Route advice please. Reading - Thames Ditton

[Bloke On A Bike]

I intend to ride from Reading to Thames Ditton on Friday 14/02/2003. Not being a local to either
location (indeed, not from the Sarf at all) I'd appreciate any views on route and/or on roads to
avoid. Points to bear in mind. I ride on roads. I am confident and very used to mixing it with other
traffic. I am not interested in cycle paths at all. I am interested in arrival, not scenery.
However, I do realise that my looking at the map may encourage me to end up where it would probably
be wiser not to be. Thanks

Bloke on a Bike (The biker at the gates of dawn)

 

[Elyob]

"Bloke on a bike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I intend to ride from Reading to Thames Ditton on Friday 14/02/2003. Not being a local to either
> location (indeed, not from the Sarf at all) I'd appreciate any views on route and/or on roads to
> avoid. Points to bear in mind. I ride on roads. I am confident and very used to mixing it with
> other traffic. I am not interested in cycle paths at all. I am interested in arrival, not scenery.
> However, I do realise that my looking at the map may encourage me to end up where it would
> probably be wiser not to be. Thanks
>
> Bloke on a Bike (The biker at the gates of dawn)

Straight down the A329 & A30? Not a nice ride though IMO.

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On 26 Jan 2003 09:20:50 -0800, [email protected] (Bloke on a bike) wrote:

>I intend to ride from Reading to Thames Ditton on Friday 14/02/2003. Not being a local to either
>location (indeed, not from the Sarf at all) I'd appreciate any views on route and/or on roads to
>avoid. Points to bear in mind. I ride on roads. I am confident and very used to mixing it with
>other traffic. I am not interested in cycle paths at all. I am interested in arrival, not scenery.

Well, it really depends on the time of day you're riding I reckon; the A329 in rush hour is not
terribly pleasant. Which side of Reading are you going from?

I'd be more likely to try to go through Binfield and North of Bracknell on the B3034 and B3022 -
both fast roads, but quite emoty during the day, and with adequate passing room most of the time.
After that I'd cross the A30 near Virginia Water and carry on along the B389 / B388 and skirt North
of the Molesey reservoir, or maybe do the A317 which is definitely a bit shorter. But the Northern
route is still only about 35 miles, and looks much more pleasant. I know, don't care about scenery,
but given the choice of an extra couple of miles riding by a reservoir or thrashing along a built-up
A road I know which I'd take, and I'm not your timid sort, either, I use dual carriageways when they
get me where I want to go.

If you can tell me which side of Reading you'll be starting from and whether you're going to brave
the b-awful A329, I can give you some more detailed hints about the Reading end.

Guy
===
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dynamic DNS permitting)
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work. Apologies.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On 26 Jan 2003 09:20:50 -0800, [email protected] (Bloke on a bike) wrote:
>
>
>>I intend to ride from Reading to Thames Ditton on Friday 14/02/2003. Not being a local to either
>>location (indeed, not from the Sarf at all) I'd appreciate any views on route and/or on roads to
>>avoid. Points to bear in mind. I ride on roads. I am confident and very used to mixing it with
>>other traffic. I am not interested in cycle paths at all. I am interested in arrival, not scenery.
>
>
> Well, it really depends on the time of day you're riding I reckon; the A329 in rush hour is not
> terribly pleasant. Which side of Reading are you going from?
>
> I'd be more likely to try to go through Binfield and North of Bracknell on the B3034 and B3022 -
> both fast roads, but quite emoty during the day, and with adequate passing room most of the time.
> After that I'd cross the A30 near Virginia Water and carry on along the B389 / B388 and skirt
> North of the Molesey reservoir, or maybe do the A317 which is definitely a bit shorter. But the
> Northern route is still only about 35 miles, and looks much more pleasant. I know, don't care
> about scenery, but given the choice of an extra couple of miles riding by a reservoir or thrashing
> along a built-up A road I know which I'd take, and I'm not your timid sort, either, I use dual
> carriageways when they get me where I want to go.
>

The northern route is to be preferred if there is any traffic. The B375 is the road to take to get
around Chertsey, then over Watlon bridge, and up the A3050, then the B369 through Molesey, until you
get to the Police station roundabout turn right down Esher road (B3379), then left onto the B364
into Thames Ditton.

