Greenwich to Heathrow

My boss has decided that I am the unlucky bugger that has to go to heathrow on my weekends and meet foreign students as they arrive for their 'summer school holiday' every weekend starting from the 12th of july to mid august.

So I just thought I would ask you guys how long you reckon it will take on the old fixed, I checked it out on google maps and its about 25-30 miles. Aslo any ideas on routes would be good, just so I have an alternative to google maps.

I'd follow the Thames along to somewhere like Kew - then take London Road the rest of the way - cycling along canals and rivers like the Thames is of course for lazy people as canals and rivers like to follow a flat route and tend not to go over hills.

What about the return journey - a mass backy with the students ?

haha no, I just wait at heathrow all day and greet many different groups and point them in the direction of their coach. I might, If I'm lucky get a coach ride back to Catford with the last group, but I might go with the bike if its an enjoyable ride. Any idea how much if any of the A4 I can use?

i have personally done heathrow to oxford circus and it took an hour, i took the a40 most of the way i think?

Even across the hammersmith flyover?

There is - incredibly - separate cycle lane provision along the A4 just about all the way from Chiswick Roundabout (ie junction of A4 and Gunnersbury Ave / A406) to Heathrow.

So I would suggest getting to Hammersmith roundabout (which presumably you know how to do) and then taking King St / Chiswick High Rd to the roundabout. Hammersmith to Heathrow should take about 40-45 mins. Hope that helps.

By the way, I hope this whole 'picking up exchange students' thing isn't just a flimsy cover for trafficking sex slaves. I'd feel bad if it was.

There is - incredibly - separate cycle lane provision along the A4 just about all the way from Chiswick Roundabout (ie junction of A4 and Gunnersbury Ave / A406) to Heathrow.

So I would suggest getting to Hammersmith roundabout (which presumably you know how to do) and then taking King St / Chiswick High Rd to the roundabout. Hammersmith to Heathrow should take about 40-45 mins. Hope that helps.

Yeah, but that cycle lane is shit, it's seldom cleaned and sitting next to the A4 it gets a lot of crap thrown onto it from the road.

Unfortunately there aren't any great routes that you can take though, the dual carriageway is the most direct route from chiswick roundabout... it's just a bit soul destroying.

You could detour a little south and go via Hounslow, but that's a whole new type of soul destroying.

+1 the bath rd cycle lanes are rubbish.

so along the thames to hammersmith then bath rd to heathrow, no other way really

Is there anywhere to leave a bicycle locked up at Heathrow?

I'd be a little concerned that the security bods would blow it up just in case it is a bomb/objects to ID cards.

Stay south of the river until vauxhall bridge, i.e Go onto and A 202 to cross London, then make your way up to the beautiful A4. I would estimate 1 hr £0 min approximately.

Even across the hammersmith flyover?

Are you thinking of the A4?

The A40 is the continuation of Euston/Marylebone Rd further north.

Ha! I get to tell not one but TWO forumengers to HTFU! I've arrived!!!

Yes the A4 cycle lane features random rubbish, carefree pedestrians, fearless squirrels and numerous side-roads to negotiate (plus the obligatory disappearing/reappearing cycle lane phenomenon), but it is basically functional and easy and there aren't too many traffic lights. Plus you can always use the lovely A4 if you don't fancy it. As it's the most direct route, I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

Plus, there's another issue... how do you get INTO Heathrow?

They've shut down what used to be the old service tunnels that pedestrians and cyclists could use, as these have long been converted for car use.

You aren't now allowed to cycle through any road route into the airport. So you need to take one of the transit buses from just outside Heathrow itself. If these are busy you will be turned away.

And there's another issue... since cycles are not allowed in, no provision is made to park bikes anywhere. You see a few, but just against fences. And the police/security can remove anything that they dislike and have the tools to do so.

I used to work in Heathrow and cycle there, it was a pain in the arse back then and it's a lot worse now.

Is there anywhere to leave a bicycle locked up at Heathrow?

Yes there are cycle / motorbike parks. Terminal 2's - which I used last week - is just over the road from arrivals. They are covered but not guarded, but given the number of armed police roaming the place I doubt it's a favourite bike thief hunting ground.

You aren't now allowed to cycle through any road route into the airport. So you need to take one of the transit buses from just outside Heathrow itself. If these are busy you will be turned away.

Things must have changed since you worked there lad. There is a funny little tunnel on the road in to the airport which is recommended for bikes (though cars can use it too). I've used the main tunnel in too without any problems - something to do with the wind resistance or lack of it means you go REALLY FAST.

When I first started cycling there last year, I got security to direct me to the cycle parking - knowing how officious those guys can be, if there was any doubt about me bringing my bike in there, they'd have told me.

It was a while ago. The Irish Departure Lounge and also T3. But it's so long ago that what was T3 has now been changed substantially and the IDL has become a metal clad thing that hovers above the edge of the T1 runway... so I guess that's about a decade ago that I worked there... hmm... more perhaps, 15 years ago? I was run off the road once for looking like a "nonce"... Hounslow was a great place to live!

I have an image of Fat Joe pitching up all sweaty/sooty at LHR and then falling for the assistant who has come with the "students".

I digress. I have ridden from Teddington to the SE and staying south might be a more pleasant ride. Something like Greenwhich>Camberwell>Clapham>Putney>Richmond Park!> and then your choice of Teddington/Hounslow>Feltham. This way will be lovely until you get to about 2 miles from LHR and that is where I have no knowledge.

[ame="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Heathrow-London"]alternative

I think the TFL maps are pretty good.
I'll be intrigued with the route you finally adopt

You want to avoid Cranford Lane. It's narrow, has a substantial amount of traffic calming (chicanes), the road surface is bad, and the local drivers are maniacs.

On Norwood Rd, just continue past Heston Church to Church Road (it's a right turn when the church is on the left), and then straight to Upper Sutton lane, and then swing onto the dual carriageway there.

Going through Cranford will buy you nothing, join the carriageway before Hounslow West to avoid poor condition roads through dodgy estates.

Besides, the cycle lane isn't so bad here... it gets going again quite nicely.

Do not have one of these spoke cards

Cycle to Paddington, then take the Heathrow express for the dull part of the journey.
Boss wants you to go there, so boss can pay.

Cycle to Paddington, then take the Heathrow express for the dull part of the journey.
Boss wants you to go there, so boss can pay.

He probably wants to cycle and claim anyway.

If it's good enough for our MPs then...

Good point, fiddle those expenses to make my local MP proud.

haha, matt, they really are foreign students, who seem to think learning english in an old unconditioned victorian school in catford in the summer heat is a good idea for a holiday...crazy if you ask me but it means i get a payed so i can't complain.

Thanks for all the route ideas as well, I never thought about staying south and going through richmond park, but it looks like a nice route to ride, I will probaly try a few over the weeks that i have to do it just so it doesnt get too dull.

and stompy, as much as i would like to use that tactic to earn myself a bit of extra cash so i can make some improvements here and there to sort my bike, or maybe build another one, the company i work for is owned by a good family friend so there won't be any of MP like expenses claims.

and stompy, as much as i would like to use that tactic to earn myself a bit of extra cash so i can make some improvements here and there to sort my bike, or maybe build another one, the company i work for is owned by a good family friend so there won't be any of MP like expenses claims.

Do you at least get first dibs on the pretty students? Got to get your perks somehow.