Route - [ Kings X > Paddington ]

[Alistair Gunn]

In about a months time I'm planning a LEJOG and, in order to gain an
extra day, I was planning on using the Night Riviera Sleeper to get me
and my recumbent down to Penzance. (I'm assuming, hopefully not too
unreasonably, that there are no problems with bikes on the sleeper?)
However this does leave me with having to cycle from Kings Cross to
Paddington, and here's me having never cycled in London!

>From having had a look using www.streetmap.co.uk it would appear to
simply be a case of turn right out of the front of Kings Cross, and
head down Euston Road. Then straight onto Marylebone Road. Finally,
Old Marylebone Road, Chapel Street and Praed Street to Paddington? Is
that a reasonable route for cycling?

PS: The ISP that I was leaching my usenet feed from (ie: POL) has
shutdown the usenet server I used to admin there, so I've been forced
onto Google.

 

[Tony Raven]

Alistair Gunn wrote on 02/02/2007 18:47 +0100:
> In about a months time I'm planning a LEJOG and, in order to gain an
> extra day, I was planning on using the Night Riviera Sleeper to get me
> and my recumbent down to Penzance. (I'm assuming, hopefully not too
> unreasonably, that there are no problems with bikes on the sleeper?)
> However this does leave me with having to cycle from Kings Cross to
> Paddington, and here's me having never cycled in London!
>
>>From having had a look using www.streetmap.co.uk it would appear to
> simply be a case of turn right out of the front of Kings Cross, and
> head down Euston Road. Then straight onto Marylebone Road. Finally,
> Old Marylebone Road, Chapel Street and Praed Street to Paddington? Is
> that a reasonable route for cycling?
>

Not quite but almost. Euston Rd etc is busy but there is a bus lane all
the way along to cycle in. At the Gower St turn stay left in the right
lane and spot the cycle route on the pavement starting right at the
traffic light to avoid the Tottenham Court Rd underpass. At the end
turn down Old Marylebone Rd onto Sussex St then right to Paddington.
Praed St is one way the wrong way for most of its length.


--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

[Ambrose Nankivell]

Alistair Gunn wrote:
> In about a months time I'm planning a LEJOG and, in order to gain an
> extra day, I was planning on using the Night Riviera Sleeper to get me
> and my recumbent down to Penzance. (I'm assuming, hopefully not too
> unreasonably, that there are no problems with bikes on the sleeper?)
> However this does leave me with having to cycle from Kings Cross to
> Paddington, and here's me having never cycled in London!
>
>> From having had a look using www.streetmap.co.uk it would appear to
> simply be a case of turn right out of the front of Kings Cross, and
> head down Euston Road. Then straight onto Marylebone Road. Finally,
> Old Marylebone Road, Chapel Street and Praed Street to Paddington? Is
> that a reasonable route for cycling?

http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/ gives cycling routes (sorry, no direct
link). You'll need to select advanced options and then select Cycle and
unselect all the other modes of transport.

A

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

Alistair Gunn wrote:

>>From having had a look using www.streetmap.co.uk it would appear to
> simply be a case of turn right out of the front of Kings Cross, and
> head down Euston Road. Then straight onto Marylebone Road. Finally,
> Old Marylebone Road, Chapel Street and Praed Street to Paddington? Is
> that a reasonable route for cycling?

It's fun, if you think running around Tehran with the Stars and Stripes
pinned to your back is fun

 

[Tony Raven]

Ambrose Nankivell wrote on 02/02/2007 19:26 +0100:
>
> http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/ gives cycling routes (sorry, no direct
> link). You'll need to select advanced options and then select Cycle and
> unselect all the other modes of transport.
>

And as usual with the TfL route planner it will give you a useless
route. Try that one and for some unfathomable reason it will take you
down Euston Road and then off on a detour round the back of Euston
Station before getting back on Euston Rd. If you want a good London
cycle route planners the one at http://cyclemaps.com does a much better job.

