[LEL17] Getting to Loughton for Registration

[hulver]

A request for help from people who know the mean streets of London.

I'm arriving at St. Pancras station, and need to get to Loughton for registration.

The A104 - A121 looks like a straight forward route to take, but is it horrible to cycle on? Streetview doesn't look too bad, but a Londoners perspective would be nice.

http://goo.gl/maps/kzEEI

Any comments please?

[Hummers]

On an aside: it looks like a non-folding bike can travel on the tube from Leyton to Loughton on the Saturday. That is some way from St Pancras but may be better than nothing if you are concerned about traffic. One thing to note,  unless you are finishing earlier than 16:00 or later than 19:00 you will have to ride in to London to catch the train back home again on the Thursday/Friday.

H

[Greenbank]

Looks ok. The Dun Run uses the A104 from just after the Clapton Road, can't remember a problem with it.

Nearest tube to the start is Debden, one stop further than Loughton.

[simonp]

I've cycled some of the A104, Lea Bridge Rd, when I got slightly lost trying to follow the Lea canal. I didn't like it.

[essexian]

It used to be the route I used when I worked in the City back in the 1980's!!!

There is a bit more traffic on the road now days than there was then,  but its well doable but keep your eyes open around the Clapton roundabout as its a bit nutty; whilst the road up to the Waterworks (North Circ junction) can be a bit of a race track and used to (I think its still does) have a couple of cattle grids.

Just a thought, if you didn't want to cycle, then I wonder if its possible to take the HS1 train to Stratford International, cycle the mile or so to Leyton Tube Station and then take the tube north from there? As far as I know, full size bikes can be taken on tubes from Leyton northward (best to check with TFL however).

[jsabine]

As usual with riding in London, confidence in traffic is your friend. By and large, drivers expect there to be cyclists around and while they won't visibly give ground, they're used to not running you over. Stay fast and stay out from the kerb, and you'll be fine.

Lea Bridge Road is fine, as is the road up through Woodford and Buckhurst Hill. The A road through Epping Forest can be a bit unpleasant with boy racers, but you turn off before that bit.

As for the tube, off peak (ie not Mon-Fri rush hour) you can take full-size bikes on the Central Line from Leytonstone if you want. There's a chance you'd get them on at Stratford, but it's against the roolz ...

[Greenbank]

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/bicycle-tube-map.pdf shows you which part of the tube network is ok for bikes.

The trains from St Pancras that stop at Stratford Intl go to places like Margate and Dover and are run by Southeastern. Their bicycle policy: http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/your-journey/bicycle-policy/ doesn't show any reason why you shouldn't be able to take a bike on a train from St Pancras to Stratford Intl.

[Ray 6701]

I'll be cycling from London Euston but haven't bothered looking at a specific route yet.

[chrisbainbridge]

Surely you can simply cycle from whatever train station to the Prologue route?  I will be cycling into town after registration and was simply planning on following the prologue in reverse.

[jsabine]

The Prologue route's a balance between direct and pleasant: I must admit I tend to prioritise direct 'cos I'm normally running late.

[London Edinburgh London]

Southeastern trains to Stratford from the city are fine to take bikes on.

If you want to take the train, I recommend Liverpool Street to Chingford, and then cycle through the Epping Forest to Loughton. It's actually rather a nice route.

[rob]

I'm riding over Saturday lunchtime.   Is the prologue route on the LEL website ?   Can't seem to find it.


Rob

[jefmcg]

I took the direct route on my 300 a few weeks ago.  It was fine (for London): lots of bad drivers, and lots of drunks - came through around 23.00 on a Saturday night, but I never felt in danger.

There cattle grid are still there, and for some reason terrified me so I walked across them.  There's also a big roundabout with an underpass - skip the underpass, I got lost under there.

[mcshroom]

I'll be cycling from London Euston but haven't bothered looking at a specific route yet.

Same here. I also need to get round to booking tickets there and back. I'm timetabled to get back sometime around 6am so I need to decide when to book the train home.

