Fastest Route to town?

[Rosiew]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone had any advice about cycle routes etc-

Two of my really good friends are thinking about moving to ED, they love the area, the community, in other words it's all great...except for the transport. They both work in Whitehall and weren't sure of the fastest way to get there, one cycles and the other gets public transport. Does anyone know how long it takes to cycle there? Or if you're getting the train which route do you go?

I commute to Euston so managed to be spectacularly unhelpful about this subject, but thought that you lovely forum-ers might be able to help me out?

Cheers!

[Willard]

Try this:

Cycle route

[Willard]

I stand corrected by my girlfriend, this is her preferred route. Less busy jink through Oval....

Takes her 25 minutes to Whitehall, but she does have a kick ass bike.

ammended route...

[simonethebeaver]

My husband and I both work in Whitehall. He cycles from Forest Hill Road and it takes him 30 minutes but he is aged and thinks others would be quicker. He has quite a complicated route which he adapted from the TfL route over time to avoid Peckham and include hills for fitness.

I love my 63, which is much quicker than the buses going via Camberwell, and change at Elephant. Alternatively the 37 to Herne Hill (or walk) and the 3 to Whitehall. Trains for us are also easy as Honor Oak to Westminster is 20 minutes or less, changing at Canada Water.

[languagelounger]

At the risk of sounding like my grandad recalling the visit of Queen Victoria, when I moved here there was a direct bus, the 184, that went all the way to Whitehall.

They renamed it the 484 and stopped it at Camberwell. I'm guessing that unless everyone who posted here works in that little souvenir shop on Whitehall selling little plastic beefeaters, you must all be tip top wheeler-dealer civil servants. Couldn't you get the bus back for us, you know, get it included in an edict to Boris or something? Slip it under a politician's nose while they're sloshed or busy leering at their researcher?

[jim_the_chin]

25 minutes by bike, regardless of whether it's 'kick-ass' or not

expensive bikes no faster

[Horsebox]

The 12 stops on Whitehall.

It's not the fastest bus, but it's direct.

Otherwise, cycling definitely the best & fastest way to get around.

[Rosiew]

Guys this is fantastic! Thanks loads

R

[ruffers]

I used to get the train to London Bridge, change for train to Charing Cross, walk round corner from there.

Stating the obvious it kinda depends where you start from, if you're ten minutes from the station it can make the difference if time is the be all and end all.

[malumbu]

Been cycling into London for almost a quarter of a century. And in that time only changed my route about three times. The suggested route takes in some of my earlier ones. But after all this time I have settled on the flatest, straight line. Forest Hill Road, Peckham Rye, Canal Path, Old and New Kent Road, Westminster Bridge. No particularly dodgy bits, and avoided pot holes, accidents and road rage (a feature of previous routes). Bike lanes, traffic calming etc. Can cut out some of the busy roads by doing some of Burgess Park.

[robinlynch]

That should be a great commute on the bike - probably about 20-25 minutes, the run up Albert Embankment is fantastic on a clear day, you can go through a couple of parks and you can vary it quite easily as you can cross the river at three points. In my experience, finding the best route is not as important as finding some alternatives to break the monotony.

However there's no getting away from the fact that Dog Kennel Hill is a monster of a climb (in urban terms). Maybe other posters here are fitter than me but I wouldn't fancy doing that every morning.

Cycle Streets is quite a good site but really there is no substitute for trial and error on the road.

[languagelounger]

25 mins by bike is great, for those that can do it, am very glad very you. But huge numbers of people cannot manage that.

To cycle that fast down the Old and New Kent roads, and to run the approaches to the bridges, and the roundabouts, while avoiding giant potholes, you need to be able to put sudden and ferocious bursts of speed. Only the perfectly fit and healthy can manage it. I think quite a lot of people who try the cycle commute into town who aren't that speedy get disillusioned very quickly and give up once they've discovered how hair raising it can be.

Never managed it to Whitehall myself in less than 40 minutes from Crystal Palace Road, and that was when I was in my 20s.

