Southbound London Rd and Tonbridge Rd

[Tin Pot]

I'm toying with some faster/bad weather routes to Tunbridge Wells.

Currently I'm around 44km +650m taking a smidge over two hours, a 1.5hr route would be good.

If I go through Chelsfield down the London road through Sevenoaks, then Tonbridge Rd then across along the A26 into TW I'm looking at 37.1km +300m

I know the road through Chelsfield is full of people flooring it to the M25, but not sure how bad it will be from there on..?

 

[ianrauk]

You mean dropping through Badgers Mount and down Pollhill, doing a left over the M25 then right into London Road then dropping down into Sevenoaks and back up out again. Those roads can be can be fairly busy at certain times. It's a fast, long drop down Polhill with a mile long drag going back up. It's not the widest of roads of 3 (1 down, 2 up) lanes going into 2. Which does lend itself to close, sometimes fast passes.

A good few people who I have spoken to who commute from Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells seem to prefer the Starhill Road from/to Knockholt to/from London Road.

I will be moving to Barming in Maidstone next month and I am planning to commute the whole route to work which will be 36 miles one way. And it's a choice that I will have to also make.

 

[Tin Pot]

You mean dropping through Badgers Mount and down Pollhill, doing a left over the M25 then right into London Road then dropping down into Sevenoaks and back up out again. Those roads can be can be fairly busy at certain times. It's a fast, long drop down Polhill with a mile long drag going back up. It's not the widest of roads of 3 (1 down, 2 up) lanes going into 2. Which does lend itself to close, sometimes fast passes.

A good few people who I have spoken to who commute from Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells seem to prefer the Starhill Road from/to Knockholt to/from London Road.

I will be moving to Barming in Maidstone next month and I am planning to commute the whole route to work which will be 36 miles one way. And it's a choice that I will have to also make.

Yes, I'm hoping southbound in the morning is better than north.

Over Ide Hill is the picturesque route, about 2hrs, but I'm kind of limited to leaving around 7:20 at the moment.

 

[ianrauk]

That is going to be some substantial weekly mileage.

Sorry I meant to say at least once a week when the weather is good.
The rest of the time it will be bike/train/bike.

 

[Tin Pot]

Went fairly hard at it this morning but noticed something wasn't right on the descent from Chelsfield, took me an hour to check and found the rear brake had been rubbing the whole time (switched wheels last night). Grr.

As thought, the roundabout for the M25 was a touch hectic, but it was through some of the junctions in blinding low light around Sevenoaks that were the most dangerous.

Saved time though.

38km even though it still had 512m climbing, and the brake on, got it down to 1hr40.

1hr17 to Tonbridge, but the climb across the A26 is significant.

 

[Grumpy_Git]

A quick question if I may, is this a lycra/carbon commute or checked shirt and panniers?

I'd love to commute up to London for work occasionally but my wife would kill me if I missed helping with the kids bedtime.

 

[Tin Pot]

A quick question if I may, is this a lycra/carbon commute or checked shirt and panniers?

I'd love to commute up to London for work occasionally but my wife would kill me if I missed helping with the kids bedtime.

Well, not carbon. But Lycra is for any cyclist, or just racing snakes. A checked cotton shirt would be a tad sweaty on the hills, imho.

Give it a whirl.

One night won't kill anyone...