--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

[RG]

"Alistair Gunn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In about a months time I'm planning a LEJOG and, in order to gain an
> extra day, I was planning on using the Night Riviera Sleeper to get me
> and my recumbent down to Penzance. (I'm assuming, hopefully not too
> unreasonably, that there are no problems with bikes on the sleeper?)
> However this does leave me with having to cycle from Kings Cross to
> Paddington, and here's me having never cycled in London!
>
>>From having had a look using www.streetmap.co.uk it would appear to
> simply be a case of turn right out of the front of Kings Cross, and
> head down Euston Road. Then straight onto Marylebone Road. Finally,
> Old Marylebone Road, Chapel Street and Praed Street to Paddington? Is
> that a reasonable route for cycling?
>
> PS: The ISP that I was leaching my usenet feed from (ie: POL) has
> shutdown the usenet server I used to admin there, so I've been forced
> onto Google.
>

Other than the fact that Praed St is one-way against you (but easily
detoured) the route is fine with bus lanes etc to ride in.

Where you may have some problem is with a recumbent on the trains - the
Penzance service may be OK, get a bike reservation - BUT how are you
getting back from JOG?

The Scotrail Gestapo will be highly unlikely to let you onto the Wick/Thurso
to Inverness train with a recumbent (they only grudgingly allow solos, and
then only 2 per train) - again the sleeper S from Inverness will probably
take a bent.

WHATEVER YOU DO (and I know I'm SHOUTING) - get an actual physical bike
reservation ticket for you AND your machine .... and get everything Scotrail
tells you IN WRITING. (From bitter experience - see www.beewee.co.uk and
the obvious link for the story......)

RG

 

[Simon Proven]

On Feb 2, 8:47 pm, Tony Raven <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ambrose Nankivell wrote on 02/02/2007 19:26 +0100:
>
>
>
> >http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/gives cycling routes (sorry, no direct
> > link). You'll need to select advanced options and then select Cycle and
> > unselect all the other modes of transport.
>
> And as usual with the TfL route planner it will give you a useless
> route. Try that one and for some unfathomable reason it will take you
> down Euston Road and then off on a detour round the back of Euston
> Station before getting back on Euston Rd. If you want a good London
> cycle route planners the one athttp://cyclemaps.comdoes a much better job.

I attempted to avoid Euston Rd doing KX to Paddington last Friday and
I reckon it was a mistake. It turned out the road I was on had a two-
way
cycle lane down the rhs (separated by a kerb). Bloody stupid idea it
was, it was quite narrow for two-way traffic, had kinks in it which
were
difficult to negotiate at a reasonable speed, and was very problematic
where traffic lights occurred. A left turning taxi (coming the other
way)
turned across my path at one point. Mad. On the return journey (late
on Saturday) I just blasted down Euston Rd, and that was much better.

One point to note when leaving KX is Euston Rd is a dual carriageway
and you can't simply turn right from the front of the station, you
need
to walk your bike up to the lights on the right (as you exit the front
of
the station) and cross there to join the road. You can't currently
even
join that side road and turn right from there as it appears to be
blocked
by road works.

Simon

 

[Tony Raven]

Simon Proven wrote on 02/02/2007 21:23 +0100:
>
> One point to note when leaving KX is Euston Rd is a dual carriageway
> and you can't simply turn right from the front of the station, you
> need
> to walk your bike up to the lights on the right (as you exit the front
> of
> the station) and cross there to join the road. You can't currently
> even
> join that side road and turn right from there as it appears to be
> blocked
> by road works.
>

You can, its only blocked for traffic going northbound. The best option
if you arrive on platforms 1-8 is to walk out the front of the station,
turn right and walk to the side road (Pancras Rd) where you can install
yourself in the ASL and wait for the lights to change to let you cross
and turn right onto Euston Rd. If you arrive on platforms 9-11 go out
the exit on the right, turn right and cycle up to the road, turn left
and cycle past the taxi rank to the ASL above. Don't be put off by the
sign that appears to forbid cycles - its actually No Motor Vehicles with
a plate excepting buses, taxis and permit holders. But since a bike is
not a motor vehicle they too are permitted.

The bit of bi directional cycle track along Tavistock and Torrington
place is indeed the work of Stan and I avoid it and ride on the road.

--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

[Creature]

On Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:47:54 +0000, Tony Raven wrote:
> And as usual with the TfL route planner it will give you a useless
> route.

I find the route planner OK as a basis thing (although you can't use the
journey planner's "via" feature with a cycle route - it ignores it) but it
has sent me right on a no-right-turn road several times. On closer
inspection it usually tells me to get off and walk my bike across the
road. Personally, I'd rather travel further but remain on pedals, thank
you.