[new mother]

Suggest they are really careful about where they buy.... Some parts of ED would be great for overland etc as stated above while others would be hopeless.

[benmorg]

Rosiew Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Guys,

>

> Just wondering if anyone had any advice about

> cycle routes etc-

>

> Two of my really good friends are thinking about

> moving to ED, they love the area, the community,

> in other words it's all great...except for the

> transport. They both work in Whitehall and weren't

> sure of the fastest way to get there, one cycles

> and the other gets public transport. Does anyone

> know how long it takes to cycle there? Or if

> you're getting the train which route do you go?

>

> I commute to Euston so managed to be spectacularly

> unhelpful about this subject, but thought that you

> lovely forum-ers might be able to help me out?

>

> Cheers!

Bus no. 176 goes direct to Trafalgar Square. From ED train station, charing cross is very easy with one change to overland (avoid tube!) at London Bridge. cycling is nicest though.

Whitehall is easy from ED, but tell your friends not to be too far from ED station.

[spanglysteve]

It depends also on what side of Whitehall you are at. I used to work at Department for Education which is actually on Great Smoth Street. For me the fastest way to go was 63 to Peckham Rye, train to Victoria then walk along Victoria street.

If you are not near the Rye you can get on a bus to Denmark Hill to connect to Victoria.

[Medley]

LL, with respect, this is a load of cobblers.

Sure, tackling the junctions at E and C is not for everyone. But there are gyratories in both directions, taking you around small roads so that you don't have to use the main junctions.

It's also cobblers to say it's only for the seriously fit. I'm not seriously fit and I manage Forest Hill Road to Regent's Park in 40 minutes day in, day out. 45 if I'm feeling lazy, 30-35 if I put on those 'ferocious' bursts of speed you're mentioning.

languagelounger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> 25 mins by bike is great, for those that can do

> it, am very glad very you. But huge numbers of

> people cannot manage that.

>

> To cycle that fast down the Old and New Kent

> roads, and to run the approaches to the bridges,

> and the roundabouts, while avoiding giant

> potholes, you need to be able to put sudden and

> ferocious bursts of speed. Only the perfectly fit

> and healthy can manage it. I think quite a lot of

> people who try the cycle commute into town who

> aren't that speedy get disillusioned very quickly

> and give up once they've discovered how hair

> raising it can be.

>

> Never managed it to Whitehall myself in less than

> 40 minutes from Crystal Palace Road, and that was

> when I was in my 20s.

[languagelounger]

The thing is, if you take the "safe routes" it's quite a bit slower. Also I suspect that you might be quite seriously fit, but you won't appreciate it unless at some point you lose it. Unfit is hard to imagine for the fit. I mean trying to cycle up Denmark Hill and literally falling off the bike because it isn't going anywhere. That's unfit. I'm not against cycling, I used to choose to do it, but I think giving people unrealistic expectations just makes them more prone to give up when they find there's actually quite a lot of potholes, detours, punctures and mad motorists to contend with. If you should ever acquire a tandem by the way I would be most happy to take up an offer of a lift.

[Willard]

jim_the_chin Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> 25 minutes by bike, regardless of whether it's

> 'kick-ass' or not

>

> expensive bikes no faster

I know what I'd prefer to be going up Dog Kennel Hill on...

[TammyHolmes]

I work in Westminster and used to cycle most days using this route (from the Bellenden area). It's almost all on quiet roads and it takes the cycle bypass round E&C. It has one hill but you can skip it if you want by going all the way along Lyndhurst Way at the start. My fastest time was around 25 mins but it often took over 30 - depends a lot on traffic lights.

http://g.co/maps/rderp

When not cycling I get the train from Peckham Rye to Victoria and walk the rest of the way. Living in the Bellenden area makes the commute very manageable.

Other options if you live further into ED - bus up LL to Denmark Hill and train to Victoria - or ED/Denmark Hill to London Bridge then Jubilee Line to Westminster.