I'm about to start a new job on Isle of Dogs so checking the cycle route. The long way round over Tower Bridge will take 50 mins which seems ridiculous (and longer than getting the train). The direct route under the Greenwich walkway I'm guessing is difficult in rush hour - getting the bike up and down the stairs and having to walk it through? Or can you cycle through and get it in the lift? How do others get there?

I used to use the foot tunnel. The lifts are very large - no problem fitting bikes in. I also used to use the stairs - I wore a backpack so that my bike was light enough to carry up and down. You're not meant to cycle through but I used to get away with scooting through when it wasn't busy.I'd go greenwich route rather than tower bridge.

I have seen lots of people Cycling though there

I did the bike commute from bellenden road to canary wharf, via the Greenwich tunnel for 6 months or so. The tunnel is fine, the lifts are massive. Even following the "no cycling in the tunnel" rule, it's still quite quick.

put your start/finish points into cycle.travel to check out the rest of the route.

re the foot tunnel: the lifts are good and even walking you will be quick. The river's not wide, it's just cold, dirty and wet

almost peckham Wrote:
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> I used to use the foot tunnel. The lifts are very
> large - no problem fitting bikes in. I also used
> to use the stairs - I wore a backpack so that my
> bike was light enough to carry up and down. You're
> not meant to cycle through but I used to get away
> with scooting through when it wasn't busy.I'd go
> greenwich route rather than tower bridge.

Everyone used to do that when I walked through. Technically walking but half riding.

I cycle daily from ED to Canary Wharf via the foot tunnel.
Route goes ED, Ladywell, Brockley, Deptford, Greenwich. Very few major roads, mostly side streets.

I strongly advise against going via Tower Bridge - it's a very unpleasant route to IoD and CS2 is an absolute nightmare in the morning.

If you're heading in/out early and there aren't many people walking in the tunnel, no one really objects to people scootering their bikes, but as always mindfulness and respect for other tunnel users is crucial.

Lifts are fine, but you'll have to deal with a couple of days a month where they're out of service. Victorian architecture innit.

Feel free to PM me if you want to see my route.

5

Thanks all. Sounds like the tunnel is the way to go. I trialled the route at the weekend and was concerned that there would be queues to get in the lift as there were lots of people walking through it on Sunday (no way that scooting would have been possible). Perhaps it is actually quieter in rush hour?

I'm worried about the lifts being out of order as I would struggle to carry my bike (with full pannier) up and down. I wonder if there is a way to check whether they are working before leaving the house in the morning?

5imon - thanks, I'll PM you for your route as mine was a bit wiggly (see attached), although I was pleased that it was a lot quieter than my old route to Bishopsgate.

THere is a little knoiwn ferry in Rotherhithe at Nelson Dock pier - accessed through the Hilton Doubltree. Its costs. but does take bicycles and goes straight across the river to Canary Wharf. Easy access from here

you've got pretty much the same route as me..only diffs being that I go up St Norberts then Malpas, then Greenwich High Road to get to the foot tunnel. There's very little in it, but I've done various iterations and found this to be the best combination of quiet roads and time/distance.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit was 2019:11:06:11:07:12 by 5imon.

5imon Wrote:
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> you've got pretty much the same route as me..only
> diffs being that I go up St Norberts then Malpas,
> then Greenwich High Road to get to the foot
> tunnel. There's very little in it, but I've done
> various iterations and found this to be the best
> combination of quiet roads and time/distance.

Thanks - Norbert/Malpas is more direct than my route so should shave off a few minutes. Do you get on Greenwich High Road where it starts just after Deptford Bridge? Is it a nightmare for close passes?

That's right. GHR is reasonably quiet in the morning - never had an issue there to be honest.
The junction near Greenwich market can be busy, but it's a very short hop to the cutty sark and the start of the tunnel.

Interested in this = wondered how long it takes at a not super fast speed including lifts please?

damzel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 5imon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > you've got pretty much the same route as
> me..only
> > diffs being that I go up St Norberts then
> Malpas,
> > then Greenwich High Road to get to the foot
> > tunnel. There's very little in it, but I've
> done
> > various iterations and found this to be the
> best
> > combination of quiet roads and time/distance.
>
> Thanks - Norbert/Malpas is more direct than my
> route so should shave off a few minutes. Do you
> get on Greenwich High Road where it starts just
> after Deptford Bridge? Is it a nightmare for
> close passes?

I ride the Norbert/Malpas route also (from Nunhead). I don't much like Creek Road or Greenwich High Road, so if I'm not in a hurry I go straight across the pedestrian crossing at the end of Copperas Street, then follow the bike path across the footbridge and along the river to the tunnel. Adds a few minutes, but more "scenic".

Seems to take 25-35 minutes to Canary Wharf, depending on how excited I am.

I'm putting forward a vote for Tower Bridge. Aside from the half mile stretch of Tower Bridge Rd over the bridge itself, the rest of the route is dedicated or off-road cycle paths. I particularly enjoyed watching the seasons change along Surrey Canal Path, with May being my favourite.

How long does it take from north side Tower Bridge to Isle of Dogs? I'm used to the route up to that point as that's my old route to Bishopsgate and it takes about 25 mins to there. Is it going to be another 15?

About 15. The north side of Tower Bridge is awful (as you probably know), but once you turn right on to Cable Street it's very well-signposted (CS3) and easy going.

Tiny tweak: if I understand your map you turn right from Friendly Gardens to Albyn Road so you can join New Cross Road for a stretch before the start of GHR. I hate New Cross Road because of the traffic, so instead carry on Friendly St to the end and you can then cut through the park (Broadway Gardens) to get to Deals Gateway which is opposite the start of GHR. Means you get a set of lights to yourself.

Ah yes njc97, the NCR section was awful so I was looking for a way around it and had spied the park on Google maps - good to know you can cycle through. Thanks

I'm enjoying my cycle to Isle of Dogs - thanks for all the advice. I go via the Greenwich foot tunnel and for the first time, I've experienced the south lift being out-of-order this week. Carrying the bike down the stairs is hard but carrying it up is really difficult bc I have a bad back. I therefore went on the hunt for somewhere I could check the lift status before leaving home/work so I can divert across Tower Bridge when the lift out of action.

I'm pleased to say I found this [g.liftcheck.uk] but as you can see, it reports the status of the south lift as working when in fact, it's out-of-order at the moment. I emailed the developer and he was kind enough to respond so I thought I'd share in case anyone else is getting frustrated:

"Thanks for letting me know about this. I've not seen this happen before and I think it's probably due to a change in maintenance procedures by the company that is now managing the lifts (it is a different one from when we deployed the system). The previous technicians would always switch off the lift controller when they took a lift out of service (which would also switch off the monitor, with the system recognising this and reacting) but I suspect that at the moment the lift controller is switched on and not reporting a fault which is why the system is showing the lift as working.
I'm in a tricky position because the council never actually adopted (or paid for) the system so no one is under any obligation to fix anything, and also I'm away right now so can't fix anything.
I'll get in touch with the company that is now maintaining the lifts in the new year and see if I can get them to either switch off the controller when they take a lift out of service or let me have access to the controllers so I can reprogram the monitors.
I'll let you know when/if I get it resolved.
Apologies that the system has let you down,
Ross"

If I hear back from him, I'll post on here. Meantime, if anyone knows of any other way to get the lift statuses, please let me know.