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@Oliver Schick
Heh, I've done that (sort of)--but quite a few years ago, in 1995. I was living in Belsize Park at the time and joined the A406 North Circular Road at Finchley. I did it during the daytime, though, in nice weather, outside the peak hour, and in those days the traffic wasn't too heavy. Nice dragstrip all throughout East London, although I didn't like the section between Edmonton and Woodford much.
Then, not knowing London very well yet at the time, I spent ages trying to work out how to cross the river. I think it took me the best part of two hours riding around that area to find the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. I got even more lost in South London and I think for most of the way I didn't actually ride on the South Circular itself.
I picked it up again from Clapham and got back on the North CIrcular with no drama. By then, I remember feeling quite bored and just wanting to get home, for which purpose, as luck would have it, the A406 was very quick. Back to Finchley and back down the Finchley Road. By the time I got home, it was getting dark.
I haven't lived close to either of the Circular Roads for a long time and haven't had much occasion to use them, but people who do have told me that conditions have got worse and worse over the years.