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Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Hi,
What's a good route to cycle from Holloway (round about the Nag's Head) to Bloomsbury (specifically, UCL)? The reason i ask is that this is my commute, but i haven't yet found a good route. My original route was Holloway Road, Highbury Corner, Upper Street, Angel, then onto the Seven Stations cycle route all the way to UCL. This is pretty easy going - the main roads are busy, but the traffic's quite slow, there are bus lanes, and you don't have to make any conflicting turns (until you need to get onto the cycle route, but a well-placed set of lights makes that quite easy). However, it's a bit of a roundabout route, and i'd like a more direct one. My improved route was Holloway Road, over onto Palmer Place / Liverpool Road, along Mackenzie Road to Caledonian Road, down to King's Cross, along the Euston Road, down Judd Street, then onto the Seven Stations. This is shorter, but on the way into town it involves two banned turns (i think these were only banned recently) and a ride along Euston Road, which is horrible, and on the way back, Caledonian Road is a long, shallow hill, which is exactly the kind of thing i most hate (probably inevitable, though). So, can anyone suggest a better route, or any ways i could improve one of these? One big help would be a way to get from Caledonian Road to the Seven Stations without going down Euston Road; on the way out of town, i can go up Gray's Inn Road, which is fine, but that's one-way, so no good for coming in. What's King's Cross Road like? Regards, tom -- Brace yourself for an engulfing, cowardly autotroph! I want your photosynthetic apparatii! |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Tom Anderson wrote:
Hi, What's a good route to cycle from Holloway (round about the Nag's Head) to Bloomsbury (specifically, UCL)? The reason i ask is that this is my commute, but i haven't yet found a good route. My original route was Holloway Road, Highbury Corner, Upper Street, Angel, then onto the Seven Stations cycle route all the way to UCL. This is pretty easy going - the main roads are busy, but the traffic's quite slow, there are bus lanes, and you don't have to make any conflicting turns (until you need to get onto the cycle route, but a well-placed set of lights makes that quite easy). However, it's a bit of a roundabout route, and i'd like a more direct one. My improved route was Holloway Road, over onto Palmer Place / Liverpool Road, along Mackenzie Road to Caledonian Road, down to King's Cross, along the Euston Road, down Judd Street, then onto the Seven Stations. This is shorter, but on the way into town it involves two banned turns (i think these were only banned recently) and a ride along Euston Road, which is horrible, and on the way back, Caledonian Road is a long, shallow hill, which is exactly the kind of thing i most hate (probably inevitable, though). So, can anyone suggest a better route, or any ways i could improve one of these? One big help would be a way to get from Caledonian Road to the Seven Stations without going down Euston Road; on the way out of town, i can go up Gray's Inn Road, which is fine, but that's one-way, so no good for coming in. What's King's Cross Road like? Why not try different routes until you find the one that suites you best? |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Tom Anderson wrote:
Hi, What's a good route to cycle from Holloway (round about the Nag's Head) to Bloomsbury (specifically, UCL)? Have you tried http://www.cyclemaps.com to find a route for you? Tony |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
... What's a good route to cycle from Holloway (round about the Nag's Head) to Bloomsbury (specifically, UCL)? I frequently make this or similar journeys, and I would recommend the following:- Caledonian Road - Market Road - York Way (closed at the moment) - Goods Way - Pancras Road - Euston Road - Judd Street - Hunter Street - Russell Square. I've no idea how direct this is, but I'd guess it could be done in 20 minutes, and can't think of any sections of road which would be particularly hazardous. For a northbound journey you would have a problem of a banned-turn turning right from Judd Street in to Euston Road, but I normally do this on a daily basis with no problem. Also, see note below on Pancras Road. One big help would be a way to get from Caledonian Road to the Seven Stations without going down Euston Road; on the way out of town, i can go up Gray's Inn Road, which is fine, but that's one-way, so no good for coming in. What's King's Cross Road like? Anywhere in the King's Cross area is utter chaos, though not particularly slow/dangerous on a bike. The Pancras Road route is good because Pancras Road is banned to cars, and you avoid all the one-way systems around the actual King's Cross Junction. Pancras Road is currently southbound only - the way to avoid this is to continue east along Euston Road and turn turn left in to York Way. This bit isn't too bad in the northbound direction - it's southbound that the King's Cross junction is bad, or if going northbound from Gray's Inn Road or Pentonville Road. Hope this is of use. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
