Commute route help. E2 to SE14

Hi, does anyone have any tips on this commute route? I will be riding from E2 (Bow/Victoria Park) to SE14 New Cross for university.

The most direct route is about 6 miles each way and follows the A1205 to the Rotherhithe tunnel then the A200 to New Cross.

No idea what this tunnel might be like. Sounds really frightening.

Any thoughts?

Tunnel is fowl. Full of dust and fumes and you have to take the pavement. I'd go Cable st - Tower Bridge taking care of veering flouro maniacs on the oh so annoying smurf lane, then head South East from there. Or walk *unless no one's looking through the Greenwich foot tunnel from the bottom of the Isle of Dogs.

There's no reason not to ride on the carriageway in the tunnel - Take the primary position, and give it a bit of welly.

More often than not, you're far faster than the cars.

But yes, the air in the tunnel can, at times, be hideous.

Na man, you're VERY often faster than the cars, that's why the pavement... you don't want to be inhaling that shit for any longer than you have to. Plus if you are giving it the beans you'll be a bit big on the lungs on the upslope and dragging even more crap in. I'd avoid it... but don't be afraid to try it once and see what you think.

Plus - I feel I should note that I hate people who ride pavements, but no one seems to walk that tunnel and so it's become a sort of unofficial bike path for lead lovers.

Just take Tower Bridge or LDN Bridge, then HatBeardsFamousTooleySt then Jamaica Rd.
6miles is nothing, after a month you'll be wishing it was longer anyway.

^this.

I will be sure to try the tunnel out and see if it agrees with me. On the other hand though, what could be better than living in London and cycling across Tower Bridge every day?

Oh God, I'm such a tourist.

Even despite the shitty traffic, lumpybump tarmac and impossibility of over or undertaking on Tower Bridge I do still find my self thinking "heehee Tower Bridge" as I ride.
Then I get back to the serious bizznizz of photobombing as many happysnapping tourist as poss.

Just take Tower Bridge or LDN Bridge, then HatBeardsFamousTooleySt then Jamaica Rd.
6miles is nothing, after a month you'll be wishing it was longer anyway.

I'd go this^ way over the tunnel and the Old Kent Rd, too.

After Jamaica Rd you head down Lower Road then Evelyn St. Break a right at Abinger Grove and you're practically there.

Always love a photobomb on the bridge and never ever grow tired of it. It's also one of the few roads where most cyclists sit in primary and you can have a bit of banter with people for a few hundred yards while busdrafting.

When I lived in West Greenwich I would often come back from the old East Drinks via Isle of Dogs, then through the foot tunnel.

It's quite a nice route, involves a bit of walking under the river but you can use that part to indulge whatever 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea fantasies you might have left over from childhood.

Nice thing about it is the choice also- longer routes can be either out to Woolwich for the Ferry, Tower Bridge as mentioned, or a longer loop out, over Southwark Bridge and end to end the OKR.

Yeah if I was doing the route regularly I would do Isle of Dogs and the foot tunnel it is slightly longer but anything to avoid Rotherhithe Tunnel. The cars are restricted to 20 and there are cameras so particuarly at busy times it is really unpleasant and the cars get in the way. The pavement is OK until you meet the odd pedestrain or other slower cyclist. Tower Bridge can be pretty horrendous too.

Zebs