Living/commuting in London

[Mark]

Hi

How feasible is commuting from South London to Picadilly Circus each
day? I've taken a job in London so I'll be moving up imminently but I
don't know where to live. Current shortlistings include Tooting, Balham,
Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Camberwell and Kennington, all between 4ish and
8ish miles from work. Any suggestions on those? I expect I'll join
Dulwich Paragon if they'll take me so it's a toss-up between living
closer to the centre or closer to the egde :~)

Assuming there's no showering facilities in the office, does anyone have
any other tips for showers around there? I'd prefer not to go with the
wetwipe system each day if I can avoid it.

Cheerio,

Mark

 

[Mark Thompson]

> Assuming there's no showering facilities in the office, does anyone have
> any other tips for showers around there? I'd prefer not to go with the
> wetwipe system each day if I can avoid it.

There's always the Irundle In technique - no sweat, no need to shower.
S'what all those peeps that walk in do. The hard part of course is not
sweating - IME it's _impossible_ to do this style of riding on a bike with
drop bars :-(

 

[Mark Thompson]

> There's always the Irundle

In case anyone's wondering s/Irundle/Trundle. Ahem.

 

[John Hearns]

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 20:55:01 +0000, Mark wrote:

> Hi
>
> How feasible is commuting from South London to Picadilly Circus each day?
> I've taken a job in London so I'll be moving up imminently but I don't
> know where to live. Current shortlistings include Tooting, Balham,
> Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Camberwell and Kennington, all between 4ish and
> 8ish miles from work.
Not a problem at all.
But why not come and live in Docklands?

Can't help with the showers, though I gather there is a Bike Station
coming to London Bridge, which won't do you any good.

Maybe your office has a gym membership, or something?
How about bike parking? Remember you can leave a big chain at work.

 

[Tom Crispin]

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 20:55:01 -0000, Mark
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi
>
>How feasible is commuting from South London to Picadilly Circus each
>day? I've taken a job in London so I'll be moving up imminently but I
>don't know where to live. Current shortlistings include Tooting, Balham,
>Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Camberwell and Kennington, all between 4ish and
>8ish miles from work. Any suggestions on those? I expect I'll join
>Dulwich Paragon if they'll take me so it's a toss-up between living
>closer to the centre or closer to the egde :~)
>
>Assuming there's no showering facilities in the office, does anyone have
>any other tips for showers around there? I'd prefer not to go with the
>wetwipe system each day if I can avoid it.

20 years ago I used to commute daily from Lewisham to Gloucester Road.
Kennington was halfway. Commuting to Picadilly Circus from south
London should not be a problem. Camberwell or Kennington to Picadilly
Circus are quite modest commutes (15-20 mins); from Tooting, Balham or
Dulwich 45 mins; and from Crystal Palace up to 1 hour.

Can't help with the showers.
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

 

[Phil Cook]

Mark wrote:

>How feasible is commuting from South London to Picadilly Circus each
>day? I've taken a job in London so I'll be moving up imminently but I
>don't know where to live. Current shortlistings include Tooting, Balham,
>Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Camberwell and Kennington, all between 4ish and
>8ish miles from work. Any suggestions on those?

All perfectly feasible. I commute from North Camberwell to Nine Elms
and back from Victoria daily. Twice a week or so I do a run into
Oxford Circus. Quiet roads can be found or at least ones where you can
by practicing "the theory of big" control the cars. Once you get used
to the manic traffic and even worse pedestrians you'll be fine.

> I expect I'll join Dulwich Paragon if they'll take me

We'll take anybody. We'll let you have the first year for free
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

 

[elyob]

"Mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi
>
> How feasible is commuting from South London to Picadilly Circus each
> day?

Completely feasable. But plan your journey and trial it before you start the
commute slog.

I haven't really got very far with this, but if you have Firefox and not
internet explorer ... have a look at http://cycle.ruutz.com/svg1.php

If you are near Wimbledon, click on 14.

Certainly only a few areas are covered out of the whole of London. But as
you are in a similar area, maybe it'll help.

Nick

 

[Nick Kew]

Mark Thompson wrote:

> There's always the Irundle In technique - no sweat, no need to shower.
> S'what all those peeps that walk in do. The hard part of course is not
> sweating - IME it's _impossible_ to do this style of riding on a bike with
> drop bars :-(

No problem in current weather. Just don't wear too much, and you
can pedal quite vigorously without sweating.

/me has occasionally been known to shock by cycling in sub-zero temps
wearing (after warming up) nothing at all between the top of the
trousers and the gloves. When living in Bath and involved in a show
at the University (which is a campus up a hill), I'd arrive at
rehearsals thus attired

--
not me guv

 

[congokid]

In article <[email protected]>, Mark
<[email protected]> writes


>Tooting, Balham,
>Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Camberwell and Kennington, all between 4ish and
>8ish miles from work. Any suggestions on those?

Should be very feasible from any of those locations. Until recently I
worked with someone who cycled from Balham to Holborn every day.

>Assuming there's no showering facilities in the office, does anyone have
>any other tips for showers around there? I'd prefer not to go with the
>wetwipe system each day if I can avoid it.

I've cycled to work every day from west London (Fulham) to the centre
for the past 14 years, covering around 4.5-5.5 miles each way. Apart
from a few days when I was having a new bathroom fitted, I haven't had
to rely on showers at work at all. You'll find that you'll have to stop
at lights and pedestrian crossings, etc, on your commute so you won't
get too sweaty.

--
congokid
Eating out in London? Read my tips...
http://congokid.com

 

[Terry]

In article <[email protected]>,
pleasegivegenerously@warmmail*_turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com (Mark
Thompson) wrote:

> There's always the Irundle In technique - no sweat, no need to shower.
> S'what all those peeps that walk in do. The hard part of course is not
> sweating - IME it's _impossible_ to do this style of riding on a bike
> with drop bars :-(

I do it with drop bars but cheat by not using the drop! Been difficult
with the easterly gales of last week tho'.