David Splett wrote:
I frequently make this or similar journeys, and I would recommend the following:- Caledonian Road - Market Road - York Way (closed at the moment) - Goods Way - Pancras Road - Euston Road - Judd Street - Hunter Street - Russell Square. I've no idea how direct this is, but I'd guess it could be done in 20 minutes, and can't think of any sections of road which would be particularly hazardous. Here's the Cyclemaps route: START [N76PZ] WARLTERS ROAD for 76 meters Turn right onto CAMDEN ROAD A503 for 444 meters Turn left onto HILLMARTON ROAD A5203 for 76 meters Turn right onto BEACON HILL for 247 meters Go straight on HUNGERFORD ROAD for 368 meters Go straight on CLIFF ROAD for 218 meters Turn right onto CAMDEN PARK ROAD A5200 for 9 meters Turn left onto NORTH VILLAS for 155 meters Turn left onto CAMDEN SQUARE for 80 meters Turn right onto SOUTH VILLAS for 37 meters Turn right onto CANTELOWES ROAD for 14 meters Turn left onto CAMDEN SQUARE for 253 meters Go straight on STRATFORD VILLAS for 226 meters Go straight on AGAR GROVE for 63 meters Turn left onto ST PANCRAS WAY A5202 for 204 meters Turn right onto GEORGIANA STREET for 87 meters Turn left onto ROYAL COLLEGE STREET A5202 for 94 meters Turn right onto PRATT STREET for 160 meters Turn left onto CAMDEN STREET A400 for 391 meters Turn right onto CROWNDALE ROAD B512 for 32 meters Turn left onto OAKLEY SQUARE for 229 meters Turn left onto EVERSHOLT STREET A4200 for 20 meters Turn right onto LIDLINGTON PLACE A400 for 95 meters Go straight on HARRINGTON SQUARE A400 for 61 meters Turn left onto HAMPSTEAD ROAD A400 for 825 meters Turn left onto EUSTON ROAD A501 for 183 meters Turn right onto GOWER STREET A400 for 113 meters END [WC1E6BT] Tony |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
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Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
On Fri, 8 Apr 2005, Brimstone wrote:
Tom Anderson wrote: What's a good route to cycle from Holloway (round about the Nag's Head) to Bloomsbury (specifically, UCL)? Why not try different routes until you find the one that suites you best? Why not ask to see if someone's already done that? tom -- Once you notice that something doesn't seem to have all the necessary parts to enable its functions, it is going to mildly bug you until you figure it out. -- John Rowland |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
On Fri, 8 Apr 2005, David Martin wrote:
On 8/4/05 9:01 pm, in article , "Tony Raven" wrote: Here's the Cyclemaps route: START [N76PZ] Snip lots of turns END [WC1E6BT] In answer to Tony's first question, no, i hadn't tried that site, since i'd never heard of it. Thanks very much for the pointer, looks like it could be useful! Thats what I really hate about the LCN (and cycle routes in general). I like routes that are direct and with a minimum of junctions so I can navigate them at a comfortable speed. Add signs that can be read froma distance far enough away to appropriately manouveur for the turn they indicate.. Indeed. That description really doesn't apply to any LCN routes i can think of. Still, once you know the route, they can be useful. It would probably be more useful just to bite the bullet and use big roads, though. Now, if i plug in my actual start and end postcodes, i get this route: START [N76EP] QUEMERFORD ROAD 142 METRES LEFT STOCK ORCHARD CRESCENT 213 METRES LEFT CALEDONIAN ROAD 641 METRES AHEAD THE DRIVE 203 METRES AHEAD CALEDONIAN ROAD 1,546 METRES RIGHT PENTONVILLE ROAD 104 METRES AHEAD EUSTON ROAD 665 METRES AHEAD UPPER WOBURN PLACE 63 METRES RIGHT ENDSLEIGH GARDENS 228 METRES AHEAD GOWER PLACE 180 METRES LEFT GOWER STREET 67 METRES END [WC1E6BT] The start isn't right - N7 6EP isn't Quemerford Road, it's Dunford Road, which is on the other side of Holloway Road, so there's no practical through route. Still, i know how to get to Caledonian Road, so it's not too bad. The middle bit, Caledonian Road, is what i do now. The end, along Euston Road, is worse than what i do now, i'd say; it stays on Euston Road for longer, and makes its approach down a busier street. Still, i'll give it a crack and see if it helps. Incidentally, cyclemaps.net puts its route at 2.57 miles, and the Highbury Corner - Angel route at 3.24 (although that's via Euston Road, not the cycle route). tom -- Once you notice that something doesn't seem to have all the necessary parts to enable its functions, it is going to mildly bug you until you figure it out. -- John Rowland |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
