Route advice - London to Essex?

[D.A.L.E.]

On Monday I'm riding from Kings Cross to just North of Braintree. My knowledge of roads down there is none existant. Anyone got any pointers/ideas/routes to get me out of London? Any traffic free hidden gems I might not know about?

Cheers in advance

[orienteer]

I think best to head East, say Cycling Superhighway CS2 to Bow, then pick up the River Lee path North towards Epping, and then head North East on the maze of minor roads towards Dunmow and beyond.

[psyclist]

You are in luck if you want traffic free, because you can do virtually the whole journey traffic free.

From Kings Cross you need to get to Angel, from where you can pick up the Regents Canal path. With a left at the canal running alongside Valentines Park, you can pick up the River Lea route near to the Olympic Stadium. Heading north the path is mostly paved until you get to the A406, when it becomes a gravel path. Keep heading north, and watch out for the bridge that takes you onto the River Stort path.

The River Stort path is more like a footpath in parts than a cycle path, but it is a cycle way. At Bishop's Stortford, you'd need a road route for a couple of miles to the other side of the M11, from where you can pick up the Flitch Way. The Flitch Way is a shared use path that follows the old railway line from Bishop's Stortford to Braintree.

So apart from the initial bit from Kings Cross to Angel, and the bit in Bishop's Stortford from the town centre to the M11, you have an off-road route for the whole journey. I've ridden all the sections of this route multiple times.

[Ham]

psychlist is correct, but it is quite a slow way to go, plus navigating your route through the canals is not without its hazards. you haven't said what time of day you're riding - this can make a difference.

However, here's an alternative escape from London.

From Kings Cross, head to Old Street and pick up the A10 Kingsland High Street. Ride straight on till you can get to ferry lane and the canal. Take this canal to Waltham Abbey.

From there, Mr Google takes you onward and across country which looks quite a good idea to me

[D.A.L.E.]

psychlist is correct, but it is quite a slow way to go, plus navigating your route through the canals is not without its hazards. you haven't said what time of day you're riding - this can make a difference.

However, here's an alternative escape from London.

From Kings Cross, head to Old Street and pick up the A10 Kingsland High Street. Ride straight on till you can get to ferry lane and the canal. Take this canal to Waltham Abbey.

From there, Mr Google takes you onward and across country which looks quite a good idea to me

Departure time will be around 2pm. I'm not in a great rush as my friend who I'm staying with doesn't finish work until 7pm. Will check these routes out, thank you.

[jiberjaber]

Ride to Liverpool Street and get the train to Shenfield. (oyster gos as far as there and its dead cheap.)
Ride Shenfield to destination, far nicer and without the hell of London escape...

Are you coming in to KX on a train, perhaps get off somewhere like Hatfield /get a train back out to avoid the London bit.... ?

[jiberjaber]

psychlist is correct, but it is quite a slow way to go, plus navigating your route through the canals is not without its hazards. you haven't said what time of day you're riding - this can make a difference.

However, here's an alternative escape from London.

From Kings Cross, head to Old Street and pick up the A10 Kingsland High Street. Ride straight on till you can get to ferry lane and the canal. Take this canal to Waltham Abbey.

From there, Mr Google takes you onward and across country which looks quite a good idea to me

A lot of COR along the Flitchway might not be too pleasant given the recent rain.   Section from Butleys Lane to Great Dunmow is footpath only.  B1256 has a shared cyclepath from Highwood Quarry RBT as far as Stortford Road, then you need to go through Dunmow to get to the next section of the way (which is COR)...  Flitchway is fairly weather resistant from Rayne to Braintree as its more footpath/tarmac from Rayne onwards.

The B1256 is pretty miserable from Stanstead to Braintree during normal hours, OK on an Audax first thing in the morning.

[drossall]

Cyclestreets is worth a try.

[Christophe]

I used to do it weekly. Preferred route was Dunwich Dynamo route out of London. Follow Lea Bridge Road all the way to Epping. Busy but direct for about 25km. After Epping quietens down considerably. North Weald Basset, Moreton, Little Roding, Leaden Roding, High Easter, Pleshey, Ford End. I'd chip off for Witham there but guess you'd go Felsted, Rayne, Braintree. If you're not familiar and if you don't have to I would avoid the centre of Braintree as its not very cycle (or come to think of it) car friendly. Always find it a very confusing place to navigate.

[D.A.L.E.]

Didn't actually ride out of London as there was a change in schedule. Was interesting travelling with Abellio Greater Anglia though...

https://www.strava.com/activities/615215106

Used Cyclestreets to get me back into London; took me all over the knot end! Was pleasantly surprised by how quiet the roads were (when I was actually on them and not on some footpath) until it went mental near Bumbles Green. That was a bit unpleasant.

Actual London riding was fun though, I do have a soft spot for it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/620150996

There's a couple of photos on my Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ganondale/

Cheers for the help people.

[jiberjaber]

 

Where was the ford at ?

[D.A.L.E.]

Where was the ford at ?

Which one..? 

My phone says the picture was taken in Shalford?

EDIT - The River Pant, near Beazley End.

[jiberjaber]

Ta