A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » Regional Cycling » UK
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old January 24th 09, 09:48 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected][_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

My work location in London moves to Canary Wharf next week. [I’ve
hitherto been commuting from Paddington to Victoria by Brompton.] This
significantly lengthens my commute. Not looking forward to it one
bit. I’ve been looking at options involving various combinations of
bike (folder and full-size), Docklands Light Railway, Thames Clipper
ferry, and possibly going from Waterloo (I live in Reading so
Paddington or Waterloo are options.). Also looked at cycling the
whole distance from Paddington from Canary Wharf - about 9 miles,
longer on quieter roads - the distance is not a problem for me but
East London doesn’t exactly look a cyclist’s paradise. [I hate the
Tube so want to avoid it if poss]

Appreciate any advice from folks with experience of commuting this
route with bike, i.e. Paddington or Waterloo to Canary Wharf.

Many thanks in advance, Reg
  #2  
Old January 24th 09, 10:48 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Tom Crispin
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,229
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:48:08 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

My work location in London moves to Canary Wharf next week. [I’ve
hitherto been commuting from Paddington to Victoria by Brompton.] This
significantly lengthens my commute. Not looking forward to it one
bit. I’ve been looking at options involving various combinations of
bike (folder and full-size), Docklands Light Railway, Thames Clipper
ferry, and possibly going from Waterloo (I live in Reading so
Paddington or Waterloo are options.). Also looked at cycling the
whole distance from Paddington from Canary Wharf - about 9 miles,
longer on quieter roads - the distance is not a problem for me but
East London doesn’t exactly look a cyclist’s paradise. [I hate the
Tube so want to avoid it if poss]

Appreciate any advice from folks with experience of commuting this
route with bike, i.e. Paddington or Waterloo to Canary Wharf.

Many thanks in advance, Reg


Apart from a short section through Islington, the Regent's Canal
towpath will take you more or less door to door on a motor traffic
free route.

I expect the Regent's Canal journey would take about 90 minutes. The
most direct road route would probably take about half that time.


Waterloo to Canary Wharf is a doddle.

From Waterloo follow The Thames Path (motor traffic free) to Tower
Bridge, and cross. At the main junction after the Bridge turn *sharp*
right and double back on yourself past the Tower Hotel and through the
service area into St Katherine Dock (motor traffic free). Foloow
quiet roads to Wapping. At Wapping follow the Ornamental Canals to
Shadwell Basin (motor traffic free). Follow the Thames Path North to
Limehouse (motor traffic free), and take the horrible plunge under
Westferry Circus and that horrendous underground gyratory will spew
you out into Canary Wharf. (It may be possible to take a lift or one
flight of stairs from the Thames path to the upper Westferry Circus
for an infinitely more pleasant final leg of the journey).

Journey time - a delightful 40 minutes followed by a nasty 5 minutes.

The road route would probably take less than 30 minutes.

Also note that Tower Bridge is scheduled for closure to all traffic
for two weeks in March. There *may* be a free replacement ferry
service for pedestrians and cyclists.
  #3  
Old January 25th 09, 02:40 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Tom Anderson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 746
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009, Tom Crispin wrote:

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:48:08 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

Appreciate any advice from folks with experience of commuting this
route with bike, i.e. Paddington or Waterloo to Canary Wharf.


I'd focus on Paddington, because the Waterloo trains take absolutely
forever.

Apart from a short section through Islington, the Regent's Canal towpath
will take you more or less door to door on a motor traffic free route.


There's also a bit near Paddington that's closed to cycles too, or at
least it was last time i tried it. According to a recent map, it's between
Lisson Green and Little Venice:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/mm?ie=...e77a59280b8a10

It's not much, but it does make the final approach to Paddington annoying.

Oh, and there's a bit through Camden that's not marked as a cycle route on
the TfL map, but i think it is cyclable.

I expect the Regent's Canal journey would take about 90 minutes. The
most direct road route would probably take about half that time.


Yes.

tom

--
In the long run, we are all dead. -- John Maynard Keynes
  #4  
Old January 24th 09, 11:38 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Just zis Guy, you know?[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,166
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:48:08 -0800 (PST), "
said in
:

My work location in London moves to Canary Wharf next week. [I’ve
hitherto been commuting from Paddington to Victoria by Brompton.] This
significantly lengthens my commute. Not looking forward to it one
bit.


Want a bike buddy? That's my commute. Send emu, we can meet at
Reading some time :-)

The ride form Paddington to CW is easy, it's not hilly, and the Brom
can certainly handle it - or at least mine can. Mine's an L6 with
12% reduced gearing (I like to spin the pedals).