On Fri, 8 Apr 2005, David Splett wrote:
"Tom Anderson" wrote in message ... What's a good route to cycle from Holloway (round about the Nag's Head) to Bloomsbury (specifically, UCL)? I frequently make this or similar journeys, and I would recommend the following:- Caledonian Road - Market Road - York Way (closed at the moment) - Goods Way - Pancras Road - Euston Road - Judd Street - Hunter Street - Russell Square. I've no idea how direct this is, but I'd guess it could be done in 20 minutes, and can't think of any sections of road which would be particularly hazardous. Okay, i'll try that. The general approach - a route to the west of King's Cross - is exactly what i need. Now, is Copenhagen Street usable westbound? If so, that looks like it might be a quicker way from Caledonian Road to York Way than Market Road. If there were convenient access points, the canal would also be a handy route from Caledonian Road to Goods Way. And rather than Goods Way - Pancras Rd - Euston Rd - Judd St, how about Goods Way - Midland Rd - Judd St? Providing there aren't one-way bits there, that would deal with Euston Road by going straight over it, rather than along it. This would be better for me, since i have an irrationally great hatred of that road! Anyway, it looks like i'm going to have to get on my bike and have a poke about. I'll post my findings! For a northbound journey you would have a problem of a banned-turn turning right from Judd Street in to Euston Road, but I normally do this on a daily basis with no problem. Christ, is that banned as well? I hadn't noticed that one either! For the return leg, the Gray's Inn route isn't so bad. Your route's shorter, though. Pancras Road is currently southbound only - the way to avoid this is to continue east along Euston Road and turn turn left in to York Way. This bit isn't too bad in the northbound direction - it's southbound that the King's Cross junction is bad, or if going northbound from Gray's Inn Road or Pentonville Road. Funnily enough, i don't mind the actual junction all that much: the traffic's slow enough that i can get where i want to go quite easily. tom -- Once you notice that something doesn't seem to have all the necessary parts to enable its functions, it is going to mildly bug you until you figure it out. -- John Rowland |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
... Now, is Copenhagen Street usable westbound? If so, that looks like it might be a quicker way from Caledonian Road to York Way than Market Road. AFAIK yes. Personally I'd avoid this road as IIRC it's a bit of a narrow, heavily-used, residential-type, road. Also, the section of Cally Road through Barnsbury can be quite congested and full of parked cars. Note that you would *have* to use Copenhagen Street whilst York Way remains closed for the CTRL works (due to finish soon IIRC). If there were convenient access points, the canal would also be a handy route from Caledonian Road to Goods Way. Can't help with that! And rather than Goods Way - Pancras Rd - Euston Rd - Judd St, how about Goods Way - Midland Rd - Judd St? Providing there aren't one-way bits there, that would deal with Euston Road by going straight over it, rather than along it. This would be better for me, since i have an irrationally great hatred of that road! Midland Road is closed UFN as part of the CTRL works at St. Pancras. I've no idea when (if?) it's going to re-open, but certainly it doesn't look as if it's going to do so soon. For a northbound journey you would have a problem of a banned-turn turning right from Judd Street in to Euston Road, but I normally do this on a daily basis with no problem. Christ, is that banned as well? I hadn't noticed that one either! I've no idea why it's banned. It's possibly a remnant of when Midland Road was busier than it is now, or else it could be to discourage traffic from using Judd Street as a route to the north. I always turn right there anyway, but you do have to watch out for the occasional CTRL traffic coming towards you or turning left. The other alternative is to go SA and immediately u-turn beyond the lights (perfectly legal), but you'll miss the phase and have to wait a long time (best thing then is to carry the bike a few feet round the corner and re-mount!). Funnily enough, i don't mind the actual junction all that much: the traffic's slow enough that i can get where i want to go quite easily. Oh, I try to avoid King's Cross at all possible, even though for my journey Aldwych-KX via Gray's Inn Road would nominally be more direct. It's not that it's particularly dangerous, but I find there's always cars, and particularly