Route advice (Kingsland Road > Sydenham)

[bazzadigz C+]

Hello folks

After 2 years of endless cycling I moved jobs and have spent the last 6months commuting by car . I really what to get back on the bike but im not happy with the one i've tried several times (Leytonstone > Greenwich Park > Waterway link > Sydenham).

I've decided that im more than happy with cycling to Kingsland Road but im stuck with the route from there (having no experience of the Old Kent Road etc). I've been looking at the Bridges, is London Bridge safe or am I better of heading to Southwark Bridge? (with what appears to be dedicated cycle lanes as seen on Street Map view).

Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[dellzeqq]

what's the start and finish point - Leytonstone and Sydenham? If that's the case, would the Greenwich Foot Tunnel be any use to you? Hundreds of cyclists use it every morning, although they're all going north.

 

[theboytaylor]

+1

Down to Isle of Dogs, then Island Gardens and the foot tunnel. Then south towards Lewisham, Catford, Catford Hill, Perry Hill and so to Sydenham

 

[Molecule Man]

What don't you like about the route via Greenwich? I'd have thought Greenwich-Sydenham would be okay, though you might want to avoid the south circular through Catford at rush hour, so congested, and not that much room to filter safely.

In my experience, London Bridge is okay, though I've never done it at rush hour.

Are you happy with main roads? I've taken a detour home (normal route Bloomsbury-Catford) via Sydenham/Forest Hill a few times to get some more miles under my legs. The main roads from Elephant and Castle have been fine, thogh with a couple of places where you need to take care to prevent left-hooks, and a couple of traffic bottle-necks.

Hello folks

After 2 years of endless cycling I moved jobs and have spent the last 6months commuting by car . I really what to get back on the bike but im not happy with the one i've tried several times (Leytonstone > Greenwich Park > Waterway link > Sydenham).

I've decided that im more than happy with cycling to Kingsland Road but im stuck with the route from there (having no experience of the Old Kent Road etc). I've been looking at the Bridges, is London Bridge safe or am I better of heading to Southwark Bridge? (with what appears to be dedicated cycle lanes as seen on Street Map view).

Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[bazzadigz C+]

it may sound odd but i just dont feel right going greenwich, it makes me very uncomfortable

I know heading to one of the bridges can eventually take off 5miles from the greenwich route :S

 

[theboytaylor]

it may sound odd but i just dont feel right going greenwich, it makes me very uncomfortable

I know heading to one of the bridges can eventually take off 5miles from the greenwich route :S

Sorry, completely missed the bit about not going through Greenwich. I'm amazed that you can save 5 miles - I've tried to measure a couple of routes out and they come out evens!

My suggestion, avoiding Greenwich, would be to head for Tower Bridge by turning left off Shoreditch High St onto Commercial St, mainly because you can hit the Old Kent Road and cut a corner off, then Trafalgar Ave to Peckham Hill, then past Peckham Rye, Lordship Lane and Dartmouth Road.

I think it should be OK trafficwise and fairly straightforward to navigate - although don't trust me as I can get lost in my back garden. Good luck!

Any other ideas South Londoners?

 

[Tynan]

I do London Bridge each way every day and it's absolutely fine, don't approach it from Bishopsgate though unless you like red lights

 

[Twanger]

Barry road would be an easier ride off the Rye than going down to Goose green and Lordship lane. Meets Lordship lane about half way up.

Where in Sydenham? It's a big place.

 

[bazzadigz C+]

its in newlands park in sydenham.
Current Route (part 1) http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/leytonstone-to-greenwich/210986988233
Current route (part 2) http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/greenwich-to-sydenham/900862456338

new route: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/leytonstone/402124354424533499. i just dont know how safe it is :S

the ride length is more or less the same but the first 2 show up as 18.74miles collectively on my GPS cycle computer :S

 

[Twanger]

My personal taste would be to cut out that hill on Forest Hill Road, and cycle down Barry Road, onto the Lordship Lane at Dulwich Plough, then straight on past horniman museum down to forest hill and then through Dartmouth Road and Kirkdale. That's because I am a lazy s*d on a hybrid who just doesn't like steep hills. Though I recall taking that hill every night 20 years ago with no problems. But then I was only 30, and had a road bike. The downside of that route, of course, is hitting the south circular for about a mile at the Grove Tavern.