Cycling in London can look daunting... but if you know where to go it can be the best way of getting around the city. This channel posts videos of the best routes so you can see what they're like to ride.
What a cracking ride, the street market, brilliant, wish more local authorities in South Wales were as far seeing, as well as the majority of the brain dead drivers around here
I should of also added that William Morris had some mills on the river, and they are at Merton Abbey Milks. Plus, there is a large White House in Morden Hall Park, a garden centre there too.😊
Have you ever followed the River Wandle from Colliers Wood to Carshalton Ponds? You can start the route from Wandsworth on the Thames, but in some sections, you have to go on the road. But most of the journey is off-road. Plus, there are some quite nice parts!😊 There is a section where the sister of Octavia Hill has a stone seat, probably as a memorial?
Here in Denmark it's very popular with so called Christania bikes, that can carry 2 small children side by side in the front. They are usually electric and a great way to carry children to institutions and groseries. They are a bit wide though, but fast enough to go along the mainstream bike traffic. Also a super alternative to cars locally!
Yes they are becoming more popular here too in places where there are quiet streets and good infrastructure- though not as popular as Denmark yet as our infrastructure still has some way to go!
That is amazing. It was hard to recognise the Chiswick High Road I used to bike down in the early 1980’s during a 3 year overseas experience from NZ. London seems to have just got better and better since those days of congestion, grime, and a alow and unreliable bus network. It feels like that anyway over few times we’ve gone. back for a visit. The video is pure joy, thank you.
Brentford has changed so much, when I lived there it used to be quite empty and desolate, now it's all fancy and shiny. I read they were doing quite a development next to the end of your video, close to the canal! I wish I'd visit again sometime but your videos are enough until then! Thank you!
Great video! Lovely to see how joined up these cycle routes are getting. I often cycle through these stretches of town sometimes with my children in tow, and one thing to point out on the C34 Fulham portion is the brick plant filter between Rannoch Road and Manbre Road is incredibly narrow, and too narrow for a trailer. When I go through there I use the chicane to the sides but have to dismount and push and pull through (takes a while) as that too is very narrow and there's millimetres to spare, it's a real blocker - it could really do with being widened, or in my view, removing entirely. Keep up the excellent work, I really look forward to your videos.
I live in Brentford and just did this route a few days ago! Well, almost! I went to Bishop's park which is a lovely spot in it's own right. The only difference is I cycled along the riverside for a while after Hammersmith Bridge (coming from the Brentford direction). The new infrastructure has been great for my partner too as she works near Kew.
Great video! I’ve been thinking about getting a second-hand road/hybrid bike just for commuting really (paying £10 a day to TFL as a student is absurd) if anyone has any recommendations on decent places to look?
Do it! I’m not much help with bikes/gear but others will definitely have opinions. FWIW my partner bought a second hand bike from The Bike Project in Camberwell and is happy with it. (Personally would avoid gumtree etc as it’s hard to know what’s stolen and what’s just a good deal, but up to you)
I've cycled past Watermans park a couple of times and it's looked so nice I've meant to make it my destination i shall do. I still dismount under the Hammersmith flyover as it just feels wobbly to me, and in the ltn i cycle up the one over as that squeeze thru is so tight id rather just cycle up another road. I tend to go barons ct behind the hospital 🏥 to get the lights across Fulham palace road but this does look quieter. They need something to cross Fulham palace road and id swap - i don't like being on a busy corner with cars behind and pressure x
The bit of C9 from Turham Green to Brentford honestly just frustrates me with all the errors and wasted potential. Wellesley road should indeed have a bus gate, however it's also silly that they blocked off the end of it, as leaving it open would allow buses to bypass all the traffic on the roundabout (they previously went this way). It's also constantly full of vans doing 5 point turns after delivering to the wealthy multiple car owning residents. The Brentford section also has bus stop bypasses that are below TfL and DfT standards, even though they easily could have made them better. There is also no way to turn right onto Ealing road, the sign says you should use the pedestrian crossing instead. Lastly, there are no dropped kerbs allowing access to and from side roads!
Interesting idea about not needing the closure at the end if you had a bus gate - I suspect it’s been done as much to speed up traffic on the main road as to help with the cycle route, there are quite a few junctions at that point on the A205 (stile hall gardens, capital interchange way) and getting rid of one probably helps traffic make some progress through what would have been a bit of a mess before. The lack of turning opportunities is definitely an issue - the crossing is alright for that bit I think but there are other points where it could do with improvement. The issue is TfL mostly refuses to give cycles and pedestrians a dedicated phase at junctions to prioritise traffic flows, so doesn’t build those protected junctions you see with Waltham Forest etc which require them. They’ve got to a point where they’re mostly OK with allocating space for cycling but are still funny about reallocating time or doing much that’ll affect drivers
I have to admit I am not comfortable with two way cycle lanes where they cross over junctions both as a driver and as a cyclist as it increases a chance of collision particularly because the junctions aren't controlled by a stop sign 🛑 . With flow is always better since drivers naturally look in the vehicle offside direction to oncoming traffic first. The streets are plenty wide for them and the motor vehicle lanes could be narrowed, and junction turnouts given a wider radius for buses and lorries.
