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!

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?

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

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

"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.

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

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]

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..

Trying to follow the LCN to King's Cross on Wednesday proved futile as the
signs were inconsistent and of little help when they were there at all.

...d

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

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

"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