[pioto]

Hello,

I will arrive in Stansted Airport on Saturday around noon and am wondering what would be the best way to get to Loughton? If the weather is nice, I might just ride my bike to the registration. But if not? Any recommendations? Easybus to Baker Street and tube to Loughton or any better ideas? And, of course, budget travelling

Thanks

[essexian]

Stanstead to Loughton....

Train from Stanstead Airport to Seven Sisters or Tottenham Hale and cycle from there through Walthamstow to the Waterworks Corner then as the route above.

One concern about the Tottenham Hale one way system but its quite an easy ride: http://goo.gl/maps/ECIVL

I would not go into Central London just to come back out again especially as taking a full size bike on the Underground is not straightforward. The TFL website gives more information.

Edited to add.... it seems like its only 25 miles or so to cycle from Stanstead to Loughton. Might be better to cycle it rather than hassle around with trains?

[L.Lagopus]

There is a group planning to meet in front of Buckingham Palace at 10:30 on Saturday, to pre-ride the prologue route out to registration, if anyone cares to join.

[mikewigley]

There is a group planning to meet in front of Buckingham Palace at 10:30 on Saturday, to pre-ride the prologue route out to registration, if anyone cares to join.

An interesting idea, would that be called the pre-prologue?  If I can get up early enough and down to central London for 10:30 I'll do that.  As the Critical Mass demonstrates (I've never been on it and never seen it so I'm guessing here) the more there are of you/us the better

[mds101]

There is a group planning to meet in front of Buckingham Palace at 10:30 on Saturday, to pre-ride the prologue route out to registration, if anyone cares to join.

If that's an open invitation, then it would most welcome ....big cities make me nervous at the best of times.

[Fidgetbuzz]

If this does get going - have a careful look at going down to the Embankment from Traf Sq. - We can not use the Embankment on Sunday due to the London Triathlon-- but it would be  a better look at London than the route that we have to use. Work out how to get back up to St Pauls - where you then pick up the route again.

[Revellinho]

My train gets in to Euston at 11:04.  I can ride down to Liverpool St and get a train to Ponders End/Cheshunt area and then ride to the registration - any idea which would be the best station to get off?  Also is Liverpool St a proper train station that you can wheel your bike into or does it involve lots of stairs/escalators? 

Or can I catch a train from Euston that goes anywhere useful?

Or, again, should I just MTFU and ride all the way with (I assume) about a gazillion cars.

I don't mind a ride over the Wrynose and down Cockley Beck after work, but travelling 24k across London seems a logistical nightmare!

[toontra]

From Euston it's a fairly straight route to Loughton.  My suggestion would be something like:

Euston Rd - Pentonville Rd - Upper St - Essex Rd - Balls Pond Rd - Dalston Lane - Lea Bridge Rd - Woodford New Rd - A104 (Epping Rd) - A121 (High Rd). 

You may have to fill in a couple of the small connecting roads whose names I can't remember.

It's not too bad a route at all - I do it many times a year and it's the start of most of my training rides.

[Revellinho]

Thanks for that - and is it OK to ride Saturday lunchtime?  I had assumed that riding the prologue was going to be OK because of the time of day, but that it could otherwise be a non-starter.

[mcshroom]

It will be busier on a Saturday than early Sunday morning, but it's perfectly possible to ride round the city most of the time (many forummites commute at rush hour).

It's also the school holidays by then which would make things quieter.

[essexian]

My train gets in to Euston at 11:04.  I can ride down to Liverpool St and get a train to Ponders End/Cheshunt area and then ride to the registration - any idea which would be the best station to get off?  Also is Liverpool St a proper train station that you can wheel your bike into or does it involve lots of stairs/escalators? 

Liverpool Street is a proper station.....its massive being the third busiest in London  Yes, there are escalators, one flight, but I am sure there are lifts over by MacDonalds and in Bishopsgate so getting to platform level should not be a problem.

As "LEL" suggests above, its best to train the train to Chingford and cycle across the bottom of Epping Forest from there to Loughton. Its flat exit from the platform from that station.

Not been on the Chingford line for many years (I am so old I remember them rebuilding the Clapton tunnel!) but its likely to be the type of train where there is loads of room for a bike in the doors areas. If I remember correctly, the doors at stations open on the left hand side, so best get the bike on the right.