I understand that yeah, there can be a risk when it’s two way. Sometimes I do prefer a two way it sort of depends on the context - there is obviously a left hook risk on with flow as well
Two way cycle lanes make more sense on commuter routes where the flow is predominantly inbound in the morning and outbound in the evening - a better use of space in our restricted city And the risk of left hooks on with flow cycle lanes freaks me out - especially beside fast roads ... to the extent that I prefer to go against the flow on the cycle lane beside the Great West Road out to Heathrow
@10:40 > "Markets on the left"...that's a remarkable indicator of progress on many fronts, all 'taking back the streets' for shoppers, pedestrians, cyclists and poets'!
I'm not much of a cyclist but I live in Fulham and make extensive use of the Thames Path for some long distance walking. Interesting to see the route you took and nice to see more cycling infrastructure giving you some safety on the streets!
I also enjoy a nice long distance walk on the thames path! when I have a free sunny day during the week I like to do Kingston to Walton and then if I'm feeling particularly adventurous I go down the Wey to Guildford... a slog, but so calming
It’s a cliche people in Chiswick are very unfamiliar with the rest of their borough - maybe the cycle could change that. Admittedly, there are already great bus connections into Brentford and beyond, so I think a disparity in affluence is the real reason. That said, things like the cycle lane and the riverside development could help to fix that.
@11:41 i really don't like the Heathfield Terrace / Wellesley Road section - so I normally continue on Chiswick High Road and across Chiswick Roundabout using the pedestrian crossings and down the short section of dual carriageway to rejoin the cycle lane. far from ideal, but at least it's wider than Heathfield Terrace / Wellesley Road, which gets a bit scary when the boy racers charge at you!
@@Londoncycleroutes yes indeed - you can get lucky or unlucky on the official route ... but by staying on Chiswick High Road, you know it will be busy, but at least it's going in the same direction!
Spot on with the route EXCEPT you should be turning right out of Doneraile Street into Woodlawn Road. Follow Woodlawn Road to the end and where it bends to the left bear right through the Fire Gates into Crabtree Lane. Take the second left into Rannoch Road and go through the planters which brings you into Mambre Road. And then follow your route. Doneraile Street is part of the 'alphabet' set of streets in Fulham. It runs from Niton Street to Cloncurry Street, so if going the other way just remember the street beginning with 'D'! As an aside, you mentioned 'passing Fulham Football Club' in your video but no mention of passing Brentford Football Club when you went past the stadium, just before Kew Bridge!
At Hammersmith you passed the Riverside studios, now theatres with a cafe but famous for being where the early Doctor Who episodes were made. If you go inside you can have coffee and cake sitting next to a Dalek. I find that quite creepy as I have seen plenty of episodes where supposedly dead Daleks come back to life! There are some large black and white pictures on the walls showing behind the scenes images.
It's great that the section between Kew Bridge and Brentford is complete, but the council could have saved a lot of time and money by keeping both lanes to the river side from the petrol station to mcdonald's. There would have been an uber short section of shared path before dropping down into the park, with there being plenty of width to make it dual direction.
So true about putting up a sign of a cycle route and calling it a day. I've got a 40-minute commute to work, which is mostly good, but I always dread the necessity to ride through Poplar High St. Definitely the worst part of CS3, I wonder if there are any plans to fix that.
I think you might have slowed down briefly to let that woman cross, she had both feet on the road you were turning into, ie she was on a road you were entering.... it doesn't cost much, think of it as a PR exercise .... I'm as guilty as the next man of forgetting to do it from time to time too ....
If you watch on half speed (eg normal speed as it’s sped up) you can see I did actually slow to almost a stop (and gestured her across which you can’t see) but she was didn’t move so I decided to get out of her way!
Got it ...the puzzle of the dithering/undecided pedestrian.... Often I find the dithering cyclist (me) and the dithering pedestrian, lead each other a merry dance... an ideal pair for Strictly Come Dancing.... Keep the vids coming... BB
Thanks for also mentioning the markets at Old Market Place, Chiswick High Rd. FYI the schedule is Flowers on 1st Sunday (not January), Antiques on 2nd Sunday, Cheese on 3rd Sunday and Street Food on 4th Sunday.