--
Alex Pounds (Creature) .~. http://www.alexpounds.com/
/V\ http://www.ethicsgirls.com/
// \\
"Variables won't; Constants aren't" /( )\
^`~'^

 

[Colin McKenzie]

Tony Raven wrote:
> Alistair Gunn wrote on 02/02/2007 18:47 +0100:
>> In about a months time I'm ... having to cycle from Kings Cross to
>> Paddington, and here's me having never cycled in London!
>>
>>> From having had a look using www.streetmap.co.uk it would appear to
>> simply be a case of turn right out of the front of Kings Cross, and
>> head down Euston Road. Then straight onto Marylebone Road. Finally,
>> Old Marylebone Road, Chapel Street and Praed Street to Paddington? Is
>> that a reasonable route for cycling?
>
> Not quite but almost. Euston Rd etc is busy but there is a bus lane all
> the way along to cycle in.

Which is fine as long as you don't let taxis try to pass you without
changing lane.

> At the Gower St turn stay left in the right
> lane and spot the cycle route on the pavement starting right at the
> traffic light to avoid the Tottenham Court Rd underpass.

I'd describe this as 'stay right in the left lane'!
The two right-hand lanes go down the underpass and you want to be as
far right as you can without being in them.

Actually, the underpass isn't too bad either, if you ride fast and
take the left-hand lane.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at
the population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as
walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

 

[Tim Hall]

On 2 Feb 2007 10:47:56 -0800, "Alistair Gunn" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>In about a months time I'm planning a LEJOG and, in order to gain an
>extra day, I was planning on using the Night Riviera Sleeper to get me
>and my recumbent down to Penzance. (I'm assuming, hopefully not too
>unreasonably, that there are no problems with bikes on the sleeper?)


About 4 years ago we took a tandem on the Sleeper from Paddington. Had
to book 2 spaces for it, which confused the guard, as he was expecting
2 bikes. Plenty of room (then) in the Guard's Van (some FGW high spped
thing) for the tandem, which, in our case, has some recumbent
tendancies.

Booking fee was 2 x 1.50 = 3 quid.


Tim

 

[Tony Raven]

Colin McKenzie wrote on 03/02/2007 10:13 +0100:
>
> Actually, the underpass isn't too bad either, if you ride fast and take
> the left-hand lane.
>

.....and its not congested with cars

--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

[Jeremy Parker]

"Simon Proven" <[email protected]> wrote

[snip]

> I attempted to avoid Euston Rd doing KX to Paddington last Friday
> and
> I reckon it was a mistake. It turned out the road I was on had a
> two-
> way
> cycle lane down the rhs (separated by a kerb). Bloody stupid idea
> it
> was, it was quite narrow for two-way traffic, had kinks in it which
> were
> difficult to negotiate at a reasonable speed, and was very
> problematic
> where traffic lights occurred. A left turning taxi (coming the
> other
> way)
> turned across my path at one point. Mad.

[snip]

Ahem, you are talking about LCN (London Cycle Network) Route 0,
formerly the "Seven Stations Bicycle Route". That's the LCN's
flagship route, the pride of the network.

Jeremy Parker

 

[Tony Raven]

Jeremy Parker wrote on 03/02/2007 15:22 +0100:
>
> Ahem, you are talking about LCN (London Cycle Network) Route 0,
> formerly the "Seven Stations Bicycle Route". That's the LCN's
> flagship route, the pride of the network.
>

It is indeed a flagship of traffic planner cluelessness and something
they would probably be very proud of. Meanwhile its construction has
robbed the road of the width needed for cyclists and motorists to
happily coexist while creating myriad cyclist-cyclist and
motorist-cyclist conflicts along its length. I avoid it.


--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

[David Damerell]

Quoting Alistair Gunn <[email protected]>:
>From having had a look using www.streetmap.co.uk it would appear to
>simply be a case of turn right out of the front of Kings Cross, and
>head down Euston Road. Then straight onto Marylebone Road. Finally,
>Old Marylebone Road, Chapel Street and Praed Street to Paddington? Is
>that a reasonable route for cycling?

Praed Street is one-way that way, so you need to go down Sussex Gardens
and turn right up to Paddington. That is the route I take and it works
fine. I do not fear the flyunder at Warren Street.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!
Today is Olethros, February - a weekend.