Mark
BlankA while back I posted a question about the various
options for cycling between Heathrow Airport and Euston
Station, and between Holland Park and Heathrow. The
suggestions I got were very helpful, and I'd like to thank
those who replied.
I did end up cycling the Grand Union Canal towpath into
London, which was a wonderful experience. As a cyclist I met
en route remarked, cycling along the canal is the complete
opposite of the rest of London. Cycling from the canal to
Euston Station brought me back to the real London in a
hurry, though. I was quite grateful for the bus/taxi/cycle
lanes, and using cameras to enforce observance of those
lanes struck me as an excellent idea.
Cycling back to the airport for the flight home, I followed
the Lonely Planet guidebook's route to from Hammersmith to
Brentford Bridge, where the A315 crosses the Grand Union
Canal, and followed the Grand Union Canal towpath back to
Hays Bull Bridge, then used various bikepaths to get into
Terminal 4 at Heathrow. This was infinitely more pleasant
than following various cyclepaths alongside busy A roads.
All told, I spent about 2 1/2 hours cycling from Holland
Park youth hostel to Heathrow, including a certain amount of
dawdling around, last minute photography, and double
checking the map to make sure I hadn't gone off course. I
considered using Uxbridge Road/A4020 as someone sugested,
but Hammersmith was easier to find on the map I had.
I picked up an LCC map at Hammersmith to help navigate, and
I was very impressed, both by the map and by the extent of
the cycle routes in London.
I was *not* impressed by those silly barriers put up on the
canal towpath, apparently to keep motorcycles out. I was
travelling with front and rear panniers, and getting through
the barriers meant removing the front panniers, heaving the
bike through with rear panniers still attached (which made a
certain amount of lifting necessary), reattaching the front
panniers, and trundling off to the next barrier to do it all
over again. Usually while I was doing this a mountain biker
would happen along and hop around the barrier on the canal
side while holding his bike out over the canal, all the
while trying not to laugh at my struggles.
Again, thanks to those who offered advice about cycle
routes, it added a nice touch to an already excelent visit
to the UK.
--
mark
options for cycling between Heathrow Airport and Euston
Station, and between Holland Park and Heathrow. The
suggestions I got were very helpful, and I'd like to thank
those who replied.
I did end up cycling the Grand Union Canal towpath into
London, which was a wonderful experience. As a cyclist I met
en route remarked, cycling along the canal is the complete
opposite of the rest of London. Cycling from the canal to
Euston Station brought me back to the real London in a
hurry, though. I was quite grateful for the bus/taxi/cycle
lanes, and using cameras to enforce observance of those
lanes struck me as an excellent idea.
Cycling back to the airport for the flight home, I followed
the Lonely Planet guidebook's route to from Hammersmith to
Brentford Bridge, where the A315 crosses the Grand Union
Canal, and followed the Grand Union Canal towpath back to
Hays Bull Bridge, then used various bikepaths to get into
Terminal 4 at Heathrow. This was infinitely more pleasant
than following various cyclepaths alongside busy A roads.
All told, I spent about 2 1/2 hours cycling from Holland
Park youth hostel to Heathrow, including a certain amount of
dawdling around, last minute photography, and double
checking the map to make sure I hadn't gone off course. I
considered using Uxbridge Road/A4020 as someone sugested,
but Hammersmith was easier to find on the map I had.
I picked up an LCC map at Hammersmith to help navigate, and
I was very impressed, both by the map and by the extent of
the cycle routes in London.
I was *not* impressed by those silly barriers put up on the
canal towpath, apparently to keep motorcycles out. I was
travelling with front and rear panniers, and getting through
the barriers meant removing the front panniers, heaving the
bike through with rear panniers still attached (which made a
certain amount of lifting necessary), reattaching the front
panniers, and trundling off to the next barrier to do it all
over again. Usually while I was doing this a mountain biker
would happen along and hop around the barrier on the canal
side while holding his bike out over the canal, all the
while trying not to laugh at my struggles.
Again, thanks to those who offered advice about cycle
routes, it added a nice touch to an already excelent visit
to the UK.
--
mark