--
Chris dot Gerhard at btclick dot com.

 

[Elyob]

"Chris Gerhard" <no_spam@not_btclick.com> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> > On 26 Jan 2003 09:20:50 -0800, [email protected] (Bloke on a bike) wrote:
> >
> >
> >>I intend to ride from Reading to Thames Ditton on Friday 14/02/2003. Not being a local to either
> >>location (indeed, not from the Sarf at all) I'd appreciate any views on route and/or on roads to
> >>avoid. Points to bear in mind. I ride on roads. I am confident and very used to mixing it with
> >>other traffic. I am not interested in cycle paths at all. I am interested in arrival, not
> >>scenery.
> >
> >
> > Well, it really depends on the time of day you're riding I reckon; the A329 in rush hour is not
> > terribly pleasant. Which side of Reading are you going from?
> >
> > I'd be more likely to try to go through Binfield and North of Bracknell on the B3034 and B3022 -
> > both fast roads, but quite emoty during the day, and with adequate passing room most of the
> > time. After that I'd cross the A30 near Virginia Water and carry on along the B389 / B388 and
> > skirt North of the Molesey reservoir, or maybe do the A317 which is definitely a bit shorter.
> > But the Northern route is still only about 35 miles, and looks much more pleasant. I know, don't
> > care about scenery, but given the choice of an extra couple of miles riding by a reservoir or
> > thrashing along a built-up A road I know which I'd take, and I'm not your timid sort, either, I
> > use dual carriageways when they get me where I want to go.
> >
>
> The northern route is to be preferred if there is any traffic. The B375
is the road to take to get around Chertsey, then over Watlon bridge, and up the A3050, then the B369
through Molesey, until you get to the Police station roundabout turn right down Esher road (B3379),
then left onto the B364 into Thames Ditton.
>
>
Too far south IMO. Kempton racecourse would be a good landmark.

 

[David Damerell]

Just zis Guy, you know? <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 26 Jan 2003 09:20:50 -0800, [email protected] (Bloke on a
>>I intend to ride from Reading to Thames Ditton on Friday 14/02/2003. Not being a local to either
>>location (indeed, not from the Sarf at all) I'd appreciate any views on route and/or on roads to
>>avoid. Points to bear in mind. I ride on roads. I am confident and very used to mixing it with
>>other traffic. I am not interested in cycle paths at all. I am interested in arrival, not scenery.
>Well, it really depends on the time of day you're riding I reckon; the A329 in rush hour is not
>terribly pleasant.

I ride up the A329 every workday, and I disagree; because it is a wide road but the real speed
merchants can use the A329(M) I find it to be very calm - the only real trouble spot on the commute
is after leaving the
A329. Admittedly there is a lesser one where bad bike lane design strikes yet again, but it would be
hard to ride anywhere without being bit by that a little.

>I'd be more likely to try to go through Binfield and North of Bracknell on the B3034 and B3022 -
>both fast roads, but quite emoty during the day, and with adequate passing room most of the time.

This is also a reasonable route, albeit slightly hillier - not really significantly so, but there
_is_ more up and down.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> flcl?

 

[Bloke On A Bike]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> Well, it really depends on the time of day you're riding I reckon; the A329 in rush hour is not
> terribly pleasant.

Good point. I hadn't exactly been planning at setting out at "sparrow fart", but now thinking about
it, I'll probably definately wait until the rush(tee-hee) hour is over,

> Which side of Reading are you going from?

Cemetry Junction, or Corner, or whatever it's called.

Thanks for your tips

Bloke on a Bike (The biker at the gates of dawn)

 

[Bloke On A Bike]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Chris Gerhard" <no_spam@not_btclick.com> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > The northern route is to be preferred if there is any traffic. The B375
> is the road to take to get around Chertsey, then over Watlon bridge, and up the A3050, then the
> B369 through Molesey, until you get to the Police station roundabout turn right down Esher road
> (B3379), then left onto the B364 into Thames Ditton.
> >
> >
> Too far south IMO. Kempton racecourse would be a good landmark.

Thanks both of you. I'll take a look at the map again and bear all of theabove in mind.

Bloke on a Bike (The biker at the gates of dawn)