Wish me luck... (Oxfordshire commute)

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chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
Having found that neither the Woodstock Road (either its cycle path or the road itself) nor Sustrans 5 are a particularly practical way to get from the office in Yarnton (Oxfordshire) to somewhere I can catch the 66 bus back to Swindon, tonight me and Henrietta (my heavily modified Brompton) will be attempting the A34 soutbound from Peartree to Botley....
 

KnackeredBike

I do my own stunts
I'm not sure if you are being serious I have already said in your other thread that what you are planning is, bluntly, foolish and dangerous.

If you don't want to cycle as far as Kingston Bagpuize you could cycle to Bessels Leigh instead. I happily cycle on busy roads but that stretch of the A34 requires you to be assertive if driving a car. On a bike you will just be bullied out the way.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I'd only do that bit of the A34 if it was basically jammed solid. I'd try via Wytham (there's a pavement-converted-by-blue-signs-only between its A34 slip road across the A420 roundabout to West Way, or you can join the A420 right as motorists are panic-breaking off the hill and use the roundabout) or via Swinford and Eynsham Road in preference.
 
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chriscross1966

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
Probably further than I want to do on a daily basis, it's a commute I have to do no matter what the weather... The A34 last night was no more horrific than I thought it would be, but it isn't something I'd want to do in the dark, even wearing reflective everything...So that's out.... looks like the only other route that I haven't tried is down through Gostow and I know that road is a rat-run of vans if there's any hold up on the A34.... Looks like it's the Woodstock road for me....
 
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chriscross1966

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
I'm not sure if you are being serious I have already said in your other thread that what you are planning is, bluntly, foolish and dangerous.

If you don't want to cycle as far as Kingston Bagpuize you could cycle to Bessels Leigh instead. I happily cycle on busy roads but that stretch of the A34 requires you to be assertive if driving a car. On a bike you will just be bullied out the way.


Well I did it and weirdly most of the issues is cars, the lorries were OK.... not doing it again though...
 
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chriscross1966

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
I've now settled on the Wytham/Godstow route, given the state of Sustrans 5 I still have to get across the A34 junction at Peartree, but after that it's all pretty sensible. In order to convince any oncoming traffic that there's a car/motorcycle heading towards them round that bend in the road I've ordered a fairly ridiculous headtorch, intend keeping it pointed at the road surface as it's bad enough to have caused the chain to slip off (and it's nearly brand new, as are all the sprockets and jockey wheels....It's far enough to have an impact on my fitness and not so far that with some effort I can catch a much earlier bus than I could by going to the town centre...
 
Woodstock Road, Wolvercote and Wytham is the best route for that for a country mile. I'd personally follow the canal towpath rather than the A34 to avoid Peartree, but each to their own. If you feel like hassling your county councillor for Yarnton to persuade them to upgrade the towpath surface, that would be wonderful (as a Sustrans ranger for this stretch I'd very much like to see it improved, but Sustrans doesn't have the money for it sadly!).
 
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chriscross1966

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
I'd hassle them, but as my vote gets cast in Swindon, they will ignore me. If it were a few feet wider along the canal path and surfaced with tarmac it would be brilliant, as it is it is a box ticked on a form about cyclepaths.
 
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