London Routes, Shortcuts and Traffic Free Tips - Share Your Knowledge People !

Going west? I'd say it's keeping to the right at the first set of lights coming off the bridge and turn right past Sainsbury's

Yeah, that's what I've been doing but it gets a bit hairy at rush hour...

I'm usually heading for Union Street so I might start using London Bridge instead.

If that's where you're headed, I'd do Southwark Bridge if you can. Straight over the junction at the south of the bridge and then hook a right onto Union Street. Easy.

Your other option is to do Tower Bridge, stay on Tower Bridge Road a bit longer, and then turn right onto Druid Street, carrying on to St Thomas' Street

I'm definitely using Blackfriars or Southwark, the issue I'm having is coming to a grinding halt or ending up on unpleasant roads when I get north of the river. Either Blackfriars ends up putting you on Clerkenwell Road, which is pretty busy or onto the multi lane roads running east near Barbican. Southwark Bridge dumps you into a bunch of traffic-light controlled junctions, until you get up north of Finsbury Circus. It's a quick way of doing that bit that I'm really after.

There isn't a quick, light free way of crossing that part of the city, unless you're willing to rlj all day and ride o many pavements.

If I were crossing Blackfriars to get to Shoreditch, I'd go up Old Bailey, around Smithfield, Golden Lane, central > lever street and then through Hoxton.

I haven't done this route regularly in a while, but when I did I went over Southwark, across queen street, up Coleman Street and join Moorgate. Then suck up some traffic lights and take a right on Tabernacle street towards Pitfield street.

Mmm, I'm not sure there is a great way to do that trip tbh. Personally I'd do Blackfriars bridge, right onto charterhouse lane, and then take the B100, fann street, or old street depending where you want to end up in Shoreditch

My work's moving to a new office in Shoreditch so instead of my current up at the crack of dawn to drive round the north circular and wonder why I've become everything I used to hate, I can now get a train into Paddington then find my way over.

I'm wondering about cycling routes rather than getting re-acquainted with the hell of the tube. The office is on Curtain Road, so options seem to be the A501 (bus/cycle lane) or go A40/A401 (which seems the more popular according to Strava). Any advice/experience related to either would be much appreciated!

Controversial but I'm going to say:
Lancaster Gate, West Carriage Drive, Serpentine North side, Hyde Park Corner, time-trial it down Constitution Hill - glorious!
Hit the Mall, or Bird Cage, to Embankment. To maybe Bank?
Then it's a bit disgusting, so bit of research here may be required...

A501 is marylebone road so will be very busy and grim.
A40 is oxford street so full of buses and the most oblivious pedestrians.

I'd go Wigmore street -> gower street -> old street. It'll be pretty busy but still loads better than the tube

You can pick your way across through Marylebone and Fitzrovia, roughly George St. > Weymouth St. > Maple St. > Tavistock Place > then across Clerkenwell towards Old St. (Percival St?, not sure about this bit).

I wouldn't go either of those routes. A501 is really busy and traffic doesn't move much and A40 is Oxford Street which is full of buses, taxis and lemming-like pedestrians.

I'd go Wigmore Street/Mortimer St and then either Theobald's Road, Clerkenwell Rd, Old St. (Although I would look for a way round Clerkenwell Rd, it's a bit grim but no routes around spring to mind).

Thanks everyone! I'll work those out and try a few routes over my first few weeks and see which I prefer. I've done Embankment-Shoreditch at a weekend before and remember it being a bit dicey after the Cycle Superhighway, I imagine that can be multiplied by about 10 on a weekday rush hour...

Theobald's Road, Clerkenwell Rd, Old St

The classic hipster spice route...

anyone knows a nice and efficient route from Waterloo/E&C to Chingford?

London Bridge A10 r Whiston Rd l Queensbridge Dalston Lane Pembury Road Cricketfield Road l Lower Clapton Road r (Attention you might not have seen anything like it) Lea Bridge Road, Woodford New Road Woodford Green l Whitehall Road r Forest Side l Rangers Road.

thank you!

Got my soviet track tractor built up and took on the commute on the bike for the first time yesterday going via Hyde Park, Birdcage Walk, CS3, Bank & Moorgate. So much better than the circle line! Thanks again to all for the route advice.

London Bridge is going to be undergoing maintenance until October, which is my preferred river crossing for my commute between Surrey Quays and Barbican.

Anyone got any good alternative route recommendations?

I've tried using Southwark bridge the last 2 days, but it's annoying to get onto it (you have to approach from Marshalsea Road/Southwark Bridge Road, and then annoying on the north side (lots of waiting at lights to cross roads and shared use paths).

I imagine Tower Bridge is a mess because all the traffic that would usually take London Bridge is now taking that route. The Rotherhithe tunnel is deeply unappealing due to the smog and traffic at peak times.

Should I just sit in the queue on London bridge? Or just put up with Southwark bridge?

Could head across Blackfriars bridge, up Farringdon Rd on the bike path then bang a right through Smithfield market. The lights are synced quite well so it's normally pretty quick.

I'd say Southwark Bridge is certainly your best option.

Yep, after trying both last week, I can confirm that Southwark Bridge was the better option. Thanks for the help!

Suggestions please; a nice way to get out of town from Stepney heading down towards Brighton. Thanks !

my favorite route to head south from north london is to reach Dulwich in the straightest manner, then Crystal palace, Penge and exit london via the famous Layhams road. it makes the countryside come quicker.

I'm trying to make a route to our office for a friend who has only just started riding and isn't very confident on the road yet. I live SE so don't know these roads super well, does anyone have comments / improvements to this route to make it more beginner friendly?

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34563293

I wouldn't go via Well Street Common. I'd carry on through Victoria Park, crossing Grove Road at the Royal Inn, then leave the park via Gore Road, and go north along Skipworth Road/Ainsworth Road. She can then either do Well Street as you've drawn, or turn into King Edward's Road from Ainsworth Road, then either all the way to Mare Street or a left along Tryon Crescent through the little snicket to Tudor Road, and then to Mare Street. The difficulty with the two latter options is that Mare Street is harder to cross south of the Well Street junction, but after that you can easily get to London Fields from there.

In Canonbury, I wouldn't go via Canonbury Place and Canonbury Square, but go to the end of Canonbury Grove and cross New North Road there--Canonbury Place and Square are a terrible rat-run that I doubt will get filtered.

The rest seems fine.

As she gets more experienced, she should try out different options and find her own favourite routes. And, obviously, she should consider cycle training. :)