buses, blocking the road, and it just seems to take ages to get through the area. DS |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Tom Anderson wrote: Hi, What's a good route to cycle from Holloway (round about the Nag's Head) to Bloomsbury (specifically, UCL)? The reason i ask is that this is my commute, but i haven't yet found a good route. This is my commute too, although I'm heading for the Telecom Tower rather than UCL. I can't stand the King's Cross/Euston road bit not for the traffic but because the road surface is so awful. The seven stations route drives me mad with all the wierdy cycle lanes that require far more concentration than being on the road. So... I've ended up concentrating on the junctions and trying to find a route that goes straight across the nastier ones. This way you can keep with the main traffic flow too and there's no trying to pull across lanes. Being a lazy bugger, I try to follow the contours too so the route home features no more climbing than necessary. I head down Caledonian Road and then right onto Brewery Road - it avoids the hill on Market Road, and I get on well with the crossing lady outside the primary school down there. We wave at each other every morning. This is worth braving all the lorries for :) Straight across onto Agar Grove which is usually stationary in the mornings, then down St Pancras Road, right past the canal bridge and straight across Royal College Street. Then left down the hill trying to hit the lights in phase, up around the corner of the square and straight across Eversholt Street onto Hampstead Road and south across the Euston underpass. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
In message , David Splett
writes but I find there's always cars, and particularly buses, blocking the road, Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. -- Clive. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
"Clive Coleman" wrote in message
... Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. Free or otherwise, I pity thse who turn up in London on their train every morning and spend needless time and effort going down the Tube or waiting for a bus to turn up. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
David Splett wrote:
"Clive Coleman" wrote in message ... Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. Free or otherwise, I pity thse who turn up in London on their train every morning and spend needless time and effort going down the Tube or waiting for a bus to turn up. Never yet been beaten on a journey in Central London, me on my Brompton bike, colleagues variously by tube, taxi or car. Its the parking that kills it for the car by a long way. Tony |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
On Sun, 10 Apr 2005, Clive Coleman wrote:
In message , David Splett writes but I find there's always cars, and particularly buses, blocking the road, Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. I can get a free ride on the back of cars and buses? I never knew that! Do they have to have racks, or is there some fitting i need for my bike? tom -- The glass is twice as big as it needs to be. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
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Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
David Martin wrote:
On 10/4/05 2:35 am, in article , "Clive Coleman" wrote: In message , David Splett writes but I find there's always cars, and particularly buses, blocking the road, Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. Funny that, last time I rode my bike on the road I was on the tarmac, not the back of a bus or a car.. I have this vision now of cars carrying cycles on cycle racks at the back with the cyclists still sat on the bike ;-) Tony |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Tom Anderson wrote:
I can get a free ride on the back of cars and buses? I never knew that! Do they have to have racks, or is there some fitting i need for my bike? The Rixen & Kaul quick fit mount. Special magnetic attachment. You can get one free from the government if you can prove that you haven't paid VED. Jon |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
In message , Tony Raven
writes I have this vision now of cars carrying cycles on cycle racks at the back with the cyclists still sat on the bike ;-) I could imagine that, only the cyclist would be too tight to stump up for the fuel used. -- Clive. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Clive Coleman wrote:
In message , David Splett writes but I find there's always cars, and particularly buses, blocking the road, Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. And how, pray, do you arrive at /that/ outlandish conclusion? Not by any process of rational thought, certainly. -- McTavish the Unmentionable |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
