Cycle Superhighways - South West Londoners (CS7)

[AyBee]

I rode this early this afternoon on the basis that I'm going to start cycling to work. Got half way along and it dissapears down some back roads, seems like a very strange way to take the route, probably just to get it away from traffic but still! Do those who also use this route follow it, or just stay on the road up to southwark bridge?

[Mr Will]

I cycle that route most days and it disappears off somewhere just before elephant and castle. I can understand the reasoning, as E&C could be a bit intimidating if you aren't used to cycling in traffic, but personally I just carry straight on when it turns off.

[Kermit power]

Personally, I turn left down Dante road, which is the last road before the turning the actual cycle lane takes, then turn right & left rather than left & left.

Although it might be a little faster to carry on round the E&C roundabout, it is a bit of a pig! There's no traffic light control, and you've got to get across two lanes going down St George's Road (the A302) to follow the A3 round. I'm about 13 miles into a 15 mile commute by the time I get there, so I'm quite happy pootling round the CS7 route rather than trying to push over the roundabout for the sake of 30 seconds.

Whereabouts are you riding in from, btw? If you're joining CS7 at the start in Colliers Wood coming up Merton High past the bus station, then I also usually divert down Wandle Bank just after the bus station, then left onto South Road and left again onto Bygrove road. It adds a few hundred yards, but it avoids the pain in the arse morning jam that always happens where two lanes merge into one right next to the start of the CS route.

[AyBee]

Only from Clapham South so not too far, was just suprised to see it taking an odd diversion but having crossed the E&C section today, I can see that being a bit dangerous in the rush hour traffic, will probably try it out and see what it's like and decide from there. Not sure a sunday afternoon ride is going to be very reliable as to general conditions but I did do the ride in 30 minutes, not having ridden for ages and stopping at every set of lights so I reckon that could easily get down to 24/25 minutes and therefore justify my decision to start cycling rather than using the cramped, hot, expensive tube every morning and evening

[Kermit power]

AyBee said:

Not sure a sunday afternoon ride is going to be very reliable as to general conditions but I did do the ride in 30 minutes, not having ridden for ages and stopping at every set of lights so I reckon that could easily get down to 24/25 minutes and therefore justify my decision to start cycling rather than using the cramped, hot, expensive tube every morning and evening

Doing it on a Sunday is not at all indicative, as it's not operational on Sundays, so people are allowed to drive & park in it. You should be able to do it a fair bit faster during a weekday rush hour commute, as with the exception of a couple of pinch points at each end of Clapham Common, it really is pretty well designed in terms of keeping cars out of your way.

As for the lights, you'll find there are some you'll be able to get through on green as you get faster, and others which you'll just never avoid due to the way they're phased. Please respect them though! The 10-15% of pricks who don't give the rest of us a bad name, and also tend to ps off the other cyclists by being slow, thus making sure everyone els has to catch the up and overtake them again between each set of lights.