Great upload as always. Agree with your point at 10:01 - most uk drivers aren't aware of rule H3 and as a result I find using that new cycle lane more dangerous than riding in the main carriageway - especially if you want to cycle at the speed limit. It's great you're championing these changes to the highway code. But I noticed unfortunately you ignored rule H2 cutting in front of the pedestrian at 02:02 . Arguably she wasn't in any danger as you were riding a bike not in a car - and it's a situation where I'd also probably keep riding - but the effect is pedestrians don't learn that they actually have priority over turning vehicles which in turn keeps reinforcing the old behaviour from drivers.
Well spotted! You can’t really see it in the video as it’s sped up but I actually slowed to a near stop and motioned her across but she just stayed up so I continued as the least disruptive option! But agree you should let people cross
I noticed that too. I think a lot of pedestrians are away of the highway code, let alone any updates. The thing is motorists should know, but some don't seem to follow. LCR did seem to pause to let the pedestrian cross, but she take the opportunity. I have been in the same situation.
Hi! Thanks for these videos! I’m working on gaining confidence cycling around London and these really help. Would you consider doing Herne Hill/Brixton to Borough Market, Herne Hill/Brixton to Oxford Circus? Thank you!
When I lived in Nottingham I once had a red light at a right turn filter signal (designed for cars) that was so long that I telephoned the council maintenance helpline and asked them to turn it green for me.
@@Londoncycleroutes I was actually calling just to tell them that it wasn't working, but he said no worries I can trigger it manually for you from here, and he did and the light went green.
Thank you, your videos are wonderful. I especially enjoy the moments your routes coalesce with mine. My only polite critique is that Brockwell Park is not a cycle route, though I do appreciate it is lovely to cycle through, I would suggest it is a space to relax and enjoy nature, not shave a few seconds off a journey. You are kind to suggest we slow down and enjoy the view, but I can't tell you the number of times I've had frightening moments with people cycling far too fast by my young kids, as the walkways simply aren't designed to be cycle routes. It has become such a problem that the council have recently started spraying signs onto the paths requesting cyclists slow down and share the space. Nevertheless, I love your channel and thank you for what you do.
Thanks very much! Can’t remember if I said it in this video or another but the solution has to be to put protected lanes on Norwood Road - I don’t think people are using Brockwell so save time as much to avoid to busy road, there’s no really a safe alternative. I know what you mean about those paths though cycling is explicitly allowed on them so all I can do really is encourage people to ride sensibly in there! I think once a comfortable and safe alternative route is built demand to cycle through the park would dry up pretty quickly. Glad you enjoy the videos
@@Londoncycleroutes Indeed. I suspect the protected lanes on Norwood will come soon. Rosendale Road is now pretty much just for bikes. Lambeth seem to want to make the whole borough a cycle zone. PS. I think you should put low-fi ambient acoustic music in the background of your videos. They are quite relaxing to watch already, but you could tap into a kind of ASMR / de-stressing thing.
Thanks for your video! I am new to cycle commuting (and London too, just moved here!) and am planning a route from Morden to London Bridge, do you think this route will still works nowadays? From Morden to Clapham I am thinking to use Morden Hall route, CS7 and then follow your other excellent video from Tooting to Westminster. Do you think this is a good idea? Thank you!
I think that’s definitely the best way to do it! CS7 isn’t brilliant and a lot of it is bus lanes, plus the protected lanes are a bit thin in parts, but I think that would be a respectable cycle commute! Let me know how you get on
Great video Jon. Support to make this trial scheme permanent is needed haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/c50-finsbury-park-nags-head only open until 14th Aug 2024.
6:07 The "No Cycling" sign is presumably an old sign but *the chicane should remain* as it serves to as a pedestrian safety measure as the cycle route crosses a footpath and because it emerges from beside a high wall of an adjacent house ( a visual obstruction) It is not "obvious" from the main road. The railings make the cyclists slow down before reaching the shared crossing and they have to move way form the wall making them immediately visible to passing pedestrians (& vice versa) and so avoiding collisions.
Really the long term solution has to be to widen the path I think - I hear your point about moving into a pedestrian path, the issue with chicanes is that they’re hard to get through for people with buggies, cargo bikes or wheelchairs etc and can also create more conflicts. Hopefully there’s a long term plan to open that section up a bit to prevent the issue you identify
5:53 That is exactly the approach that the Dutch take - most of their bike traffic lights have detectors, but they always have a push button override in case it's needed. I've only ever seen this done once in the UK - at a toucan crossing on a major roundabout in Cambridge. The push button lights up red when you've been detected, so you can tell if you need to push it or not.
Ah yes when I’ve seen this setup in the U.K. the wait sign lights up on the button housing when you’re detected too- probably just as useful as having the button actually, being able to easily tell when you’ve been detected (some of the black boxes have a small LED on them but as far as I can tell some put the light on when you’ve been spotted and some turn it off when you’ve been spotted!)