I go through Hyde Park, down Constitution Hill and the Mall, under
Admiralty Arch, turn right down to the Embankment, under Blackfriars
underpass, along Thames Street, past the Tower and then you can
either go on the cycle route (which I hate because it's on the
pavement against traffic a lot of the way) or the Highway , whihc is
fine in my experience. Cross The Highway atht eh mouth of the
Limehouse tunnel, along past Dunbar Wharf and to the DLR station,
turn right and up onto the Wharf. Final leg might differ depending
on where in CW you are.

Takes me 35 minutes on a good day, 45 minutes leisurely, 50 minutes
n the tube (which is a virus incubation system and absoluetly rammed
at most times).

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound
GPG sig #3FA3BCDE http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/pgp-public-key.txt
  #5  
Old January 25th 09, 01:29 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:38:06 +0000, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
wrote:

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:48:08 -0800 (PST), "
said in
:

My work location in London moves to Canary Wharf next week. [I’ve
hitherto been commuting from Paddington to Victoria by Brompton.] This
significantly lengthens my commute. Not looking forward to it one
bit.


Want a bike buddy?



I trust that you will ride with due regard for other road users.

What is a "bike buddy"?

Someone who will ride the same route and who will ride one behind the
other in order to not hold up other road users?

Sounds a good idea to me.


judith

--
I encourage my children to wear helmets. (Guy Chapman)
I have never said that I encourage my children to wear helmets. (Guy
Chapman)
I would challenge judith to find the place where I said I encourage
my children to wear helmets. (Guy Chapman)
I pointed out the web page
He then quickly changed the web page - but "forgot" to change the date
of last amendment so it looked like the change had been there for
years.



  #6  
Old January 25th 09, 10:29 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 14
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

On 25 Jan, 00:29, wrote:



What is a "bike buddy"?

Someone who will ride the same route and who will ride one behind the
other in order to not hold up other road *users?


Will any other road users be held up if you are going from Paddington
to CW in 35 mins ?
  #8  
Old January 25th 09, 01:45 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Phil Cook
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 741
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

If you want to see some *real* traffic holdups, try the bus jams on
Oxford Street.


I've seen them, and marvelled at the sheer stupidity of it.

The Lib Dems have a good idea here
http://glalibdems.org.uk/news/000298...trianised.html

Which in a nutshell is to close the street to all traffic and run
trams down it.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
  #9  
Old January 25th 09, 01:53 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 14
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

On 25 Jan, 11:58, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
wrote:


If you want to see some *real* traffic holdups, try the bus jams on
Oxford Street.


Or as BoJo says

" Oxford Street is still bisected by a panting wall of red metal. Can
we really leave it as it is? "

http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/publi.../way-to-go.rtf
  #10  
Old January 25th 09, 09:47 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected][_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Commuting to Canary Wharf - advice sought

Many thanks for all the useful advice.

I did some exploring round CW yesterday. I've got to say, the part
from Blackfriars eastwards thru the underpass, and along Thames St
didn't look a particularly pleasant prospect for a cyclist, though
there are various ways of avoiding this by a more northerly route I
guess (Between Padd and Blackfriars I've not problem with as I used to
take the same route as Guy described for years when I worked in
Finsbury Sq). Overall though Padd to CW does look do-able by bike the
whole way, and would certainly keep me fit.

I also looked at cycling to Bank and taking the DLR from there - only
11 mins. The major problem with this though is lugging my Brompton
around Bank station down escalators and along corridors to the DLR
platform. It would clearly be a right fag, and I suspect the DLR gets
pretty crowded at rush hour.

The main discovery I made was the ferry service - Thames Clippers -
which provide a surpisingly frequent and reasonably fast service
between Embankment and Canary Wharf (every 20 mins, with 30 mins
journey time, or 20 mins from Blackfriars). I'm probably going to try
the whole commute by bike, and, if this proves too far, cycle as far
as Embankment or Blackfriars and take the ferry from there. Could be a
nice compromise. I can't understand why there's not a lot more river
transport in London. Seems the perfect way of getting around.

Cheers, Reg
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Technical advice sought please. salmon UK 11 February 18th 07 11:46 AM
Canary Wharf TooSore UK 11 February 25th 06 11:48 PM
Advice on best lock sought Rudi Lutz UK 17 September 26th 05 01:22 PM
Cycling into Canary Wharf Vivian UK 2 May 9th 04 08:49 PM
Cycle Commute from Kilburn to Canary Wharf Steve Nelson UK 15 January 23rd 04 01:40 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:53 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.