"Clive Coleman" wrote in message
... I could imagine that, only the cyclist would be too tight to stump up for the fuel used. Funny how, with most things, people *like* getting things for free. I hope, out of principle, you decline any two-for-one offers next time you're in a supermarket. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
On Mon, 11 Apr 2005, David Splett wrote:
"Clive Coleman" wrote in message ... I could imagine that, only the cyclist would be too tight to stump up for the fuel used. Funny how, with most things, people *like* getting things for free. I hope, out of principle, you decline any two-for-one offers next time you're in a supermarket. Ah, but those aren't actually saving you money - see extensive thread on utl a few months ago! tom -- Nothing endures but change. -- Heraclitus |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
"Clive Coleman" wrote in message Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. Tell you what, you petrolheads keep the roads built for cars, and leave the roads built before cars were invented for cyclists. Mike Sales |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
In message , Mike
Sales writes "Clive Coleman" wrote in message Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. Tell you what, you petrolheads keep the roads built for cars, and leave the roads built before cars were invented for cyclists. Mike Sales That's right, you stick to the cobbles and tram lines, I'll stay with tarmac. -- Clive. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Clive Coleman wrote:
That's right, you stick to the cobbles and tram lines, I'll stay with tarmac. Roads were being macadamised long before cars or bicycles came on the scene - McAdam himself died in 1836. However it was the campaigning by the Cyclists Touring Club in the UK and League of American Wheelmen (with their Good Roads Movement) in the US that led to widespread macadamisation of road surfaces without which the early cars would have been totally impractical. So hands off our tarmac thank you. Tony |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
In message , Tony Raven
writes So hands off our tarmac thank you. How can it be your tarmac when you contribute nothing towards it? Don't bother with the rubbish about fuel taxes being general taxation, without them there's a lot of stuff you wouldn't now have, including tarmac roads. -- Clive. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
"Clive Coleman" wrote in message In message Mike Sales writes "Clive Coleman" wrote in message Cars and buses are what the roads are for, cyclists just get a free ride on their backs. Tell you what, you petrolheads keep the roads built for cars, and leave the roads built before cars were invented for cyclists. Mike Sales That's right, you stick to the cobbles and tram lines, I'll stay with tarmac. -- I wrote "built" not "surfaced". Mike Sales |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Clive Coleman wrote:
In message , Tony Raven writes So hands off our tarmac thank you. How can it be your tarmac when you contribute nothing towards it? Don't bother with the rubbish about fuel taxes being general taxation, without them there's a lot of stuff you wouldn't now have, including tarmac roads. Since tarmac roads existed long before cars, and cyclists were instrumental in their widespread installation that is demonstrably incorrect. In addition local roads are funded by the local authorities to which we all pay council tax. Central government only pays for trunk roads and motorways, most of which cyclists use rarely. So whatever Gordon does with the VED you pay to him, it doesn't pay for most of the tarmac roads I cycle on. Tony |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
In message , Tony Raven
writes In addition local roads are funded by the local authorities to which we all pay council tax. Central government only pays for trunk roads and motorways, most of which cyclists use rarely. So whatever Gordon does with the VED you pay to him, it doesn't pay for most of the tarmac roads I cycle on. If you really paid all your council tax it would be four or five times what it is now because the government subsidy would be withdrawn, so you are just plain wrong. -- Clive. |
Route from Holloway to Bloomsbury
Clive Coleman wrote:
If you really paid all your council tax it would be four or five times what it is now because the government subsidy would be withdrawn, so you are just plain wrong. Three times actually where I live but then transport is only 5% of council budgets and that includes more than roads. But of course it all starts with your fallacy that VED and fuel duty is hypothecated by Government to road building which it isn't Tony |
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