.

Fair enough. esp if you don't like the tube. (And doubly so if they are on strike ).

 

[PaulSB]

Ten years ago I was on my way to a tour in France. The plan was train to Euston >cycle Euston to Waterloo >train to Portsmouth >ferry to St Malo.

Attempting to navigate and cycle in the Euston area and then across London was the most frightening experience I've had on a bike. Every other road user is out for his/herself alone and shows no consideration for others. I walked and pushed for at least half the journey.

If you don't need your bike for a particular reason either walk, take the tube or a cab. It isn't worth the stress of riding for 3 or 4 miles. I will never attempt to cycle in London again.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Riding the tube is like smoking 40 a day

 

[mjr]

Ten years ago I was on my way to a tour in France. The plan was train to Euston >cycle Euston to Waterloo >train to Portsmouth >ferry to St Malo.

Attempting to navigate and cycle in the Euston area and then across London was the most frightening experience I've had on a bike. […] I will never attempt to cycle in London again.

Ten years ago, Boris had just finished being mayor and the first 800m of what was then called the north - south superhighway had not long opened at Elephant and Castle (south of Waterloo and no help for your journey). Cycling most places near Euston was a total shoot show. London's very different now.

 

[T4tomo]

Ten years ago I was on my way to a tour in France. The plan was train to Euston >cycle Euston to Waterloo >train to Portsmouth >ferry to St Malo.

Attempting to navigate and cycle in the Euston area and then across London was the most frightening experience I've had on a bike. Every other road user is out for his/herself alone and shows no consideration for others. I walked and pushed for at least half the journey.

If you don't need your bike for a particular reason either walk, take the tube or a cab. It isn't worth the stress of riding for 3 or 4 miles. I will never attempt to cycle in London again.

Ten years ago, Boris had just finished being mayor and the first 800m of what was then called the north - south superhighway had not long opened at Elephant and Castle (south of Waterloo and no help for your journey). Cycling most places near Euston was a total shoot show. London's very different now.

10 years ago -2016 - I cycled across London (from Euston to Cov Garden, Mayfair, Liverpool St & Victoria) from 2005 to 2019. Whilst you needed to be sensible with route choice, maybe I just got used to it? but I don't recognise the drama's portrayed. It was never a shoot show.

Maybe its the difference between a regular commuter vs an occasional visitor to London. I genuinely enjoyed my bit of fresh air either end of the day, you could clear your head from work shite and it certainly beat being squished on the tube at rush hour.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm not a huge fan of riding in zone 1 and don't do it unless absolutely necessary, but it's not that bad, especially if you're in no hurry.

Euston to Waterloo is just the 68 route - Southampton Row, Kingsway, Aldwych, Waterloo Bridge. I might be tempted hop off and walk round the Aldwych, that's a bit horrible. Ditto the big roundabout at the south end of Waterloo bridge.

 

[T4tomo]

I'm not a huge fan of riding in zone 1

Loosely "inside the circle line" I think is great and certainly improved over the years. There are so many roads either have a segregated cycle lane or are no thru route for vehicles etc that vehicles are forced onto the likes of e.g Tot court Rd & Gower Street, so by taking a parallel route, even if it wiggles a bit, becomes quite quiet. then the likes of Traf sq has pretty much stationary traffic to filter through and ride away from.

I wouldn't necessarily want to follow a bus route

 

[Dogtrousers]

I wouldn't necessarily want to follow a bus route

That's how my internal map of London works

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That's how my internal map of London works

Do you end up in Clapham a lot?

 

[Dadam]

So, it was actually yesterday that I went and I did it. Almost all the ride went swimmingly, was quite enjoying it. Then the wheels fell off (not literally, the skewers were done up fine!)

Some of you have probably guessed by now what threw the enormous spanner in the works on Wednesday 13th May, but let's give some clues to the rest.

Here's a reminder of the planned route:

And here's the actual route!